Eight Years of Service: Students Bring Interprofessional Care to Communities Across Guatemala

Since 2017, Dr. Amy Parkhill, associate professor of pharmacy, has traveled to Guatemala with pharmacy and nursing students completing eight service trips in partnership with Hope 4 Kids International.

The experiential learning opportunity allows students to help lead four medical clinics and provide health education in rural, urban, and traditional Mayan communities. Working with local doctors to provide needed healthcare, the trips allow students to use the skills and knowledge that they acquire in the curriculum while also learning about the challenges of accessing healthcare in a developing nation.

“Bringing pre-med students, nursing students, pharmacy students, residents, and Pharm.D. alumni allows for a layered learning approach that provides leadership and mentoring opportunities,” said Parkhill. “Students are able to learn about and practice interprofessional collaboration, adaptability, critical thinking, cultural humility, and seeing sustainable impact.”

Fisher students and alumni including Libby Drum (nursing), Holly Stuart (nursing), Sophia Garcia (nursing), Anna Foe (pharmacy P1), Fantasy Jimerson-Kenjockety (pharmacy P1), Karis Vega (pharmacy P2), Katelyn Solar (pharmacy P2), Cassidy Pearce (pharmacy P2), Greta Staubly (PGY-2 resident), and Ashley Smith (Pharm.D. alumna and PGY2 alumna) all participated in this most recent trip.

As a pharmacy student, Solar’s primary responsibilities included filling prescriptions written by the providers, labeling medications with clear and appropriate directions, and counseling patients on how to take the medications they received. She also managed pharmacy inventory throughout the clinic day to ensure medications were organized and available when needed.

“Many of the interactions during the clinic days were incredibly meaningful, but what stood out most was the gratitude expressed by the patients. They were consistently kind, appreciative, and genuinely thankful that we had traveled to provide care. It was especially impactful to see how much receiving basic medications and vitamins meant to them,” said Solar.

Drum, who was assigned to the nursing station worked with patients to get a chief complaint from the patient, ask their symptoms and then get all of their vitals including blood pressure, oxygen, heart rate, height, and weight before sending patients to the doctor. 

“A moment from this experience that will morph my future care as a nurse was realizing just how little we know about a patient’s story when they come into our care, which is why it is so vital to actively listen to them and show every one of them compassion,” shared Drum. “This mission trip gave me yet another ‘why’ for choosing nursing and reinforced the reason I wanted to go to nursing school. I am going to return to Fisher with a more clear perspective as I step into every clinical and classroom. I have a renewed passion for my future career and cannot wait to go on another service trip!”

Collective Strengths

On the trip, students work in an interprofessional environment, allowing them to learn what other healthcare disciplines bring to the table and actively practice peer mentorship. Solar and Drum agreed that the trip exemplified how different viewpoints and expertise brought by each discipline elevates patient care. 

“Getting to be immersed in this teamwork and flow reinforced how quality care for the patient is found in all our strengths, talents, and respect for every discipline and what they do,” Drum shared. 

Parkhill added that gaining experience working through language barriers with translators and adapting to different cultural norms will make students far more empathetic and effective clinicians. 

“I found ways to connect with the children by playing games and interacting with them through gestures, laughter, and shared activities. In the pharmacy, I found that a smile, patience, and a positive attitude could make a meaningful difference,” said Solar. “This experience taught me that communication goes beyond words and that something as simple as a smile can help build trust and make others feel comfortable.”

Ongoing Impact

Amy Bista, vice president of child development and international teams at Hope 4 Kids International, said that the annual week of medical clinics in partnership with Hope 4 Kids International serves an average of 250 patients, which has resulted in over 2,000 individuals receiving essential medical care and life changing treatment over the course of the partnership. 

“We are incredibly grateful for our eight-year partnership with St. John Fisher University. Year after year, we can count on the dedication and professionalism of Fisher students and faculty to help make our medical outreaches successful. Their expertise, compassion, and commitment ensure that our clinics are well staffed and provide high quality care to those who need it most,” said Bista. 

Beyond their service in Guatemala, Fisher students and faculty have also helped strengthen Hope 4 Kids’ medical outreach programs in other countries by introducing new ideas, sharing best practices, and helping us continually improve the quality of care they provide, added Bista. 

“While the medical expertise and care provided by the Fisher team have had a tremendous impact, one of the most meaningful outcomes has been the lasting relationships they have built with our local partners. These friendships and connections continue long after the trip has ended, strengthening our shared commitment to serving communities in need,” she said.