Hey Everyone!

As our departure date approaches, we have been reflecting on how fortunate we are to have the chance to work with the community in Guangaje, Ecuador. The Timmy team has already established strong partnerships in the region, and we plan to leverage our knowledge to help them to deliver quality healthcare. Now seasoned third year medical students with hospital time under our belts, we have sharpened our clinical skills and learned the fundamentals of patient management. Our team looks forward to using these skills to help treat patients and serve the local community in any way possible.

Apart from working with the medical teams in Guangaje, we are excited to explore the beautiful country of Ecuador. Some of our teammates have begun planning for the possibility of a trip to the Galapagos Islands. Getting a chance to visit Tortuga Bay and experience the beautiful white sand beaches is something that’s definitely on our bucket lists. There has also been talk of hiking one of the enormous peaks scattered around the country, but honestly, we’ll have to see how we do with the altitude first. Of course, if all ambitious plans fail, we can simply indulge in Ecuador’s culinary scene. We already anticipate eating as much ceviche and llapingachos as possible, and several of our group members might be tempted to enjoy the fine chocolate that Ecuador is known for producing.

Aside from preparing for our trip, we have also been contributing to global health from the heart of Houston. During the past year we’ve been working with local hospitals in the Texas Medical Center to collect unused medical supplies, which range from sutures to artificial hearts. These critical items were sent with volunteers to contribute to relief efforts following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and have also been shipped to Niger and Ghana to serve resource poor communities.

As we continue to count down the days to our trip, we can’t stop exclaiming how lucky we are to have been given this chance. We look forward to keeping everyone posted as we get closer to our departure date and while abroad!

PS: We have also heard some chatter about the coming launch of the AMA Insurance Global Health Challenge for 2018. Keeps your eyes posted for details and next year we could be the ones following your blog!

— A New Pear-spective