Life-Changing Medical Mission Trips
A Tradition of Global Service
Since 2008, Manchester Community College nursing students and faculty have traveled overseas during semester breaks to provide medical care to communities that otherwise have little access to care. In January, nine students and one nursing faculty, who are part of the Global Health Club, traveled to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. In addition, four other RNs traveled with the group – three of the four were previous MCC nursing students.
Delivering Care in the Dominican Republic
MCC’s Global Health Club partners with Foundation for Peace, a non-profit organization that provides mobile medical clinics to impoverished rural communities. Offering two days of primary care clinics and one day of door-to-door medical care, the group cared for 80-85 people each day! They also visited an orphanage for special needs children and toured a local maternity hospital, to see how healthcare differs in the D.R.
During each clinic day, students worked in various areas including triaging patients, completing basic lab tests, scribing for the nurses/providers during patient care, and running the “suitcase pharmacy.” Each evening, they would count and bag medications for the next day’s clinic and ensure all the bags were repacked with needed clinic supplies.
“It’s amazing how students step out of their comfort zone and are able to serve those who have so little,” says Jill Reid, MCC Nursing professor and advisor to the Global Health Club. Adding, “In less than a week, they are able to make a difference in the lives of others, while realizing what they get back from the experience is immeasurable.”
Preparation, Partnership, and Purpose
The Global Health Club prepares for months before their trip. Prior to this year’s trip, students participated in fundraisers including a comedy show at Chunky’s Theatre, a BINGO night at the college, restaurant fundraisers, a Pickleball Tournament, and selling flowers at last year’s Nurse Pinning ceremony. They had planning meetings at least twice a month and were responsible for collecting supplies to create ‘care kits’ for each man, woman and child seen at the clinics. Each student also created a teaching plan on a healthcare topic, which included literature or activities written in Spanish and Haitian Creole. Students were then responsible for providing patient teaching on their chosen topic during the daily clinics. Topics ranged from hypertension and scabies treatment to safe water consumption and oral hygiene.
MCC students and faculty who have had the opportunity to participate in one of the many medical mission trips over the years have described the experience as “powerful”, “transformative”, and “inspiring”. It is always a life-changing experience.