Medical Practicum 2000
Mulukuku, Nicaragua
by Jerry Seiler
The medical practicum trip at Manchester College offers 3rd and 4th year students interested in medicine, dentistry, public health, and/or Spanish an opportunity to travel to a 3rd world country and actively participate in the health care of many communities in north central Nicaragua.  Dr. Ed Miller, professor emeritus of Manchester College, has headed the trip for the past nine years.  He selects Manchester graduates who are practicing health care in the United States, and gives them an opportunity to learn about current Manchester students.  This trip provides an excellent opportunity for students and medical team members alike, to learn about each other and greatly improve the quality of lives of those who have so little.

 Mulukuku is approximately 8 hours by bus from Managua.  It is a small town on the western edge of the Atlantic coastal plane of Nicaragua.  It is only 15-20 years old, and was at the time of its conception, a military base for the Sandinestan army.  The Sandinestans are a political faction who faught contra rebels at that time.  Today, approximately 5,000 people live in Mulukuku.  There is no running water, and electricity is now provided to the town for nearly 12 hours a day, which is unheard of in most towns of comparable size.  We worked in a clinic that has no government support, and relies entirely on the solidarity of a small number of nations and groups similar to Manchester College.  We took 23 large duffle bags of medicines with a retail value between $40,000 and $50,000; each bag weighed nearly 70 pounds.  We provided healthcare for 2,583 people in two weeks.  The clinic provides healthcare to the population of Mulukuku and 19 other small outlying mountainous communities.  The clinic serves 25,000 people in total.

Demographics.
Typical day at the clinic.
Physicians, pharmacists, and nurses who participated in 2000 (a large picture).
Med. Practicum 2000 students (a large picture).
The Beach.
More Pictures.
The experience we all had was one that many of us hope to be able to do again.  It is extremely gratifying to see the appreciation in of people eyes who have so few material possessions.  We, as citizens of the richest nation of the world, should be mindful of those who have so little, and more appreciative of the gifts that God and our great nation has bestowed upon us.

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