On Aug. 6, Keith Brown, M.D., and 11 UNMC students in his Wilderness and Tropical Medicine course departed for Belize for two-weeks of hands-on medical experience.
Dr. Brown is a family practice physician in Gordon, Neb., and an adjunct assistant professor at UNMC. His program educates students on the problems encountered in wilderness and tropical medicine, international health and third world operational planning.
“This course requires a different type of mindset from first world city medicine,” Dr. Brown said. “Resources and priorities are different, compromises must be made in how you approach problems, and you must understand your own strengths and limitations.”
Leading the mission
Dr. Brown led the medical response in Belize during Hurricane Iris and has more than 25 years experience in wilderness medicine, search and rescue, EMT, law enforcement, fire fighting and military special operations. He has taught wilderness and international related courses for many years to students in the United States and overseas.
The culmination of the Belize program was deploying students to two Mayan/Meztiso (mixed Spanish/Indian heritage) villages in the area. The villages had not had any routine health services available for some time. Students operated and led their own teams with aid from the Belize Cave and Wilderness Search and Rescue Team, under the supervision of the instructor team.
“My students saw a total of several hundred people of all ages,” Dr. Brown said. “While many of the problems were relatively minor and treated on the spot, they also made several diagnosis’ of cancer, Dengue Fever, malnutrition and other problems.”
Improvising in a developing country
Evacuating patients in full spinal immobilization out of caves and across rivers was difficult, and some students doubted their ability to perform.
“You had to keep an open mind, and learn to adapt and improvise in a developing country,” said Amber Tyler, a third-year student at UNMC College of Medicine.
“The field exercises in rescue training with mock patients and learning to build needed supplies — such as stretchers — from the ground floor was very educational and interesting,” said Pyra Aarden, a third-year student at UNMC College of Medicine.
Tyler and Aarden said the Belize training was the most “incredible” educational experience they had ever experienced.
“Students learn everything from how to make physical assessments in confined spaces with nothing but your five senses, to fluid management, wound care, infectious disease diagnosis and treatment and emergency dental care,” Dr. Brown said.
First to participate
This is the first time the Wilderness and Tropical Medicine course has been offered to UNMC students. Dr. Brown said the opportunity to ‘test drive” a program of this nature — to see if it would be beneficial for the university — was a valuable experience.
“It is different, unique and distinct from first-world city medicine,” Dr. Brown said.
The other UNMC College of Medicine students who participated in the Belize program are Kara Coleman, Josh McConkey, Tom Speigel, Liz Ziemba, Laura Ortman, Krista Hill, Eric Ehlers, Natalie Hauser and Carrie Beehner.