Name: Sydney Horen
Year: Second
Hometown: Farmington, CT
How did you spend your J-Term this past month?
This winter break I went to Honduras with Global Medical Brigades. This trip was from January 3-9, and was located in southern Honduras, a few hours from the capital Tegucigalpa.
How did you get involved or hear about this program?
This is actually pretty funny… I was going to the bathroom in the chemistry building before class, and on the back of the stall door I saw a flyer advertising the program. I went to an informational meeting and immediately wanted to do it. Flyer advertising actually works!!!
What were your responsibilities in Honduras?
Every day in Honduras we would drive to a rural village and set up a medical clinic there. In the medical clinic there was a doctor’s office with 3 to 4 doctors that were involved in the program, a pharmacy, a triage unit, a dentists’ office, a gynecologist office, and an area to educate the kids about healthy living. The students, like myself, would assist in all of these units and rotate everyday. Some of our jobs included taking blood pressures, helping prescribe medicines, being an assistant to a dentist or gynecologist, and teaching the kids about teeth brushing and eating healthy.
What was the most rewarding part about your trip?
Seeing the smiles of the people who you helped was the most satisfying and worthwhile appreciation of our efforts. This may sound like a cliché statement, but seeing how happy people with so little could be was a special and eye-opening experience. When you’re actually on a trip such as this, you don’t realize just how underprivileged some parts of the world can be. Whether we were giving the villagers Advil or referring them to a hospital for further examination, they were grateful beyond words.
What were the greatest challenges you faced while there?
While in Honduras I was actually pretty sick for the first two days. I had no appetite, was weak, and thought I might have a touch of the flu. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but I definitely was not myself. However, when going to the village, as sick as I was, seeing the people lined up for hours waiting for our help, I was able to push aside my pain.
How did the trip influence your life and plans for the future?
I have always wanted to be a doctor. Ever since age 5, which is a really long time. As I have gone through school my dreams have never wavered, yet, sometimes it’s hard to focus at such a fun and active school like UVA. This year especially I was questioning my motives, and if I actually wanted to stick out the pre-med track. Going to Honduras was exactly what I needed to reinvigorate my passion for helping people. I cannot wait to do Doctors Without Border, other medical brigade trips, and travel the world helping the less fortunate. Going to Honduras was an amazing experience, and I recommend it for all majors. Whether it re-motivates your medical passions, or just gives you a different perspective on the world, I have no doubt that it will touch you in ways that will make you a better person for the future.