Sven Alskog
News Editor
Over spring break, 72 individuals, including Idaho State University students, professionals and others from a variety of backgrounds, will take part in the sixth annual Idaho Condor Medical Humanitarian trip in Peru.
Those involved in the trip will take part in an experience that has the ability to change the lives of those they interact with, as well as their own.
In order to help as many people as possible while at each site, the medical teams will continue giving treatment until they are out of supplies.
“Seeing as many patients as we can is a common goal,” said Emily Atkins-Marshall, the medical student coordinator. “To do this we have to be efficient from the first day.”
The coordinators said over 1,200 people were helped through the medical team and over 900 through the dental team last year.
There were also 12 major surgeries conducted in Lima, the capital of Peru.
With the 2014 edition of the trip, the directors pointed to an increased emphasis on organization as a way to continue increasing efficiency.
“We are focusing on organizational things,” said Atkins-Marshall.
“Once we go to a village, we will know where everything is at and be able to help patients,” she continued.
Much of the communication emphasis has also been in regards to pre-trip correspondence.
“Last year there was no email communication,” said Erick Cobb, the dental student coordinator.
“We got our itineraries the night before we left. This year we sent out emails to make sure that everyone knows what is going on,” he continued.
All of the time and effort put into the project is something past trip-goers say was more than worthwhile because of how grateful all the patients are for the medical care they receive.
“[The most rewarding part was] working hard and seeing the faces of the people you work with and seeing the relief and joy from what you are doing,” said Derek Ahlstrom, an Exercise Science major at ISU who took part in the trip last year.
Due to the lack of medical care in Peru, people come from long distances to utilize the services provided by those on the Idaho Condor Medical Humanitarian trip.
“Last year, the first day at the hospital a couple of things stood out,” said Tate Vance, the ortho-surgical coordinator. “We walked into the hospital and there were benches full of people waiting to see us. Many had camped out for days. You could tell when they saw us that we were their only hope.”
Atkins-Marshall had a similar life-changing experience last year with an older man who was experiencing intense pain in his knee.
“I gave him a cortisone shot in the knee and it helped him so much,” Atkins-Marshall said. “He gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek with tears in his eyes.”
Another area of emphasis when it comes to treating the patients is getting to know them on a personal level.
Cobb mentioned a bet that he made with a patient about to counting to 10 in English.
Giving the patient something different to think about helped to calm him down.
“He went from scared to death to determined,” Vance recalled. “It turned a really scary situation into a good one. People are not just patients. Five minutes of chatting with someone can make all the difference in the world.”
First time trip-goer Jessica Richelieu found out about the opportunity her freshman year through the Pre-Health Professionals Association (PHPA).
She said she looks forward to working firsthand with the people of Peru.
“We get hours working with patients, and it is really good exposure for that,” said Richelieu.
“We will be able to help a lot of unprivileged people with free medical care. We will also be leaving equipment there for them to use afterwards as well,” she continued.
There are many opportunities to get involved for those interested in attending the trip in the future.
Jameson Bastow, a pre-med student at ISU, will be a part of the medical traveling team as an interpreter.
Similar to many of the other people who decide to take part in the trip, Bastow heard about the opportunity through the positive experience of a friend who went previously.
“A buddy of mine went and said it was awesome,” said Bastow. “He said he was able to see some things within healthcare that you normally wouldn’t experience.”
Fluent in Spanish, Bastow will be an integral part in breaking any communication barrier that exists between the medical team and the patients.
Plans for future expansion of the Idaho Condor efforts include more than one trip per year, along with potentially building a clinic in Cusco to be used year-round.
Registration for the 2015 Idaho Condor Medical Humanitarian trip will open around the first part of September.
ISU students from any major are eligible to take part in the trip, along with community members and other professionals.
