Lorenzo Quiceno, a UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) student, is a member of the UF Global Medical Training (UF GMT) chapter. This student organization conducts medical mission trips in Central and South America throughout the year. During these trips, undergraduate students with medical or dental professional tracks receive hands-on clinical experiences through delivering free medical services to underserved communities.
Quiceno, a nutritional sciences senior, received support from the VP Promise for his medical mission trip to Nicaragua. Conducted over spring break, the trip included one training day, two travel days, four clinical days, and one excursion day.
During training, Quiceno refreshed his clinical skills, which included taking blood pressure, listening to the heart and collecting other important initial vitals. He also spent this time brushing up on his Spanish skills and learning pieces of the local Nicaraguan dialect.
Quiceno then spent four days in rural Nicaraguan communities. Each of the mission’s clinics were located in neighborhoods churches, which were well-known and accessible for the patients. The four neighborhoods included La Orilla, San Caralampio, Los Mollejones, and La Barranca.
Once Quiceno arrived at the first clinic, La Orilla, he began conducting physical exams. After collecting a patient’s history, symptoms, and vitals, he would formulate a predicted diagnosis to present to the supervising physician. The physician then walked the students through their diagnosis and treatment protocols.
As the mission continued, Quiceno rapidly learned about various conditions and diseases. In San Caralampio, he found that many patients had similar concerns and symptoms.
“Many of the patients developed eye cataracts and pterygium which occurred from long term exposure to chemicals and irritants,” said Quiceno. “This was commonly seen in patients that worked in the field with sunlight exposure.”
Reflecting on the experience, Quiceno noticed several commonalities between the neighboring areas. A few in particular included that most of the patients were women or children and the lack of health literacy.
“The patients would mention that their husbands were out working. In their culture, the women stay home to take care of their children, so they were the parent that would bring them to us,” said Quiceno. “Many of the patients had also been diagnosed by a Nicaraguan doctor, but the severity and need for continued treatment had not been explained.”
Quiceno recently graduated from CALS and is planning to apply to medical school during the 2024 application cycle. He hopes to have a career internal medicine or emergency medicine.
The VP Promise offers financial support to students engaging in experiential learning opportunities within agriculture, natural resources and related sciences. The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is dedicated to fostering student development and success, encouraging students to expand their horizons through participation in study abroad programs, leadership roles, scholarly conferences, and other enriching experiences.
1
