Assistant Professor Melissa Scales was joined by four students in the Physician Assistant Studies program in Belize, where they worked with Hillside Health Care International.
Students and faculty from the Elon University School of Health Sciences recently spent time providing medical services at Hillside Health Care International, a pro bono medical clinic in the Toledo District of Belize.
Melissa Scales, assistant professor in the Elon University Physical Therapy program, provided physical therapy services and education, and four students in Elon’s Physician Assistant Studies program — Hajar Sakhi, Matt Wallman, Kristy Edmisten, and Bethany Eaton — worked on interdisciplinary teams to screen and provide medical services in a variety of settings including an on-site clinic, home health, mobile clinics in outreach Mayan villages, and community health education.
Although English is the primary language of Belize, Scales and the students learned about working with different cultures of the area, dialects, and interpreters for Mayan languages in the villages.
Diabetes, high blood pressure, and general musculoskeletal pain were common in the Toledo district of Belize which is a primarily fishing and agricultural district. Hillside Clinic is the only clinic in the entirety of the Toledo District to provide rehabilitation services; including stroke and amputation rehab, sports rehab, and pediatric rehab for children with developmental disabilities.
There is no school for physical therapy in Belize and there is a great need for this type of service as well as overall disability awareness.
The time in Belize offered a rich global learning opportunity for these Elon students. They were provided the chance to serve in the host country while learning about culture in a deep and meaningful manner.
Scales notes that an individual is not able to provide the best medical care for someone until the provider understands and experiences how someone carries their baby, gets their water, travels their community, or makes dinner.
These activities are universal but the variability makes every one unique, she said. Through these global learning opportunities, Elon students experience the variability on more than a superficial tourist level.