25 students return from medical mission

MCKENZIE, Tenn. — Bethel University students and staff just returned from a medical mission in central America.

Twenty-five students and four employees participate in the Bethel University PA Program’s recent medical mission trip to Belize. (Photo courtesy: Bethel University)

According to a news release, 25 students from Bethel’s Physician Assistant program went to Belize for one week to set up temporary medical clinics.

The release says the students were able to gain experience evaluating patients and dispensing
medications.

“This trip provides an opportunity for students to get experience treating patients in an area
where resources are limited,” said Dr. Joe Hames, Vice President for the College of Health
Sciences at Bethel University and participant in the mission trip. “It requires them to put their
knowledge to practical use and to work together as a team.”

During the trip, the team traveled to multiple villages setting up temporary clinics to treat the citizens of those villages who otherwise may not have had access to medical care. (Photo courtesy: Bethel University)

“The Belize trip was an amazing experience that I will never forget,” said Bethel PA student Aldan Race. “Having the opportunity to serve some members of the global community was rewarding beyond the use of words. One of the best parts of the whole trip, in my opinion, was having to think on your feet. During clinical rotations, there has always been a plethora of resources available to aid me in my medical decision-making process. Some of these villages didn’t even have running water, and the desired resources were few and far between, if available at all. Being able to take a step back and accomplish our goal of treating people with the bare basics was truly an unforgettable experience.”

Bethel says students in the program have been going on these kinds of trips since 2008.

You can read the full news release here.

Find more local news here.