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| By: Ikenna Okoro |
InteRDom Correspondent, Ikenna, has recently completed his undergraduate studies in Biology at the University of Miami, Florida and is participating in the 2013 10-week Graduate and Gap Year Program. You can read more about Ikenna and his participation in the Correspondent Program here.
Flying by the seat of your pants. Although I just learned this saying, it’s seemed to define my trip to the DR and a great theme for my last blog post. For instance, I heard about InteRDom in an elevator and just went with it. I didn’t learn until recently it would be the deciding factor for me getting cleared for my first job in Miami. On a day off from work, I tried to get a meeting with the minister of public health, Dr. Freddy Hidalgo Nunez (He’s a boss). Although unsuccessful, I traveled all around the Ministry of Public Health talking to people and asking questions. I ended up leaving with new insight to the health care system here, contacts, and a bunch of brochures. Finally, after buying a pack of dried mangos from an organic store in Agora mall here in Santo Domingo and tasting that they were the best tasting thing ever to be heat sealed; I called a number on the back of the package. After talking to the lady on the other end and explaining my fandom she arranged a ride for me to visit their factory in Baní. So, one Saturday morning I got to learn about my beloved favorite fruit and talk to a CEO about his company and industry.
Maybe the Dominican Republic air and wind are more suitable for flying by the seat of your pants? That’s just a theory, but it does seem fitting that great things can happen when you see an opportunity and just go for it.
FYI, the phrase originated 75 years ago on my birthday, when a pilot flew from New York to Ireland instead of California!!
InteRDom Correspondent, Ikenna, has recently completed his undergraduate studies in
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| By: Ikenna Okoro |
Biology at the University of Miami, Florida and is participating in the 2013 10-week Graduate and Gap Year Program. You can read more about Ikenna and his participation in the Correspondent Program here.
My second internship is with Aprendiendo a Vivir (AAV), an organization dedicated to teaching kids with diabetes how to manage their condition. In order to achieve this goal, AAV leads camps for these children with the help of an organization called Ayuda. Ayuda is composed of students from the United States and Canada and has the same goals as AAV.
During two weekends we conducted classes and activities for the kids. I worked with the teenage group of kids. It was fun working with the students of Ayuda to plan events. We incorporated nutrition, exercise, how to use insulin, and other advice into all of our activities. I have never worked with kids like this before and I had an amazing time. Not only did I get an opportunity to practice working with patients, but I also believe the kids learned lessons and had fun experiences that they will never forget.
Saying bye to the kids at the end of each weekend was difficult because I will have to wait a year before I could possibly see them again. Despite this difficulty, the experience was powerful for me because I witnessed all of these strong children managing their condition with a smile. It shows me that I have to be proud of the opportunities and difficulties that I have, and that with a positive attitude, no problem is too difficult to overcome.
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| By: Ikenna Okoro |
InteRDom Correspondent, Ikenna, has recently completed his undergraduate studies in Biology at the University of
Miami, Florida and is participating in the 2013 10-week Graduate and
Gap Year Program. You can read more about Ikenna and his participation
in the Correspondent Program here.
As
a research assistant for Hospital General de la Plaza de la Salud, I am
conducting a study of health system efficiencies in Santo Domingo. To
fulfill this goal, I have been shadowing physicians in a neighboring
community, La Barquita. The citizens of La Barquita cannot afford and do
not live close to major hospitals, therefore access to medical services
is difficult. In the program that I am following, a group of resident
physicians consult patients at a clinic in La Barquita for a very
affordable price.
Although
the community is receiving stellar care, the service still faces
challenges. For instance, the clinic has lost power during patient
visits, and the staff has a limited supply of pharmaceuticals available
for the myriad of complications presented each day. I saw different
cases from headaches, to tuberculosis, and various injuries.
I
enjoyed observing the community dynamics as the physicians and I walked
the streets in between running children and games of Vitilla(Youtube
can explain). It was tough hearing stories about the houses right by the
river that would flood every time there was a heavy rain. The people
who live in these houses under the bridge are resilient and refuse to
move. As much as one may disagree, one has to respect the pride they
show for their homes as symbols of hard work and legacy.
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| By: Ikenna Okoro |
InteRDom Correspondent, Ikenna, has recently completed his undergraduate studies in Biology at the University of Miami, Florida and is participating in the 2013 10-week Graduate and Gap Year Program. You can read more about Ikenna and his participation in the Correspondent Program here.
Wow, one week down and it surprisingly feels like I've been here and known these other students for a lot longer. InteRDom gave us a very practical orientation this week. I learned about Santo Domingo transportation on Wednesday, and was lapping up in a carrito by Friday. And despite its seemingly wild streets, Santo Domingo has a new metro system that is more advanced (and smells nicer) than any one I've used in the United States. The taxi system is also efficient, and has helped me experience Santo Domingo's colonial zone, the beautiful Boca Chica beach, and my first internship event.
Sunday was the "La Carrerra a la Diabetes" 5K-10K run that my internship organization helped sponsor. Aprendiendo a Vivir had a kids section at the race where kids could get their blood sugar monitored throughout the event, learn about their diabetes, and of course play. I had an amazing time losing to them in duck duck goose, helping with nutritional concepts, and translating for students and parents (Thank you, La Pelicula Goofy).
I can't wait to get into the flow of my internships, and get better at this language. Also, feel free to search the Spanish translation of any of my posts on Youtube to discover the songs that inspired them.
