UCLA GAIN Meeting: Recap of Summer 2015 Trips

10/5/15, 11:00 AM 12:30 PM

Minutes Recorded By Jessica Salamat, GAIN Secretary/Historian

Sign in: Will have points to qualify for a cord

Alex Kelsey, 2nd year MECN student: Education Chair for GAIN introduced speakers
Oaxaca, Mexico - UCLA School of Nursing: Late August, early September
Jocelyn Lee, 2nd year MECN, Margot Hesel, 2nd year MECN and Eileen So, 2nd year MECN

5 MECNs, 4 APNs
9-day trip
Homestay families in center of Oaxaca, 2-3 studetns per homestay
School of Nursing sponsored paid for most of the trip, students paid for airfare
o Next year, unfortunately, may not be fully funded anymore
Application process End of Spring Quarter, will be contacted by Dr. Ruiz
o Submit short essay
o LOR from a professor
o Spanish not required! But encouraged
Busy schedule:
M-F at rural health clinic, hospital 7 AM -12 PM, lunch break at homestay, Spanish
classes 4-8 PM
Saturday: Rural public health visit
Sunday: Cultural immersion day (Oaxaca has 17 indigenous tribes!)
Monday: Exchang with nursing students at URSE (nursing school in Oaxaca)
Sampled food: Grasshoppers (champulines), esquite (elote), churros
Rural Public Health Visit
o Madrina Visited pregnant women
o Adherent with vaccinations People trust the health care system
o 1960s nursing Per Dr. Ruiz
o Nurse Letty (Masters prepared nurse) Home visits and education for families
Hospital
o Families are asked to help and bring supplies for the patients
o Families wait outside of the hospital for patient to heal
Nursing School Visit
Childrens Center
Cultural Immersion Day
o Ruinas de Monte Alban

o Wooden carpentry
o Oaxaca is famous for pottery
Laos, September 2015
Aimee De Leon, 2nd year MECN

Individual trip
12 days
Visited various villages, mostly northern area
Brought supplies: 400 eyeglasses, 300 sunglasses, variety of medications (nonprescription)
Flew into Bangkok, Thailand, went through border
Very rural, traveled by boat ~4.5 hours, had a guide
Met with vilage leaders first, then visited families, families were very welcoming
Main problem: Malnutrition, dirt roads, eyesight need glasses!
Visited Lao Friends Hospital for Children (Started by an American, will be returned to
the Laotian people), NongKhiaw Provence Hospital, a preschool with no roof and
volunteer teachers

La Merced, Peru UCLA FIMRC (Foundation for International Medical Relief for
Children), September 2015
Nikki Tom, 2nd year MECN and Adam Gutierrez, 2nd year MECN

Why FIMRC?
o Focus on access, education, community participation
o Building relationships w/in the community
o No medical background necessary
o Anyone can volunteer
8 Countries: Costa Rica, Domincan Republic, El Salvador, India, Nicaragua, Peru,
Philippines, Uganda
Fee that goes to transporation, living
Funded by the students
o FIMRC will help fundraise w/ a website Paid for the fee, students paid for
airfare and other travel
Not associated with UCLA
Jungle, tropical area
Large, rural community, far from Lima, Peru (10 hours away by bus)
1-2 presentations per day in Spanish, 1 interpreter with you at all times
Sunday: Overnight bus, waterfall hike
Monday: Community health clinics, education, outreach & hospital rotations
o Myplate.org style education
o BP, glucose screenings

o FIMRC has great relationship with this community

o Homestay: Very welcoming, large house, provided meals, room & board
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: Clinical setting at La Merced Hospital
o Great hands-on experience!
o Hands-on plaster casting, sent patients to Lima
o Able to suture
Fire Station
o Operated by volunteers
o Trucks are donated
o Education: Taught them CPR, 1st Aid, How to assess burns (Burns are very
common, firefighters did not know how to treat them)
1 week prior to FIMRC activities, did touristy things!
Adopt-A-Project: Childrens center
o No running water
o No toilet
o Raising $2500 for running water for the community
FIMRC Information:
o October 14: General Meeting: How to plan your own trip!
o www.FIMRC.org
o FB: UCLA FIMRC

Costa Rica IFRE, Summer 2015

Jane Liu, 2nd year MECN and Michelle Alexander, 4th year BSN

Went to San Jose, then split up into two groups Alajuela OR Parrita
Alajuela
o Stayed at a hostile
Water is rationed
o Visited a coffee plantation, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Poas Volcano
o Linea Vital: Clinic
Instructed by a paramedic and doctor
Administered medication without gloves
Took vitals
Many patients spoke English, only ~20% spoke Spanish
Parrita
o Gone from 7 AM to 6 PM, took 1 hour by bus to travel to clinic
o Stayed with a homestay
o Main produce: Coffee, Palm
Host father harvested palm oil
o Typical food: Rice and beans
Rice + beans = pinto
o Clinic
Doctor and paramedic live in the clinic

Hands-on experience
Held wounds open, irrigated wounds
Vital signs
o Elderly Home
Clean, nice, but not advanced
Will have another trip! Winter break, Spring break, Summer break
If interested, contact Michelle Alexander

Cuba, UCLA School of Nursing, December 2015

Will be visiting hospitals, nursing school, CDC-type organization, etc.