Location:
How long was the ultrasound-related portion of your trip? We were in Panama for 4 weeks in June. We primarily did clinical work and research, but we did do a cardiovascular ultrasound research study and assisted with ultrasound scans on pregnant patients all 4 weeks.
How many UCI medical students were a part of your team? 7
Activities:
Did you conduct ultrasound research? If so, what type?
We conducted one study in which we gave patients a questionnaire regarding their cardiovascular risk factors, then performed a scan of both common carotid arteries to look for atherosclerosis. In addition, we were trained on doing the ROUTE obstetric ultrasound exam, which we performed on quite a few pregnant women while we were there, even finding a case of molar pregnancy and a case of placenta previa.
How many abstracts did your group (in total) submit to the World Congress in Ultrasound Medical Education Conference in Salem, NC this year? 1
Which other conferences did your group submit abstracts to?
We will be submitting abstracts to ASCRS and ARVO for our opthalmological study. In addition we’ll be submitting abstracts to conferences for our TB research study.
What types of clinical activities did you participate in aside from ultrasound?
Besides the studies mentioned above, we were heavily involved in clinic work by conducting intake interviews, taking vitals, providing translation for medical professionals, and assisting in history-taking and physical examinations.
Non-medical adventures?
SCUBA diving, sunrise volcano hikes, island hopping, relaxing on the beach, drinking pina coladas, swimming in the bioluminescent ocean
Describe trip in one sentence: Fun AND Functional!
Recommendations for those going to the same place next summer: You have to be adaptable and prepared for really difficult working/living conditions, especially on multi-day clinics. But going through these experiences with your team and with other med students and professionals from around the world is part of what makes the Panama trip so special!
Team Zotfunder: https://zotfunder.give.uci.edu/project/9560