The time between now and Sunday is moving way too slowly. On Sunday, a group of us depart from the US to Granada, Nicaragua. Our departure marks the start of a trip that I have been waiting for all semester! We have done our due diligence by practicing up on our Spanish, medical terms, and medications that we will encounter abroad. Now we just have to put it all in action!
Before applying for this two-week Nicaraguan Clinical Experience, I was just a normal pre-med student with a future of organic chemistry, books, and studying. This program has given me hands on experience at The University of Alabama and will give me the opportunity to experience a whole new side of healthcare abroad in Nicaragua. Very few of my peers can say that they know how to take a patient’s blood pressure or blood sugar let alone do it in Spanish. With the growing diversity of the US, medical Spanish will be an invaluable skill that I will use in my future career as a medical professional.
Our group has a mix of future doctors, nurses, and nutritionists. I am excited to get to know the people in my group as well as the staff and patients of the clinic. We will do rotations between blood pressure, blood sugar, the pharmacy, and greeting patients. I am ready for yet intimidated by every aspect of this trip. If only Sunday could get here faster so I could delve into this new culture, new language, and new adventure. Now all I have to do is pack!