Testimonials

College of Pharmacy of The University of Florida:
Global Health Seminar.

“Upon our arrival in San Jose, we began our adventure in Coronado with Dr Rojas, where we were given in depth tours of the facilities and allowed to go on some of the home visits the hospital conducts, as well as visit a nursing home for abandoned and demented geriatric street-dwellers.  An amazing experience was endued upon us by getting to witness the empathetic response the hospital provided for the sick that do not have accommodations to make it to the clinics.  We found this to be a continuing theme in all of the facilities we were honored to visit throughout the country.  The health-care teams reached out tremendously to the sick and helpless that are in their own communities, as if their obligations and oaths extended to the community walls, instead of their clinic gates.

Our journey continued for the next two days at a Clinic/pre-school in La Carpio, founded by Mrs. Nystrom over 20 years ago with the assistance of Dra Sanchez and a slew of volunteers from around the world.  The revelation of the real situation felt among these people was conveyed immediately upon our arrival into this shantytown of Nicaraguan refugees. The socioeconomic and cultural differences were almost overwhelming, the poverty and lack of resources affected the health of the entire community.  They mostly treated scabies, lice, respiratory problems, and intestinal parasites.  Yet, these issues cannot be solved with treating individual patients because the patients cannot rid themselves of lice and scabies unless the whole city can be eradicated of the bugs.  Respiratory illness caused by the dumping of contaminated debris from dump trucks traveling through the community blew into the faces of the residents from the fierce wind throughout the entire day.  The waste piles hundreds of feet high, right on the shantytown borders.  Parasites and feces were located in the water they bathed and drank from, that floated by their sidewalks and flooded their homes when the rain fell down the mountainside they were built upon.

In the afternoons on each of these days, we would travel to other locations to meet different people of the country.  We were introduced to different tribes who were able to show us their ways of life, their crafts and customs, as well as their survival tactics.  We visited a Huetarian Shaman of the indigenous reservation, Quitirrisi, who performed a ceremonious ritual on us after spending an hour telling us about the beliefs of his people.  Their interest in the healing of the soul to allow the body to be healed was very enlightening, as well as his demonstrations in the gardens showing us the different plants they used and the ailments they treated.  Everything was natural and many of their people lived to very old ages, his own grandmother was turning 100 this year, he told us.  We also meet another tribe of mostly very shy women.  The progressiveness of their tribe by speaking to us and allowing us to film and photograph them was indeed an obstacle they are hesitant to completely overcome.  Many looked away but they had come and that is all the motivation we need.  They have one doctor and his assistants come once a month (in rainy season, not at all) to give basic primary care to those that are able to make the long journey, but the need is there and we can help.

Our discussions with UNIBE helped promote progress in the University’s goals for community health care, especially under the guidance Dr R. Rodriquez of UNIBE, Dr Rojas of Clinica de Coronado, Dra Sanchez and Mrs. Nystrom of La Carpio.  We developed partnerships with many local medical professionals and the Deans of the College of Pharmacy at UNIBE.  Ideas were exchanged as we compared our program at the University of Florida with that UNIBE has to offer, as well as the differences in our facilities and dispensing procedures.  Many of the patient-care projects that we were able to brainstorm involved students from the different universities collaborating together to bring health-care into the Costa Rican communities.  Being able to learn from one another seems an exciting opportunity this mission has to offer.

This mission trip will make students better health-care providers because they will be introduced to different cultures, they will help to develop foreign relations, they will participate in on-hand immediate care with the help of other volunteers from around the world and also have the opportunity to be immersed in different languages.  We are ho Pura Vida!” Jaime Bastian & Desi Broome, graduate students, Florida University. hored to have had the privilege to see the beautiful country of Costa Rica and experience the hospitality of its people:

Pura Vida!”

Jaime Bastian & Desi Broome,
graduate students, Florida University.

-Two weeks program for students from Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University.

Undergraduate Student
Criminal Justice
Sam Houston State University

Graduate Student
Criminal Justice
Sam Houston State University

-One-week Research Exchange Program for doctoral students from Leadearship and Counseling Department of the College of Education of Sam Houston State University.

Some of their comments:

-Four-week 2009 Cultural Immersion Program for graduate psychology students from Pomona College, California:

"The clinical immersion program at UNIBE was a phenomenal experience.  I acquired invaluable exposure to the mental health and clinical treatment systems in Costa Rica, enriched my Spanish language abilities, and throughout the duration of the program, felt supported, safe, and welcomed.  My host family was, from the minute I walked in the door, like my second family and took incredible care of me.  The moment I or any of the other students needed anything, the UNIBE staff were always available and more than happy to help in any way they could, from the Spanish instructors to the program coordinators.  For American psychology students interested in developing their cultural perspective, enhancing their practical psychology experience, and enriching their Spanish language abilities, this program is a perfect opportunity.”

Chris Langeler

University Florida Pharmacy Team
Leah DuBose