Fellow Bio:
I graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in Government and English. After college I moved to Denver, CO, where I worked for several years as a youth mentor for at-risk middle school kids. Community service has always played a pivotal role in my life, and I joined LOCUS to strengthen my ties to the Madison area. The majority of my volunteer work has been with urban youth in Chicago, Denver, and Washington, DC, and I look forward to expanding my focus to fit this community's needs.

Inputs:

• UW Physicians and Residents. Two physicians, Drs. Anstett and Bruce, as well as one resident, Ildi Martoffny, are each volunteering two weeks of their time to work with us at the clinic.
• First-year Medical Student Volunteers. Medical care offered by the mobile clinic is provided entirely by volunteers. This summer, eight University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health students will be spending two weeks at the SLHP.
• Marcie Navratil, LOCUS fellow. This semester I am spending considerable time researching the needs of the clinic, educating myself about Guatemala, fundraising to purchase medications, and participating in a Medical Spanish course. I am also spending the majority of my summer in Central America, which will enable me to take on the SLHP as a year-round LOCUS project. I am forgoing a summer research position in favor of something that I consider to be vital: service to a community.
• Research & Education. This year's participants are putting together a pre-trip "mini-course", organizing discussions on topics ranging from intestinal parasites to the political situation in the country.
• Resources. The SLHP depends entirely on donated money and medications to function, so the group is working hard to launch a fundraising campaign. We are soliciting both individual donors and corporations for any assistance they can provide. Our goal is to make an impressive donation to replenish diminished supplies at the clinic.
• Past LOCUS fellows. We have been in close contact with the five fellows who volunteered in the summer of 2004, as they have experience in planning and executing a successful trip.

Activities:

• Provide health care for patients. During summer months, up to 500 patients are seen by both the clinic in San Lucas Tolim and the mobile clinic.
• Distribute resources gathered during the fundraising campaign.
• Improve Spanish ability.
• Enhance partnership with SLHP. The University of Wisconsin has a long tradition of working with the San Lucas Mission. We are hoping to build upon the efforts of past volunteers and LOCUS fellows who have participated in the project and to reinforce the UW's commitment to the program.

Short Term Outcomes:

• Meet the health care needs of San Lucas Tolim.
• Shadow Madison-area physicians who are committed to providing community service in the midst of their busy careers. These individuals are sure to demonstrate what it means to be a "servant leader."
• Learn basic clinical exam skills.
• Attain exposure to the culture and traditions of indigenous Mayans.
• Interview patients in Spanish to improve both patient interviewing and language skills.
• Serve as a resource for the Summer 2006 SLHP trip.

Final Outcomes:

• Practice medicine in underserved communities throughout my career as a physician.
• Offer free medical care to patients who otherwise would not have access to it.
• Increase my level of cultural competency and gain further understanding of the barriers and issues involved in health care delivery to rural and impoverished regions.
• Develop a lasting partnership with the SLHP that extends throughout the year by donating a steady supply of materials to the clinic.

The goals of my project are twofold: to improve my ability to speak Spanish and to volunteer at the San Lucas Mission in San Lucas Tolim, Guatemala. By combining cultural immersion with basic language skills before starting work at the mission, I will be better able to communicate with patients in this underserved community.

The San Lucas Mission was founded over forty years ago in the Guatemalan highlands. The Mission organizes construction projects, builds infrastructure for potable water, maintains a reforestation program, offers continuing adult education classes, and facilitates fair-trade coffee sales for local farmers. It also runs the San Lucas Health Project (SLHP), which is where I will be volunteering. The SLHP offers free medical care to patients in extremely isolated communities via its mobile clinic. Currently over 20 physicians per year donate their time to the SLHP, and this year eight UW School of Medicine and Public Health students, two physicians, and one resident will be counted in that effort.

Last update:

August 30, 2005

Graduation Requirements Progress Chart
If you complete the requirements outlined below, you will graduate as a LOCUS fellow.

A indicates the item has been completed.

Completed	When	What	On-line
	Year 1: Beginning of Semester 2	New Project Report	Submit Report
	Year 2: Beginning of Semester 1	Project Update	Submit Update
	Year 2: Beginning of Semester 2	Project Update	Submit Update
	Year 3: Beginning of third year	Project Update	Submit Update
	Year 4: August of fourth year	2-3 page final summary of project that includes a reflective evaluation of the project process	N/A
	Ongoing	Participate in program evaluation (written and/or focus group)	View Options
	By the end of fourth year	Select poster, presentation, paper, creative option or your own idea	View Options

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