Dominican Republic in February!

Hi everyone! Huge apologies for the lack of posts since May (yikes!!). So much has happened since I last wrote- I passed my licensing exams, I finished some tough rotations, applied for residency programs, interviewed at 21 hospitals across the country, enjoyed the holidays in Texas, and submitted our rank list for residency programs! Phew! And of course, there has been plenty of wedding planning going on, too!

Next up on my long to-do list this year is a trip abroad to the Dominican Republic! Back in college, a good friend of mine recommended that I read "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder. The book chronicles the life of Dr. Paul Farmer, an incredible physician who is an incredible advocate for social justice particularly in his work in Haiti. His organization, Partners in Health, has lead the recovery efforts after the tragic earthquakes that have devastated the country. The passion with which Dr. Farmer.

"But if you're asking my opinion, I would argue that a social justice approach should be central to medicine and utilized to be central to public health. This could be very simple: the well should take care of the sick. " - Dr. Paul Farmer

I think that my trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic will provide a life-changing experience and I'm honored to be able to serve this population, as well as any Haitian refugees. I feel like my medical school experiences have really come full circle with this trip.

I will be working at maternity hospital boasting 25,000 deliveries a year!

Just so you know, the largest university hospital in the US boasts a "small" 15,000 deliveries a year. Yikes! It looks like I will have plenty of work waiting for me there! I'm really excited to immerse myself in the Spanish language and OBGYN in an underserved population of patients.

I apologize in advance for delays in responding to emails! I will post my phone number in the DR where I can be reached once I arrive in the DR. In the meantime, below is a link to the hostal that I will be staying.
http://hostalbellaepoca.com/eng/contacto.php
Street Cayetano Rodríguez #3, Gazcue.
Sto. Dgo., Dominican Republic
Phone 809.221.1271