Scrubbed in for the week
Co-written by Jessica, Benjamin, and Carolina
We may be Peace Corps volunteers, but a week in the OR watching surgeries was part of the job description this month too.
Disney channel record scratch sound effect here. “Yup that’s me, you’re probably wondering how I got into this situation.”
Let me explain. Peace Corps volunteers are occasionally invited to work as interpreters during medical missions for American doctors that are here in the Dominican Republic for various programs. This month, I worked alongside a group of my fellow volunteers (PCVs) at the ILAC Santiago Orthopedic Surgery Medical Mission. By the end of the week, we all agreed that it was an incredibly heartwarming experience filled with special moments.
As interpreters for the medical mission, we were part of the entire process at the clinic. We were helping check patients in during pre-op, holding their hand as they got ready for surgery. We were translating between the doctors and patients during anesthesia and surgery, keeping them giggling and distracted in the OR. And we were sitting with patients as they recovered in post-op before being sent home. Being a familiar face they recognize when they wake up in recovery was just one of the little moments that made those long days worth it.
Being surrounded by doctors that only speak English can be difficult for a patient, so part of our job was to just being able to chat with everyone in Spanish. In our role, something as simple as being able to ask about family or making someone laugh helped ease concerns and worries. Being able to go to the parents of the pediatric patients and telling them their son or daughter’s operation went well really made it hit home how valuable our small but vital role was to their experience. Undoubtedly these patients’ lives were greatly impacted for the better.
The best part of this experience was the people. First, the incredible team of “gringos” (doctors, nurses, students), who were helpful, kind, and grateful to be working alongside us. They knew medicine, we knew Spanish, and none of us would have been able to make it through the week without each other. Mary (Nurse) and Emmett (Scrub Circulator) adopted us as their own from the beginning, and by the end of the week, Mary was making plans for Carolina to move in with them on their ranch in Oregon after service.
It was also great to see the surgeons teaching Dominican medical residents from the local hospitals in Santiago and La Vega. While observing a surgeon repair a tendon, one of the residents asked if the stitching method they used was similar. One of the assisting surgeons turned to him and said, “go ahead and draw it, let’s see”. So, on the whiteboard in the OR, the resident drew a diagram of the method they were taught, and the surgeons discussed their own methods and when and where they would use them depending on the injury. It was truly a teaching moment and it was great to see how this program brings together professionals that are open and willing to share like this. In between surgeries, as well as in the break room, we enjoyed working to translate between American and Dominican medical staff about x-rays, techniques, and more.
It was interesting to learn from not just surgeons, but also nurses, x-ray techs, and even spouses of medical professionals who came to the mission to volunteer as well. Benjamin also had great conversations with medical resident students from the U.S. and got to do some bit of networking for his younger sister back home, who is interested in a career in medicine. The whole medical team’s perseverance and adaptability while working in sometimes unexpected conditions and missing the usual amenities and resources of a U.S. hospital reminded me so much of how we as PCVs consistently must adapt and change our plans. But, at the end of the day, we can make a difference and make something great happen.
The fabulous medical team was able to help get around 70 surgeries done on all sorts of patients: young and old, students, caregivers, mothers, uncles, grandparents and much more. We saw patients for shoulder and knee injuries, broken bones, and delicate hand and wrist procedures. We had the pleasure of getting to know these incredible patients and families throughout the week. One patient was a kind and brilliant young woman who was unfortunate in that they were unable to resolve her nerve pain, but when Carolina checked up on her the next morning, she was greeted with the same warm smile and optimism. Another favorite was a badass MMA fighter, and Jessica was taking selfies in the OR with her during surgery. She was watching her own surgery, totally alert and interested in learning about the repair process.
Lastly, the local ILAC team was full of gems. Marie (coordinator and former DR PCV) and Alvaro (doctor), to mention a couple, are some of the most down to earth, genuine, and hilarious people we have had the pleasure to come across.
The final night of the medical mission, we had a big party to celebrate the accomplishments of the week. I never felt less like a PCV, surrounded by gringos (who were not just other PCVs) and listening to American music. Everyone looked so different, not wearing scrubs for once.
We had a blast, and it was great to see the look on everyone’s faces knowing how hard everyone had worked. The room filled with smiles as everyone was cutting loose to everything from merengue music to country line dancing (which the Dominican doctors who attended that evening joined in with enthusiasm), and it is a memory from service that we will always remember.
TL;DR
- We all absolutely loved this experience at the medical mission, but no, none of us are suddenly want to go to med school.
- Using Spanish in a different setting forces you to adapt, think on your feet, and break away from the usual scripts that are used everyday in our communities and schools.
- Do a med mission if you are interested! There are different roles that need to be filled, so you will always be able to find a spot where you fit it.
