Family Medicine Assistant Professor, Dr. Monty Mathews and house officer II, Dr. Jamil Neme are preparing for a week long trip to Jamaica, but it’s hardly a vacation.
Drs. Mathews and Jamil, along with about 20 medical students, three pharmacy students, and two physical therapy students, are serving at a church-based medical clinic in an underserved area.
While in Falmouth, Jamaica, they will see up to 400 patients, providing primary care to a population that often does not have access to healthcare. Working on this medical mission often means going without running water, air conditioning, or even electricity while supplying their own equipment and medication.
Dr. Mathews believes the experience for M1s and M2s is invaluable. “They’re learning to interview and perform physicals during the trip. It is often their first concentrated time to practice those skills on real patients,” Mathews said.
This is Dr. Mathew’s fourteenth year traveling to Jamaica. The group leaves on March 20th and returns March 26th.