Opportunities for Pre-Medical Students

Your university pre-med society is invited to join Orphanage Outreach - Health Corps in the Dominican Republic this spring break. Public health education is key to improving health conditions in this economically disadvantaged area in the Dominican Republic along the Haiti border. Your team will be providing public health education in local schools and rural communities; covering topics including:

• Adult Medicine Unit
• Lesson 1 - Cardiovascular Diseases
• Lesson 2 - Diabetes
• Lesson 3 - COPD, Asthma, Pneumonia
• Lesson 4 - Cancer/Depression
• Anatomy Unit
• Lesson 1 - Basic Anatomy
• Lesson 2 - Organs and Their Functions
• Lesson 3 - Things That Can Go Wrong
• Lesson 4 - The Five Senses
• Infectious Disease Unit
• Lesson 1 - Basics
• Lesson 2 -  Malaria, Dengue Fever, and Tuberculosis
• Lesson 3 - Intestinal Parasites and Diarrheal Illnesses
• Lesson 4 - Common Colds/Flu
• Nutrition Unit
• Lesson 1 - Basic Nutrition
• Lesson 2 - Food Guide Pyramid
• Lesson 3 - Vitamins/Minerals and their Deficiencies
• Lesson 4 - Reading Food Labels and Food Safety
• Sex Education Unit
• Lesson 1 - Reproduction
• Lesson 2 - Pregnancy
• Lesson 3 - Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Lesson 4 - HIV/AIDS
• Vaccination Unit
• Lesson 1 - Vaccines and Their Safety
• Lesson 2 - Diseases that Vaccines Protect Against
• Lesson 3 - Recommended Childhood Vaccinations
• Lesson 4 - Adult Vaccination Schedule
• Dental Health Unit
• Lesson 1 - Dental Hygiene
• Lesson 2 - Dental Anatomy
• Lesson 3 - Cavities and Plaques
• Lesson 4 - Effects of Poor Dental Hygiene on Body
• Safety Unit
• Lesson 1 - Tobacco, Drugs, and Alchohol
• Lesson 2 - First Aid
• Lesson 3 - CPR
• Lesson 4 - Abuse
• General Health
• Lesson 1 - Hand Washing
• Lesson 2 - Personal and Community Cleanliness
• Lesson 3 - Exercise and Taking a Pulse
• Lesson 4 - Healthy Skin
• Lesson Plans Bibliography

• Exercise
• Spanish/Haitian/English Medical Vocabulary

Your health education classes will be taught in Spanish. You will be teaching in teams of 4-5 people. For every four health students, we encourage you to bring along one Spanish speaker. Contact the modern languages department at your school, and invite the Spanish majors to get involved on your health trip. It's a great opportunity for Spanish Majors to practice and expand their Spanish.

Medical Clinics 2010

In addition to public health education, during the five weeks between February 20 and March 27, 2010 we plan to provide medical clinics in the banana worker villages near Monte Cristi. Your involvement with the physicians in the clinic will be dependent on the number of physicians participating, and the number of students joining us that week.

To ensure that your team is actively involved in the clinic, you will need to have a physician join your team. Have each person on your team invite their family physician to join you. If any of your team has family members who are physicians, that is another great opportunity to recruit physicians. Begin inviting today! Physicians' calendars are often filled up way in advance. Forward this page to the physicians who you know.

Medicines: 
1) During the published clinic weeks, we plan to provide each physician with a "Portable Pharmacy-Ready Relief Box" from Heart to Heart International - $7500 of needed medicines, instruments, and supplies to treat an estimated 400-500 people. Physicians, please complete this form, and fax it with a copy of your medical license to Orphanage Outreach at (602) 926-1439.

2) Schering-Plough has a generous program to provide one MAP International "Travel Pack" per year to approved physicians and physician's assistants (approximate contents). To apply for this program, complete this form and contact your local Schering-Plough representative. 

Health Teams 2009

Health teams joining us in 2009 included teams from:

• North Carolina State University
• University of North Carolina
• Pepperdine University
• University of Tampa
• Michigan State University
• Manchester Community College
• Central Michigan University
• College of Mt. St. Vincent
• Rutgers University
• University of Wyoming
• Boston College
• Penn State University
• Temple University
• University of Missouri
• Boise State University

"Orphanage Outreach's newly instated health corps is providing limitless opportunities--for the community to learn about proper self health care and further pass it on, and for volunteers to have the experience to teach others how to keep themselves healthy. The impact made on all those involved is for a lifetime."
Linda Ehlig, Pepperdine University, Spring 2009

"Volunteering for Orphanage Outreach was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Being able to make a difference in so many people lives through health promotion and care delivery was especially rewarding. Being able to help others in need and make a difference in there lives is something I will never forget."
Christopher Johnson, Michigan State University, Spring 2009

Health Slideshow