January 25, 2023 • 9 mins
Host: Maria Krakora
Maria Krakora is a current first year medical student in the Problem Based Learning Pathway at LECOM. Maria showcases the LECOM Mission with her dedication to community service. In her free time, shares her medical knowledge to help better her community. She continues to uphold the LECOM Mission pillar of community service by taking her medical knowledge and experience globally to underdeveloped communities in need.
________
Please visit LECOM.edu for to learn more about the educational opportunities available at our institution.
Maria Krakora is a current first year medical student in the Problem Based Learning Pathway at LECOM. Maria showcases the LECOM Mission with her dedication to community service. In her free time, shares her medical knowledge to help better her community. She continues to uphold the LECOM Mission pillar of community service by taking her medical knowledge and experience globally to underdeveloped communities in need.
________
Please visit LECOM.edu for to learn more about the educational opportunities available at our institution.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
You're listening to LEEKOM presents Heroes in Training. The lake
Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, also known as lee COOM,
has been providing training to heroes all across the globe
since nineteen ninety three. This podcast gives you an insider
look at the stories of triumph and hope from both
(00:22):
former students and faculty, helping you decide if LEECOM is
the right choice for your higher education. Let's start the show.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Hi, everyone, this is Maria Crocora.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I'm a first year PBI student at the LEECOM Erie campus.
As LEECOM students, we work every day to exemplify the
school's mission. The mission of the Lake Erie College of
Osteopathic Medicine is to prepare students to become osteopathic physicians
through a program of excellence and education, research, clinical care,
and community service to enhance the quality of life through
(00:59):
improved health for all humanity. Today, I would like to
discuss my experience in community service. The experience I'm sharing
was about my trip to Aguacate, Guatemala, specifically to the
San Andres Giron Clinic. I first heard about the trip
to Guatemala at my church, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church
(01:21):
in Pittsburgh, PA. At the time, I was working as
a surgical assistant. The surgeon I was working for had
decided to go on the trip, and I went so
that I could assist him in his surgeries.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
In the clinic. The trip started with a long flight
to Tuxla Guaralajare in Mexico, and then we drove over
the border into Guatemala into the mountainous region of Aguacat,
where we were welcomed by the townspeople who were throwing
firecrackers and very excited to meet everyone. The team consisted
of an oral maxiofacial surgeon, some primary care physicians, an optometrist,
(01:59):
and students and assistance such as myself. We met the
most important part of the team, the local physicians when
we arrived. The local physicians and medical students showed us
the lay of the land and of the clinic when
we arrived, and explained many important cultural components that were
essential to providing quality care. My ten days in the
clinic taught me many lessons, but there are three that
(02:22):
I would like to discuss today.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
The first being how many barriers can compound to affect
a community's health. Some specific barriers that we saw were travel.
Many people had to travel long distances to come be
seen in the clinic. This might have meant taking multiple
buses or walking long distances in shoes that weren't meant
for that type of wear, and we soon found out
that the closest hospital was in Mexico and about four
(02:46):
hours from where we were staying. This meant limited resources
in terms of emergency care, and it also meant taking
more creative approaches to treating chronic conditions. Another barrier became
evident by my work with the oral surgeon and the
local dentists who were seeing many dental carries and other
diseases in the mouth that are related to a poor
(03:07):
diet or a diet that's high in sugar. When I
further looked into the root cause of this issue, I
learn more about howl, the agricultural community is in this
mountainous region, and how farming is a really important way
of life. At first, I didn't understand how farmers who
are growing fruits and vegetables wouldn't be eating healthy, seeing
(03:28):
that they seem to have access to their own crops,
But through discussion with a local community, I learned that
it is actually cheaper to buy either rice or packaged
or processed foods, which are high in sugar and can
be lower in nutritional value, because they needed all of
their crops.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
To be sold to make money.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
It was also explained to me that farming can be
incredibly incredibly stressful, especially in a rocky and mountainous region
such as this, where the farmer's income is susceptible and
vulnerable to environmental pressure, and that this stress can also
make people crave foods higher in sugar and more comforting
(04:11):
rather than fruits and vegetables. When shadowing the primary care physician,
we also saw high rates of diabetes, a condition that
can be treated with both lifestyle and medication. Some barriers
that were seen when prescribing medication were having to explain
when and how to take medicine, as well as trying
to organize follow up visits so that chronic conditions could
(04:35):
be followed and monitored, both of which needed an extensive
amount of planning and time.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
As a successful healthcare business professional, earning a doctorate degree
may seem out of reach. Think again. Lee Comm's Doctor
of Healthcare Administration degree program makes it possible through their
School of health Services Administration. This flexible and affordable six
semester terminal degree centers around next generation healthcare systems, including
harnessing artificial intelligence, virtual medicine, and applying advanced data analytics
(05:09):
to enhance complex problem solving and research abilities. Courses are
delivered through a dynamic online learning platform available twenty four
to seven. Email Shsa at lecom dot edu to begin
your journey of discovery and make becoming a doctor part
of your future. Again. That's Shsa at Lecom dot edu.
