Sunday, Feb 22., 2009 - Migrant Health Clinic
From a distance, the throng of people meeting on UC San Diego's School of Medicine campus early on a Sunday morning seemed out of place, especially because this month's Sunday-morning crowd was larger than usual. Groups of first, second, and third year medical students chatted with equal numbers of undergraduate members of the Chicanos for Community Medicine. Students in scrubs from the UCSD Pre-dental society discussed the day's plans with a Mexican dental team. A group of ten Mexican doctors and medical students from the Universidad Autonoma de Tijuana spoke in Spanish to some of the Spanish-speaking UCSD students. In the bright morning, everyone seemed ready to go.
When we arrived on site, the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Migrant Outreach group was just starting to set up for mass. Some of the UCSD students helped them set up benches and tent canopies for the service, while others helped arrange tables for a free breakfast provided to the migrant workers who attend the outreach program. The remaining students organized the dental and medical clinics, with a tent and chairs for the dental group, a table for blood pressure and glucose screenings, a mini-pharmacy area placed on the top of a flatbed truck, and a table with charts and basic first-aid materials as would be needed during medical consultations.
A member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel explained to us that there are four different rotating volunteer groups that set up mass each week. The mass is held on a private property owned by one of the church community members. Each week, different priests are brought in to celebrate the mass, and if the priest does not speak English, Spanish-language translators are present. Migrant workers and community members are picked up by volunteers at various set pick-up points, though many of the workers are able to walk to the site because it is close to some of the orchards where they work. The church group also runs frequent clothing and blanket drives, and provides care-packages to the migrant workers as needed.
As the attendees started to arrive, a group from the University of San Diego (USD) was also there to help provide collected data about the migrant workers who attended the outreach program. Several of the men came to the medical tables to get their blood pressure screened and to request a medical consult, if needed.
Many of the students and physicians involved with the Border Health Project attended the mass held by Our Lady of Mount Carmel along with the USD students and migrant farm workers attending the Migrant Outreach project. The service was in both Spanish and English, complete with singing and music as well as silent prayer and meditation. The medical students who did not attend mass spent the time talking with some of the CCM undergraduates, explaining the medical school application process and teaching the undergraduates how to measure blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate.
After mass, breakfast was served. Men who had requested medical attention were interviewed by medical students, along with the aid of undergraduate interpreters. The students then presented to the medical doctors attending, who would consult with the patient directly along with the medical students. The problems presented were varied, from uncontrolled diabetes to a foot injury, headaches, and gastric acid reflux disease. The diabetic patient was offered a new glucometer, which he was taught to use by one of the Mexican medical students. Over-the-counter pain medication was offered to some of the injured farm workers.
In the dental clinic, cleanings and extractions were performed by the dental group, aided by the pre-dental students from UCSD. Once all patients had been cared for, the dentist provided a mini-lecture to the men about dental care. While many of the migrant workers do not have access to toothbrushes or toothpaste, the dentist explained to the men that they can keep their mouths healthier by repeatedly rinsing with water and by chewing hard vegetables and fruit as often as possible.
By early afternoon, most of the men that needed treatment had been seen, and we packed up our equipment to go home. The CCM undergraduate students, medical students, and pre-dental students attended a picnic lunch in the park, sponsored by the Latino Medical Student Association.
Border Health Project at UCSD