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Spring medical mission attracts many by Cindy Abole Public Relations While most college students migrated south for spring break in search of rest and relaxation, a group of MUSC student volunteers and Lowcountry professionals chose their own adventure as they applied their experienced and practiced their skills around Nicaragua's countryside as part of a medical mission trip.  Members of the Optometry Clinic help fit glasses for patients during its Nicaragua mission trip. The trip organized under the international mission group, Christian Ministries International, was coordinated by Michael Overcash, a first-year physician assistant student and veteran of numerous international relief trips. This spring trip would be his seventh visit to the Central American nation and third relief visit within the last year. The student group, the largest and most varied group representing numerous disciplines in recent years,  was composed of students—medicine, nursing, physician assistants, dentistry, physical and occupational therapy and hospital administration, plus health science professionals and non-medical team members.  “It was definitely a new experience for me,” said Edward O'Bryan, a first-year College of Medicine student traveling on his first trip.” The team taught me a lot about medicine.” Working with his native contacts and organizations, Overcash helped arrange the group's clinic locations, secured lodging and other support. His command of the Spanish language, previous experience and genuine enthusiasm helped recruit team members from other health science disciplines. “It was a tightly run trip,” said Ricky Choi, a second-year COM student who previously joined a medical mission to Ghana last summer. “Michael did an excellent job organizing. There wasn't a lot of time wasted.” Each morning, the crew rose early, ate breakfast and boarded the bus that would take them to various clinic sites outside Managua and smaller towns northwest of the capital city. Some sites were as far as a half hour to an hour away from their base site making for long daily commutes. Clinics were situated in church buildings and other sites. Inside, rooms were converted to make-shift specialty or triage areas accommodating general medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and optometry services. To help establish order and timeliness, site coordinators distributed number cards to potential patients prior to each clinic day. By day's end, the mission crew served approximately 300 to 600 patients.  “Working in these clinics was an incredible experience,” Choi said. “I quickly learned to rely on clinical reasoning and be astute in my diagnosis and treatment because we didn't have the standard tests available.” The team provided general treatment for UTIs, parasites, GI disorders, various infections, prostate problems and hyperthyroid disease—medical problems typical to populations living in a tropical climate and underdeveloped conditions. One area of success was the optometry clinic managed by Overcash and O'Bryan. Prior to the trip, Overcash collected old pairs of glasses from the MUSC community and worked with the Storm Eye Institute staff to measure and categorize prescriptive lenses. He was able collect and take about 300 pairs for the trip. “We were able to fit many patients who couldn't read anything before,” said O'Bryan, commenting on how people stopped reading the Bible or performing close-up work like sewing, a necessary skill for Nicaraguan women. “It was exciting to see the instant gratification in their faces,” he said. “They were all smiles.” Typical to most mission trips was the degree of harmonious commitment shared by team members. “One thing that was wonderful about the trip was that we assembled a large heterogenous group and yet worked splendidly together,” Choi said. “Many of us didn't know each other, previously and each of us shared a different role that was ideal for this medical team. It was exciting to see how we learned from each other daily.” “Michael's long-term commitment to Nicaragua will make a great overall impact to its people,” Choi said, citing the effectiveness of short-term medical missions as a valuable learning experience and introduction to global health issues. "What is important for us to realize is that we can easily transfer the issues we engaged in Nicaragua to the micro communities in the U.S. Although it is exciting to travel to another country, our own country and even our own state has many health needs.” As for it's effect on the team, they hope to continue the work they began. Both Overcash and O'Bryan plan to return to Nicaragua later this year. O'Bryan has committed to join another medical outreach group to Venezuela this summer.  “Going to Africa opened my eyes to the needs of the greater world,” Choi said. “I realized that as Americans we live in a very unique part of the world. This trip to Nicaragua confirmed that international missions is an area that I will make a part of my future profession as a doctor.” Nicaraguan Medical Mission Team Michael Overcash, CHP, physician assistant; Allison Dumoulin, CHP, physician assistant; Frances Goodman, CHP, physician assistant; Reamer Bushardt, CHP, physician assistant; Margaret Beverly, CHP, physician assistant; Sara Hendrix, CHP, physician assistant; Lesley Ogden, Medicine; Ricky Choi, Medicine; Eric Myhrer, Medicine; Tanvi Dhere, Medicine; Edward O'Bryan, Medicine; Dale Kukla, CHP, Physical Therapy; Nashauna Jones, CHP, Occupational Therapy; Sonia Yi, Dental Medicine; Dr. Andrea Summer, CGS; Anna Burdette, Nursing; Elizabeth Craig, Nursing; Kristi Cope, Nursing   Dental student gains experience, compassion from work Extracting molars, bicuspids and incisors out of the mouths of diseased and infected patients or communicating brushing basics with children wasn't intimidating to the Nicaragua mission group's lone dental student, Sonia Yi. It was an effort that relied on her own self-assurance, training and finesse. Third-year dental medicine student, Sonia Yi, examines a patient. “I've always wanted to do mission work,” said Yi, a third-year student whose petite frame can easily be perceived as a mismatch for her abilities and skills. “When I first signed up for this trip, I had no expectations about my dental role with the group. I prepared myself to be someone who would just be there to help out.” And help out, she did. Yi worked tirelessly examining and treating patients of different ages. She saw babies and toddlers with tooth decay. In older patients, she diagnosed various stages of periodontal disease and performed numerous extractions. “I felt comfortable in the treatments I had performed,” Yi said. “Our training prepares us for that. Yet I was also aware of my limitations.” In five days, she provided extensive dental treatment to many needy patients. Preparing for the week-long spring break mission also took time. Yi sought the council of seasoned faculty and peers who participated in various dental/medical mission trips to Honduras, Dominican Republic and other nations. She also heeded other practical advice offered from professionals in the community. Yi managed to secure donations from Colgate, Patterson Dental and other suppliers to help supply toothbrushes, toothpaste, fluoride, gauze, gloves and other dental materials that easily filled two suitcases. Even retiring Dental Medicine professor, Ted Welch, DDS, lent her his dental supply kit for the journey. Once situated, the mission team juggled a hectic schedule moving to different locations daily. To help accommodate the crowds, patients were assigned numbers and were triaged according to care, medical or dental.  Each clinic, Yi was paired with non-dental students—physician assistants and several nursing students—emphasizing the mission's true multidisciplinary experience. Although she felt clinically prepared and confident to perform her work, she was unprepared for the genuine compassion and affinity she felt towards these people and their culture. “I can't erase the vision of the long lines of people waiting to see us,” Yi recalls. “The saddest part of each afternoon was knowing that we turned others away because we couldn't help everyone.” For Yi, the mission experience had a transforming effect on her. Even today, she admits that she views poor, disadvantaged people a little more compassionately.  “In some ways, the experience has helped change my views concerning different parts of my life,” she said. “I feel more conscious of what I have in my life compared to things I don't have or need. It's been an experience that has been both satisfying and gratifying.”