by Hema | Jul 12, 2011
3 weeks have flown by and I’m almost half way through my time in Mexico!
Last weekend I traveled to Teotihuacan to see the remains of the largest pre-Columbian city located in the Basin of Mexico. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987, visiting Teotihuacan was a must! After negotiating a solid price with the taxi (bargaining = my favorite past time), we were whisked away, and one hour later I was standing face to face with the massive pyramid of the sun! Climbing the pyramid was terrifying due to the height, and exhausting due to my lack of athleticism, but I pushed forward and made my way to the top!
The Pyramid of the Sun
Making my way up the Pyramid of the Sun... half way there!
I realize my Mexican adventure has primarily focused on food and sightseeing… I know, a great focus, but how about a refocus on the project I’m currently working on? As I mentioned in a previous blog, with the support of Global Reach, I’m conducting a randomized trial of an mHealth automated telephone support service for patients with hypertension in Mexico and possibly applicable to other low-income areas. My partner in crime (and research) is Sofia Gaudioso, a Michigan MPH student from Wisconsin. Here is a picture of us in the Real del Monte clinic:
Together we have been busy advertising our study and offering free blood pressure screenings through word of mouth, flyers, mini-blood pressure parties organized by our host family, and off-the-street recruiting. We get creative! And most of all, we have fun!
Best patient so far – Tequila, the dog. Thankfully we diagnosed her pre-hypertensive state early, and with some reduced sodium dog treats, she will back to roaming the streets in no time!
Taking Tequila's Blood Pressure
When not taking the blood pressure of canine’s, we focus our recruitment on possible human participants. I normally hit the streets every morning and encourage people to come into the clinic for a quick screening. I was personally congratulated by a few people for my enthusiastic street recruiting – “Do you want to check your BP? It’s FREE. Did I mention it’s FREE? Might as well take advantage, right?” I could have a future in used car sales (plan B haha). As a result, recruiting has been incredibly effective as we inch closer to our goal of 100 participants! Cross fingers we reach our goal by the end of this week!
by Hema | Jun 29, 2011
As I write this blog entry, I am wrapped in three blankets, rocking my Michigan medical school sweatshirt, and enjoying some CSI Miami. The torrential rains of tropical storm Arlene are pounding on the roof, but I feel safely tucked away in my new home for 8 weeks – Hotel Plaza del Oro in Real del Monte.
Real del Monte on another rainy, foggy day
Another plaza in Real del Monte.. the sunny weather is rare so I had to take a picture
Some things about Real del Monte I discovered upon arrival:
- It is COLD, FOGGY, and RAINY – so of course, I’ve been freezing and wet, wishing I had checked weather.com a few weeks earlier. At least I got a bright turquoise raincoat today!
- Politicians are currently campaigning for President (aka Mayor) of the town – this means I get to wake up and fall asleep to the poplicious tune of Elvis Crespo’s “Suavemente” adapted as a political song. I wish I could vote just so I could NOT vote for him.
- Don’t be afraid to get a little crazy when negotiating prices. On everything from jewelry (Souvenirs for friends? Check!) to coffee, all you need to do is ask!
- This town has the most friendly, caring, lovely people I have EVER met. This includes the loving family that runs our small hotel, and their adorable grandmother who loves to force-feed us daily (my skinny jeans may never recover).
- Mexican food is so much more diverse, complex, and dynamic than the bland Tex Mex food you find in the States. My real Mexico adventure has come through an exploration of food. Here are some of my delicious discoveries:
Fresh fruit at el Mercado
Tasty obleas with manjar
Pastes!
Sope!
Grasshopper aka Chapulin!
Tamales
I’ve been in Real del Monte for more than a week and I’ve already eaten a grasshopper (un chapulin) with chile, tons of dulce de leche or manjar, and sadly I recently suffered from food poisoning. Yes, I have loved feasting on all the unique Mexican foods, but for the last 16 hours I’ve limited myself to two slices of wheat bread, soup, and Gatorade. All day I’ve been careful to not damage the delicate balance that is my GI system and save myself another night of sleeping next to the toilet.
