Clinicals....

Upon walking in the front door of the clinic the first day, I was immediately struck by the vast differences in this clinic versus the clinics and things I had experienced in clinicals back home. I walked in the entry way of the clinic to find people sitting in rows of pews. They sat there patiently and quietly in a room with no air conditioning. We then were introduced to the nurses of the clinic. They wear similar white scrubs but they still wear the caps. I quickly observed that the nurses essentially run the clinic. There are a couple doctors but the nurses take initiative and are independent. The clinic offers various services. There is a room for pediatrics, vaccinations, dental work, and for gynecological exams. All these services are offered in single rooms off the main waiting room. My first day of clinicals I worked in pediatrics. I loved this experience. I weighed, measured, and gave the babies shots. I was surprised that the mothers were so trusting and not once questioned my ability, even as an obvious foreigner. I have performed a papsmear and given school-aged kids vaccines. The clinic has meager resources, yet they offer so much to the community. They have an emphasis on teaching and health promotion. The nurses display empathy and patience. They spend time answering questions and caring for their patients. I am so impressed with the patient nurse relationship. The patients seem to have so much trust in the nurses. This is something I am not accostumed to back in Florida. They are making such a difference and I am having fun taking part!

Las Experiencias Nuevas

We have been in Panama one week now but we have already seen and experienced so many new things. As I reflect on this past week I am amazed at the transition in my own comfort level in this new culture. When we first arrived in Chitre, we stopped at the University of Panama and were greeted with food, the traditional arroz con pollo. Our individual families that we live with then came and picked us up. When my homestay mom arrived I quickly learned that communication was going to be an issue. She nor the family I stay with speak a word of Spanish. This is when I began to get uneasy. We then arrived at our house in a modest part of town. My roommate Lindsay and I were shocked to see that they leave the doors and windows wide open, and that they did not have air conditioning. With the windows and doors wide open, people would just walk right through our front door and meander around the house. Lindsay and I were freaking out. We did not understand this and felt unsafe. Now, a week later, I laugh at these feelings of discomfort and vulnerability. The Panama people are so different then us Americans. They are trustworthy and kind. They believe in community, within the family, between neighbors, and between complete strangers. The ¨random¨people walking freely throughout the house I soon learned were cousins and neighbors. There are various people who live in our house throughout the week other then the family members. There is an old professor who comes and stays Wednesday and Thursday. They also have a housekeeper who lives with them. I love how they all take care of one another, whether it be family or a neighbor. I am especially touched by a woman who lives across the street. She walks in every night just to greet me and Lindsey. She is so kind and fascinated by us.

The communication barrier still remains, but it is getting easier. I am able to understand more and more, and they are patient with our lack of understanding. We somehow manage, and with each day I get more comfortable in this place that is so different from my real home.

Hola from Panama!

It's hard to believe that we have already been in Panama for a week! I have learned so much in the short time that we have been here. Well, I guess I'll start by saying that we flew into Panama City and stayed at the City of Knowledge for a few days. We took a tour of the Panama Canal and the city while we were there. Panama City is different from US cities because it is still developing and there are very rich areas right next to very poor areas in the city. Many people speak English in the city because it is so close to the Canal zone that the US controlled for a long time while the canal was being built. After a few days we left the city and headed to where we are now which is Chitre :) The clinical experience has been great! I was able to give vaccinations, take height, weight, and head circumference of infants, and today I did a few Pap smears! It was definitely different than I thought it was going to be but in a good way. The nurses in Panama are able to do more than the nurses in the US like doing Pap smears. They focus a lot on teaching and prevention of diseases in Panama. While I was in the Pap smear area of the clinic I noticed that the nurse took the time to go over the self breast examination with each of her patients even if the patient already knew how to do it.

This past weekend we were able to go the beach for a short stay. It was very beautiful and relaxing before our long week of clincals, class, and cultural activities!

Today, the universidad de Panama students invited us to play volleyball and few other games wiht them after we were done with clinicals. It was a great bonding experience for us to be able to interact with them.

While we are here in Panama we are staying at homes in the community to really learn about the culture and be submerged in it. We are staying with a great family, Edy and Raoul, and they have 2 dogs. The experience so far has been great and really eye opening as to how people in other countries live differently than we do in the US. I can't wait to see what's in store next and to share my experiences with my family and friends in the US!!