'One patient at a time'

Being up close and personal with scabies, lice and other infectious diseases, not being able to brush your teeth with tap water or consume any fresh fruits or salads, hardly sounds like an ideal spring break to some.

But last week, a team of 34 volunteers — some students, some faculty and some alumni — in one way affiliated with UT, got together as a group and headed to Honduras, one of the poorest countries in Central America, leaving the bounds of their comfort zones for a week.

The team, made up of mostly medical students, doctors, nurses, nurse practitioner students, students majoring in Spanish and faculty members, spent months preparing for the trip, with their activities ranging from manually counting and repackaging thousands of capsules and tablets to fundraising projects.

The leader of the trip, Richard Paat, Students for Medical Missions adviser and clinical associate professor of medicine at UT, said this was the biggest mission team he had led and with the most diverse members.

It was his 33rd medical mission, and he said he expected to achieve no less than before.

"We've got, I think, a very outstanding faculty," he said. "We've got faculty from the College of Medicine, pharmacy and nursing as well as [a] BGSU [Spanish] instructor, so we have a multidisciplinary faculty that brings a lot to the teaching environment, and they've all been down here before, which adds more credence to what's happening," he said.

The positions for students were limited and competitive, he said.

"I reviewed everybody's résumés, and I knew that they were top-notch in terms of where they were in classes, but in terms of humanitarian experiences, they've volunteered in the past," he said of the medical students.

Diane Cappelletty, an associate professor in pharmacy, said the medical supplies come from two sources.

"The College of Pharmacy students have a fundraiser to help [offset] the cost of those meds, and this year they raised just under $1,900," she said. The medical supplies are ordered through St. Luke's Hospital in Maumee, Ohio, where Paat is the chief of staff.

The other source is donations from King Pharmaceuticals.

"They collect meds from various companies throughout the country, and they ...  will distribute to medical missions on a basis of request and what they have in stock," she said.

Products donated are usually close to the expiration date, she said, although the team is careful not to accept expired medications.

"It was close to, at least probably close to, $5,000 worth of medications [for this trip]," she said. In total, including supplies, hygiene packs and other miscellaneous products, the team had about $8,000 to $10,000 worth, all packed in 24 duffel bags.

However, the estimated retail costs for the medical supplies were about $250,000. The team had more than 150 types of medications, which were divided into 15 categories, ranging from antibiotics, to de-worming tablets and vitamins.

The game plan

The Lion's Club, the host for the team, chose five different villages for the team to visit, a different site every day. The site's school buildings and classes were cancelled on the day of the visit. The team had to use the school desks and chairs to set up a triage station, where the patients register their names and ages, and for children below the age of 12 had their weight and height measured. Then, there were usually about five to 10 clinic stations set up, a pharmacy area and a private room for the obstetrics and gynecology. Most members of the team had the chance to hold different roles throughout the mission.

A typical day for the team started at about 8 a.m. and ended as late as necessary; some days the team members resorted to using flashlights to see their patients.

Day 1

The team loaded up the bus with duffel bags full of medicines and supplies, piled in a bus and a van rented by the Lion's Club and traveled to a village called Quiaterique in Intibuca.

The team was greeted with excited school children, seemingly fascinated by the strange-looking group of people taking over their school.

"It's my first time writing my own prescription," said Amanda Mure, a first-year medical student, who saw a patient with guidance from Paat.

The first day consisted of a lot of running around, especially for Paat and Ann Reed, professor of pediatrics and medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, as most of the medical students had limited or no clinical experience prior to the trip.

The Spanish-speaking members were popular as well because a majority of the team was not fluent in the language. Two Peace Corps volunteers joined the team, serving as translators.

Most of the locals who showed up at the site were seniors who either showed up alone or with their grandchildren as most adults were out working in the fields.

Day 2

The site for the day was El Cemane, in Yamaranguila, about an hour away.

The team was excited at the cleanliness of the toilet. There was a roll of toilet paper, which was rare at the sites and the cubicle smelled like potpourri.

At the end of the day, Josie Hardy, a nurse and medical missions veteran, gave out colored crayons and papers to the children, which they quickly rolled up and held tightly in their hands.

Day 3

The team was in Candelaria, San Francisco, Opalacaon on Wednesday. Marnie Wagner, a first-year medical student, performed her first wart removal surgery with the guidance of Carolyn Snarkis, an intern at INOVA Fairfax Hospital. The patient had about 10 warts on her right hand and had them since she was young. The process took about one hour.