When Janet asked us to join the People & Pets Project team in Guatemala, we never thought we would actually end up going. As medical students, the three of us are constantly running low on time, energy, and enthusiasm. Despite these deficits, Janet was able to convince us (let’s be honest, Janet could convince anyone of anything) that we could muster enough of each to make a meaningful impact in Guatemala this summer. After months of studying for our first licensing exam, we ditched the books and boarded an international flight to Antigua, Guatemala.
With our stethoscopes and caffeine in hand, we arrived on our first day of clinic at Volcán de Pacaya. We were shocked to find the facility already packed with people waiting to have their pets and themselves evaluated by our clinic staff. We later discovered that most people had traveled to us from miles away on foot. Knowing the effort these patients were willing to make to be seen made us appreciate the medical knowledge we had gained over the past years.
As the clinic got underway, the reality of limited resources became unavoidable. There were no fancy diagnostic machines or abundant supplies. Yet the experienced providers we worked with handled everything with a level of grace and ingenuity that we can only hope to achieve one day. They built trust with patients quickly despite the language barrier and made critical decisions without hesitation.
One moment that stands out among many happened on the second day of clinic. A patient presented with a leg that appeared discolored and possibly swollen. It was difficult to determine with the eye whether the swelling was significant, especially under the uneven lighting and with only basic tools available. One of the senior providers assessed the situation, paused, and then found a piece of twine and used it to measure the circumference of both legs. Thanks to her fast thinking and resourcefulness, we were able to determine that there was, in fact, a significant size difference and that this patient would need to see a vascular surgeon immediately. Over the following days, we saw many similar cases. Each one deepened our understanding of what medicine really demands: not just knowledge, but adaptability, empathy, and courage.
This experience changed us. It required us to evolve our clinical skill set to meet the needs of patients who do not present under the idealized clinical conditions to which we had grown accustomed. It underscored the privilege inherent in access to medical education and resources, and it revealed how much of healthcare depends on listening, observing, and problem-solving. In Guatemala, we were reminded why we entered medicine in the first place: to be useful, to relieve suffering, and to connect. We are forever changed by what we saw, what we did, and what we learned.
