Fellow Bio:
I graduated from the UW in 1999 and then spent four years between college and medical school serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan, working as an environmental education teacher in northern minnesota, and researching bark beetle ecology with the US Forest Service in Utah. In addition to my LOCUS experience with the San Lucas Health Project after my first year or med school, I also worked on a research project with Dr. Alex Adams examining the environmental influences of pediatric obesity on the Menominee Reservation. Beyond medical school I am interested in practicing family medicine, integrative medicine, international medicine and recreating outdoors as much as possible (insert golden lab puppy here).

Inputs (information, resources, ideas, stakeholders)

To help execute this project, we have had help and continue to seek help from a variety of sources. We have been in contact with Kathy Huebert, who schedules medical school groups to work at the SLHP. We have worked closely with the LOCUS members that went to Guatemala in 2003, especially seeking guidance from Adam Marks. Our group(Jacqueline Redmer, Elizabeth Harris, Diane Witek, Joseph Eichenseher, and myself) have coordinated our efforts in the organization of this experience, working individually on certain aspects of the project.

Activities (essence of program, components, linkages, partners, team members)

The essence of our program is to maintain and further the partnership between LOCUS and the SLHP. We feel that LOCUS members will gain an invaluable experience that will expose them not only to the field of international medicine, but will also help them develop the skills important in working with Hispanic communities and underserved areas.

In addition to traveling and working at the San Lucas Health Clinic, we are also trying to gather supplies from local pharmacies to bring with us to Guatemala. Since the San Lucas Clinic is a volunteer organization, they depend on such donations and supplies for their continued activity.

LOCUS members participating in this project are Elizabeth Harris, Jackie Redmer, Charmain Dresel-Valasquez, Diane Witek, and Joseph Eichenseher

Short Term Outcomes (communications, evaluation plans, program design)

The short term outcomes we hope to achieve include the development of clinical skills, increased cultural awareness, further understanding of the barriers and issues involved in health care delivery to rural and impoverished areas, and increased proficiency in Spanish. At the mission, we will work with doctors and other health care professionals in the mobile clinic, traveling from village to village, and helping to provide medical and dental care.

Final Outcomes (final program, evaluation measures, how will it be sustained?)

Our long term goals are focused on establishing a continued partnership between LOCUS and the SLHP. We hope that our experience this summer will allow future members to easily participate in this program. Ideas for sustaining this project include the development of a resource manual specifically for students containing information about contact people, transportation, daily activities, language school options, history of the SLHP, grant resources, budget, useful items, and personal stories. We hope that this information will be incorporated into construction of a web-page link off the UW School of Medicine and Public Health homepage, providing future members and volunteer physicians with information so they can arrange their own trips. We also wish to share our experiences with our other medical students in the form of noon discussions and present at the Fall Global Health Symposium.

Our goals are as follows:

• To improve medical Spanish skills
• To improve latino cultural competency in healthcare
• To help the SLHP to provide rural healthcare to people living in the Guatemalan highlands
• To form a mutually benefical and sustainable relationship between the UW and the SLHP
• To gain a better understanding of the challenges faced when providing rural healthcare in a less well-developed nation

Some challenges for this project include:

• language and cultural barriers
• understanding the needs of SLHP
• communicating these needs to the UW community
• finding physcians to participate
• procuring drug donations for SLHP
• providing medical care with limited experience

Physicians interested and willing to accompany students to Guatemala, donated prescription medications, money and time to travel to Guatemala and attend language school

Comments:

January 5, 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

Comments? Feedback? webmaster@fammed.wisc.edu
© 2003 University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Family Medicine