Audrey M. Johnson PT, DPT, PhD: University of Cincinnati

Ecuador: August 2026

 I was relieved to see the familiar line of people waiting for an opportunity to receive care outside the clinic doors when we arrived. The new clinic expansion and creation of a rehabilitation gym was inspiring to see in person. We have never had access to storage space for rehabilitation equipment, indoor space to provide care, and air conditioning! I knew the air conditioning was too good to be true—the clinic blew a transformer nearby, causing us to lose power, internet, and air conditioning by about 11 a.m. that morning. And if I am being honest, I prefer the “rough” experience of not having access to hot water or air conditioning, treating patients outdoors or in their homes, and working on “Ecuador” time. It is necessary to live and experience life like that of our Ecuadorian colleagues and patients while we are in their country. Otherwise, we may fail to provide approachable health education, run the risk of suggesting inappropriate or unavailable resources, or misunderstand the reality of daily life for individuals in the community we serve.

 Although my focus is on the community in Santo Domingo, our group reconnected with the undergraduate (UG) learners in Cotopaxi province near Latacunga on Tuesday evening. I was dreading the work and felt like we were abandoning our colleagues and community. I had not traveled to the Ecuadorian highlands region since my first two years in Ecuador. However, my reservations were immediately erased by lunch on Wednesday. These agricultural workers were experiencing tremendous pain, were working out in the farms without proper shoewear, and were stretched thin caring for parents, kids, and other family members when not working. We had tons of rehabilitation equipment still available when we arrived in Latacunga but we gave out every remaining piece of equipment that first day due to the overwhelming needs of this community! My previous experiences providing physical therapy away from Santo Domingo has not always been positive because the physicians may not refer patients to PT, the patients do not understand what we can offer, or the community fails to adequately promote the clinic day. But on Wednesday, we treated over 40 patients in the PT station and remained extremely busy up until the end.