Spring break is already on the minds of some students from the University
of Nebraska Medical Center. They are preparing early for their spring break
in Jamaica. But they won’t be laying on the beach. They’ll be working more
than 10 hours a day providing medical care to the poor.
The UNMC Student Alliance for Global Health is busy looking for donations
of medication, toiletries and summer clothing to take on its ninth humanitarian
medical mission, March 14-20, to Falmouth, Jamaica. Falmouth is a poor,
medically-underserved city of about 10,000 located about 20 miles east
of Montego Bay. Only one physician serves the area, said Sheilah Bush,
UNMC medical student and coordinator of the mission.
Twenty-eight students from UNMC’s College of Medicine and College of
Dentistry, along with three Nebraska physicians, two dentists and one nurse,
will see about 90 patients a day, said Bush. They will treat patients for
a variety of illnesses, do health screenings, perform minor surgery and
dental procedures in small, four-room clinic.
“There is no fancy MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging), CT scans or even
X-ray,” said Wes Smeal, a second-year medical student from Howells, Neb.
“We really get to experience the practice of medicine.”
The group of 34 will work during the day then hold education sessions
in the evenings to share what the students learned during the day. While
in Jamaica, some of the students will provide health screenings and medical
care at the Girls Home of Safety, a resident of about 75 mostly orphaned,
school-age girls.
“The experience we get is very rewarding,” Smeal said. “The people there
are very appreciative. By the end of the week, people are in lines for
hours to see us, many times well before we’re there in the morning.”
Smeal and Bush, who participated in the mission last year, said the
student group is looking for donations of pharmaceuticals, especially antibiotics,
pain relievers, and diabetes medications. The students also are collecting
toiletries such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, as well as shampoo and
soap and new and used summer clothing for children, ages five to 18.
Clothing and toiletries can be dropped off anytime at the Phi Chi house,
3708 Dewey Ave. To make other donations, call the Student Alliance for
Global Health at 344-4715.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.
Through its commitment to research, education and patient care, UNMC has
established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for cancer research
and treatment and solid organ transplantation. More than $34 million
in research grants and contracts are awarded to UNMC scientists annually.
In addition, UNMC’s educational programs are responsible for training more
health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution.