Reactions of Wake Forest Students to the course
"The Language and Culture of Medical Practice in Mexico and Latin America"

  In the summer of 2004, Wake Forest 's summer program in Querétaro Mexico inaugurated a new course, "The Language and Culture of Medical Practice in Mexico and Latin America ." The ten students who took the course learned Spanish vocabulary relating to healthcare, and techniques for conducting clinical interviews in Spanish. They also saw firsthand how medicine is practiced in Mexico. Wearing white coats and treated as medical students, they visited two hospitals, one of them private and the other public, and a large clinic. They toured the State Health Laboratory, established by the Mexican government to enhance public health and prevent the spread of communicable diseases.

They shadowed physicians in meetings with patients, attended a variety of surgeries including hip replacements and heart catheterization, and even witnessed the birth of babies. One of the students even assisted in a surgery!

The following are quotations from student evaluations:

"Many students do not take the time to reflect on how their society compares or differs from those around the world. My trip to Querétaro has allowed me to observe this."

"While at Clinic Querétaro, I was fortunate enough to see five surgeries. My favorite was the total knee replacement . . . . In the second surgery, where a tumor was being removed from a shoulder, I was asked to scrub up and assist the surgeon. I believe it was when I first got my hands on the instrument, I knew for the first time in my life that I wanted to be a surgeon."

"It was interesting to note the differences between the Mexican hospitals and the American hospitals that we are accustomed to, where the differences between private and general hospitals are not as apparent."

"I was fortunate enough to observe two natural births with two different doctors. During the births, both doctors took the time to explain the procedures in great detail. It was an amazing opportunity to be able to talk with the doctors about the procedure while it was actually happening."

"One of the most interesting and engaging lectures was offered by a local dentist."

"The trip to the hospital for women and children was the most rewarding one. . . . I managed to witness two deliveries, one natural and one caesarean. They were amazing. . . . It was undoubtedly one of the most dramatic events I have ever been a part of."

"Through this program and this class, I have gotten a much better understanding of how doctors and nurses function in the hospital environment."

"Another location of great interest was the office of the Salud Pública. . We learned fascinating statistics and information on how diseases can be kept in check . . . It was also very interesting to compare the Salud Pública to the Food and Drug Administration in the United States."

"Getting into this class was one of the best things I did in Mexico . . . . During my first private tour of a hospital, I was privileged to meet and work with Dr. Llamas. . . . He explained the operations of this business to me. This included the costs of equipment, nurses, and insurance among other things, [which] allowed me to see the importance of the financial aspects behind a hospital."

"The surgery and being able to see a baby born was one of the most memorable things I have had in my lifetime and it is something I will never forget doing. . . . Overall, this class has been one of the most interesting and applicable that I have taken in my lifetime of taking classes, and I would highly recommend it . . . ."

"This class has given me the priceless opportunity to learn more about the history of medicine and the difference in the health care systems of a neighboring country."

"I found it interesting the way that each insurance company has an office in the hospital and you deal directly with that company's representative at check-out."

"There was a large area in the ER for dehydrated children, which indicates this is a HUGE problem in Mexico."

"Overall, the experience that I gained just from watching and observing these doctors is unbelievable. The trips, surgeries, and births were just amazing and by being there I have learned so much about this profession that I hope one day to be a part of."