Reflection on Studying Abroad in the Dominican Republic

During my time in Dominican Republic, I was able to immerse myself within the culture and lifestyle of people and community of San Jose De Ocoa. Being a healthcare-related trip, we were able to visit various facilities and institutions to learn more about the resources and access to healthcare to the people of Ocoa. We visited level-one clinic centers which is equivalent to a primary care office, level-two care centers which is equivalent to an urgent care, a senior home, a physical and occupational therapy rehabilitation facility, a public school, a school for special-needs children, a sustainable local community, a fire station and 911 center, the local water dam, and participated in home health visits. We were able to administer care to patients at the primary care office, which included: vitals, height, weight, and blood sugar checks. These services were extended out into the local community during home health visits, where we visited various patients in their homes and obtained their routine vitals/check-up’s. We served meals to members of senior home, participated in morning med-pass, and conversed with residents. We observed occupational therapy sessions and gained insight on the therapy programs offered in the local rehabilitation facility. During our visit to the public school we were able to speak with the students about the structure of their educational program and how it influenced their career paths. We learned about the emergency services available to the people of Ocoa when visiting the fire station and 911 center. We toured their various ambulance vehicles and learned about their policies and procedures regarding medical emergencies. We visited the local water dam to learn about the importance of how it supplies the city with water and how it plays a crucial part in the generation of electricity needed for the town. We visited a sustainable local mountain community known as Los Martinez, which highlighted how a small mountain town provides 35% of the agricultural needs of the entire island. And finally, our stop at the local special needs school, which is only one of nine in the entire island, gave us the opportunity to learn about the access to care and education for children with special needs, all while being able to play, color, and bond with the children. This trip highlighted how the community of San Jose De Ocoa comes together and support one another, all while utilizing the resources given to them. It was amazing being able to administer patient care, speak with the locals, learn about their healthcare systems, and immerse ourselves in their lives for a week.