Download JonathanArmstrong - Poster - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

AWAY ROTATION, LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
JD Armstrong
Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854
About Bolivia
Bolivia is a primarily Spanishspeaking country in South America.
Economic Facts and Stats
-Bolivia’s economy is considered “Repressed”
by the World Bank
-In 2011, 45% of Bolivia’s population was
living below the national poverty line
-In 2013, 8% of Bolivia’s population was
living with under $1.90 per day
-Bolivia has also had a 5-7% annual rise in
GDP over the last 4 years
-Bolivia holds and estimated 50-70% of the
world’s Lithium reserves
Hospital Arco Iris
Hospital Arco Iris is a charity care
hospital in Miraflores, La Paz, that
offers quality, free medical care. It hash
a focus on serving children from and
on the streets.
3.
My Rotation
I spent 4 weeks in Bolivia,
supervised by local doctors. The
rotation was entirely in Spanish. I
spent 2 weeks in neonatology, and
2 weeks at an outpatient, primary
care clinic. I also spent a day in a
mobile medical unit that served La
Paz’s homeless population in
multiple locations, and worked
with a US doctor at the American
Embassy for a day.
Primary Care Clinic
I spent two weeks working with Dr.
Panozo in a primary care clinic, that
functioned similarly to an urgent care
clinic. I was responsible primarily for
discussing diagnosis and plan for
patients. The patient population included
children and adults, mostly living in the
streets. Patients had common colds,
infected wounds, untreated fractures,
pyelonephritis, and a whole range of
other diseases.
Dr. Panozo and I at the primary care clinic in Miraflores, La
Paz.
Neonatology
I spent two weeks in the inpatient
neonatology department, reserved for sick
infants. I was responsible for following
patients, creating a 10 minute presentation
on a topic of my choice, and attending
deliveries and caesarean sections. At
deliveries I was able to participate in the
newborn exam and initial prenatal care.
Patients had problems ranging from sepsis
to respiratory distress to child abuse.
“Pachamama”, a painting by
Bolivia’s most famous artist,
Mamani Mamani. He has been
a supporter of Hospital Arco
Iris and has donated multiple
paintings to the hospital.
LA PAZ
Photo of La Paz taken
from the Teleferico, La
Paz’s
public
transportation system in the
sky!
Tourism
Salt Flats: See the famous plains of
salt, flat for miles, and sometimes
appear like a mirror.
Lake Titicaca: The beautiful,
highest navigable lake in the world.
La Paz is the governmental capital of Bolivia,
the highest altitude capital in the world, and
the third largest city in Bolivia by population.
The city sits in a bowl in the Andes mountains.
The wealthiest parts of the city tend to be in
the center, with poverty increasing as one
increases altitude.
Amazon Rainforest: Incredibly
diverse plant and wildlife.
Mountains: incredible views from
the Andes Mountains, Illimani being the highest peak near La Paz.
Ancient Ruins: Bolivia bosts some of the oldest ruins in the mountains, older
even than Macchu Picchu!
Conclusions
My experiences in Bolivia taught me several
things. I was amazed to see how similarly medicine
was practiced in some areas, and how differently in
others. I was challenged by situations where the
physician’s limited access to resources affected
patient care, and the patient’s socioeconomic status
affected their healthcare. I also improved my
Spanish and enjoyed the sights, smells and sounds
of a beautiful country.