This recent bout of food poisoning reminds me of how little practical medicine I know. After 1 year of medical school, I can barely tell what is going on with my own body. How could I one day hope to understand someone else’s system? Still, like any typical medical student, I tried to identify all my symptoms, debated possible causes and sources, considered infectious precautions for my roommate, and refused to take medicine (because with my one year of basic science knowledge, I know best, right?).
Hopefully by tomorrow, my rude reminder of the ID sequence will disappear and I’ll resume discovering and tasting my way across Mexico! Until next time!
by Hema | Jun 15, 2011
As soon as I submitted the Human Growth and Development exam, I ran home and happily stored my huge sequence packets and my collection of rainbow highlighters. School was over and I had survived my first year of medical school! I exchanged my tan trench coat for bright yellow flip-flops, my mangled green umbrella for stylish aviators, and officially started to pack my bags! I would be leaving Ann Arbor for 11 weeks. For my first and only summer while in medical school, I would travel to St. Martin, Mexico, and return home to Panama for a little fun and work. I was excited and eager for my travels to begin!
First stop – St. Martin.
Scuba diving was the highlight of my trip to this small Caribbean island. It was equally thrilling and terrifying to sit at the bottom of the ocean hearing only your rhythmic breathing and endless thoughts, like meditation taken to the next level! Thankfully, no sharks were spotted, and yes, tons of colorful fish. I loved every minute of it! Here are a few shots of me scuba diving and feeding a sea turtle. I hope to squeeze in some more diving time before I return to Ann Arbor!
Second stop – Panama.
A few months ago, I received an email from Global Reach (http://www.med.umich.edu/globalreach/) about sending students to Panama to help set up research and clinical opportunities for medical students. Since I grew up in Panama, I excitedly emailed back and listed all the ways I hoped to contribute to the project. A few weeks later, my ticket was bought and my Panama plans were in motion. I would be traveling home to see my family, plus help Michigan set up rotations and research opportunities. A large part of why Michigan stood out to me when I was applying to medical schools was its dedication to global health, so I was excited to be given the opportunity as a rising M2 to travel and assist in furthering Michigan’s collaboration with international institutions.
I’m now in Panama and enjoying every minute of it. Although I have important meetings and work scattered throughout my trip, I also get to take advantage of being home and all the luxuries associated with it, like waking up late (11 a.m.!!), adopting random summer TV shows (pretty little liars, anyone?), feasting on delicious homemade food (best pink pasta in the world), pampering myself with a trip to the salon, and meeting up with old friends. Life is good. Sadly, my time here in Panama is coming to a close. Tomorrow I will have another set of meetings with physicians and directors at one of the public hospitals here, and then a few days later I’ll be leaving.
Next stop – Mexico.
Early in the M1 year, I pursued a faculty-led global research project in Pachuca, Mexico offered through Global Reach. The project will evaluate a hypertension management program for low-income patients in rural Mexico. This will be my first time living in Mexico, so I’m incredibly excited! I’ll be living in Mineral del Monte, a small town in Hidalgo, until mid-August, then returning to AA just in time for the start of M2 year.
As my departure date nears, my parents may have just realized I’m going to be living in Mexico for two entire months! Concerns over safety get discussed with increasing frequency at the dinner table as CNN continuously dwells on the increasing border and drug violence. Apparently Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in Latin America, right up there with Venezuela, a fact my mom just discovered and reminds me of daily. I try and reassure my parents that the project I’m working with is taking every precaution to ensure our safety, including providing us with a driver and housing us in a tiny town of 12,000 people. Plus, I’ll have a cell phone with a Mexican SIM card, so I can be reached anytime. As dangerous as the country may be, I’m focusing on the fun of exploring Pachuca and Mineral del Monte. I’ll also be taking a weekend trip to the Riviera Maya for my dad’s birthday, plus a trip to Mexico City to meet up with a friend from high school. Other than that, I’ll be safely tucked away in my safe bubble of Mineral del Monte, nicknamed “Pueblo Mágico” or Magical Village.
I’m excited and eager for my Mexican adventure to begin! Will I get to eat tons of tasty tacos and quesadillas? Will I find cute Mexican souvenirs for my friends in AA? Will I manage to sneak in some diving while in the Riviera Maya? Will I get a little reminder of our Infectious Disease sequence with “Montezuma’s Revenge”? Will my parents finally turn off CNN and relax about me living in Mexico? Stay tuned! 🙂
Hema
