April Rosalez, MD: University of Wyoming FM PGY3

Honduras: November 2014

 Arriving in Honduras was a life changing experience. It was the first time I had been in a third world country, and my first medical mission. I have been training for this kind of experience for 11 years and had no idea what to expect. It was a long trip from Tegucigalpa to Agua Salada but when we arrived I was amazed by what I saw. The people of Agua Salada had so little. A cold shower and clean water to drink was a luxury. The children's soccer field was full of rocks. The town consisted of our medical facility, a church and a one bedroom school house. Despite all this poverty they were a happy and content people. I found myself jealous of their lifestyle, the way they were able to be present with each other and distracted by the stressors of the daily rat race or the electronics that Americans fill their lives with. I found myself learning from them preventative medicine, as a lot of our medical techniques don't work in the middle of the mountains. There is no fancy physical therapy and things like surgery or psychological medications are a luxury. I felt honored to provide them with health care, it seemed like so little to me, but their grateful smiles made me what to do trips such as this as much as possible from the rest of my medical career. The experiences and friendships I made on this trip will be with me for life and I look forward to making more memories like this.