Here is a short summary (and actually a blog that I wrote for the CCSP website) about my internship weeks at the Cayo Family Clinic and Pharmacy! Overall, I had a had a good experience and really gained a lot of insight into Belize's healthcare system. If you would like to know more or have questions, let me know! Also, if you would like to see some photos and read about things CCSP is doing this semester, you can visit their blog at http://ccspbelizes11.blogspot.com/
As a biology pre-medicine major coming to study in Belize, I was naturally interested in learning about Belize’s healthcare system and the types of diseases most prevalent in the area. My two-week internship at the Cayo Family Clinic and Pharmacy, therefore, provided me with the perfect introduction to Belizean healthcare.
I had the opportunity to sit in on most patient visits and to spend time observing and asking questions of each of the staff members. While there, I was also able to learn skills such as how to take patients’ vitals, perform an EKG, clean and dress a wound, and to perform various laboratory tests. In addition to learning new skills, it was fascinating to learn about how Belize’s healthcare system functions, and how Belize’s approach to healthcare and its cost compares to that of healthcare in the United States.
During my two-weeks at the clinic, God also reinforced to me the idea that one’s real vocation as a Christian is to pursue shalom with Him and with others through the workplace. My goal as a future healthcare provider, therefore, will be to not only provide health services, but also to do so in a manner that brings justice and shalom for God’s people.