Hola Sara!

Again, MUCHAS GRACIAS for everything. Even though I miss Antigua and everything about Guatemala, I carry with me so many reminders of the incredible experience. My primary goals of the rotation were to learn medical Spanish and improve my conversation skills. These goals were not only met, but surpassed. I am sad to say that I will not be able to make it to the info meeting tomorrow.

I have so many things to say to the possible participants that would convince them that this is an experience that will awe them from every aspect....the history and culture, the health system, the geography, and the improvement of Spanish skills. I had the advantage of several years of Spanish classes prior to Guate, but my speaking skills were always lacking. I can't even begin to tell you how much my conversational Spanish has improved. Now I have confidence in using the language with any Spanish-speaking person that I encounter.

I also had the added bonus of beginning a rotation in a community with a large Hispanic population just four days after returning to the States. I use my Spanish everyday! I am able to communicate in their language which gives me a better idea of their problems.. Plus, they understand the treatments, follow-ups, etc. I can't tell you how many times I have seen patients that misunderstood the directions that were given to them due to the language barrier. I can not thank you or Dr. Garcia enough for letting me be a part of this. What I have gained and brought home with me are invaluable... much more so than I had ever imagined. The look of relief on a patient's face when they realize that I can speak Spanish is so personally gratifying. I wish everyone could have the same experience.

Thank you again. Please feel free to give out my email to interested students. I would love to talk to them about my experiences. 

Jayne Miller, PA student

Report from June 2001 participant 
(fourth-year medical student from Baylor University)

Hola Sara!!!!

I hope you are doing well. Things are going great here in Houston. You missed out on my excitement the last couple of weeks in Guatemala. I found out with about a week and a half left in Antigua that my wife was pregnant! She is 13 weeks pregnant now. It's quite an exciting time with a baby on the way, residency applications, and finishing rotations. But I'm having a great time. I wanted to tell you a special thanks for allowing me to be a part of the program. I had an incredible time and it was more than everything I hoped for. I learned an incredible amount of Spanish in those four weeks - more than any point in the years I've studied Spanish. I am now easily communicating in Spanish with patients in the hospital. I have been translating for my residents and attendings, both on my sub-internship and on my neurology rotation that I'm currently taking. It's truly amazing. I could speak to the patients in Spanish before I went to Guatemala, but nothing like I can now. I'm seeing all of the Spanish speaking patients in our Neurology clinics every day because I'm the only one that speaks the language (and there are a LOT of the patients that don't speak any English). It's funny sometimes to see the reaction of some of the Latino patients to a gringo speaking near fluent Spanish. Could you send Dr. Garcia's email address to me? I'm not sure I have it available here now. As far as what the two of you can do to make the course better - I can't imagine anything better. I never imagined that the trip could be as great as it was. You might get Dr. Garcia to speak a little more Spanish to the students. He can speak slowly, but it would be good to set the tone that everybody should be trying to speak as much as they can. Of course he would have to repeat things in English for those that are just starting... but he could serve as a second Spanish teacher in a sense. But I really don't have a single negative thing to say about the program. I miss Guatemala, the people there, and the frijoles negros.

Take advantage of the John Hopkins study if that is still available. I was kicking myself the whole time I was there that I had let the opportunity slip by. It might be a little bit of a hassle, but for 600 dollars - it didn't seem like much work at all. 

Queso y Vino was a good place for Italian food and wine. And of course Mono Loco was a great place to spend time in the evenings after dinner with the group.

If you are at an advanced level of Spanish you might really benefit from an intercambio with one of the teachers at the school in the afternoon or evening. Some of the teachers in the school are very interested in learning more English. You can do them a good service and you'll practice while you are teaching them because you will have to explain things in Spanish.

Take advantage of the time to learn the Spanish. Find as many ways as possible to speak the language while you are there. Force each other to speak Spanish instead of English when you are walking through Antigua, sitting at the dinner table (especially if the family is there with you), or on trips for the weekends. Unless you are already fluent, the weekends can set you back from the feeling of having an immersion in the language if you speak English all weekend.

Thanks for everything, Sara!

Greg