(05:29):
Classes are now forming at lecom. We know wellness and
we are teaching the business of healthcare. This message is
brought to you by Lecom, a nonprofit organization.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
And through educational discussions with the community, we were able
to explain how to take medications and the different components
of a healthy diet and lifestyle. These discussions led to
collaboration between the local people and the medical professionals who
had come on how preventative medicine could be utilized in
(06:03):
situations such as these, and how tools were needed to
sustain the care after the healthcare team left. This leads
me to the next lesson I want to discuss, which
is sustainable action When volunteering. So I mentioned the collaboration
between the local healthcare team and the healthcare team from
the United States, and this all ties into the idea
(06:26):
of working with a community rather than doing work on
a community. This meant doing preparatory work before coming to
Guatemala to ensure that our actions would be both sustainable
and appropriate. This included many years of fundraising and dedication
to educating and supporting the education of local people in
(06:48):
that area who wanted to go to medical school or
nursing school. We also had to be dedicated to working
intentionally and ensuring cultural competency, which brings me to my
last lesson of trust and trustworthiness. Through shared leadership, collaboration,
committed partnerships, and authentic and transparent communication, we would show
(07:11):
that healthcare providers are worthy of trust and put the
weight on ourselves. And a piece of this is respectful
and reciprocal relationships. This meant that every morning and every
night we would eat together as a group, the local
people and the healthcare providers from the United States. We
would share stories and talk about our different cultures and
(07:33):
through this we were able to learn so much. We
learned about the importance of the indigenous community there, and
about the indigenous language Shook, which is spoken mostly amongst
elders in the community and is being spoken less and less,
and how important it was to them to preserve this
indigenous language, as well as the many stories of the
(07:56):
Mayan culture and their histories. Understanding the traditions and components
of their culture helped the providers from the United States
provide better, more competent care. It helped us be extra
patient when we had to translate from English to Spanish
to Chook, back to Spanish, and back to English to
(08:17):
communicate messages with patients. It helped us value connection and
gentleness as we worked with patients. We were also able
to better understand the psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual aspects of health,
all of which affected what we could see on the
outside and contributed to diagnosis. These three main lessons, and
the many more experiences, perspectives, and stories that I brought
(08:40):
from home from this strip can be applied to community service,
both in my local community and abroad. These lessons also
showed me what my values as a student and as
a future physician would be, including seeing patients as a whole,
as people who experience things in an emotional sense, a
(09:01):
spiritual sense, a mental sense, and a physical sense. I
aim to be a physician who listens and takes time
to look at all the pieces of the puzzle and
acknowledge cultural components and traditions that may affect the person's
picture of health. Most importantly, I want to be a
physician that is deserving of trust. And all of these
reasons pointed me in the direction of osteopathic medicine, specifically
(09:24):
an education at Lee CLOM. I'm very excited to continue
my education here and to keep upholding the mission and
values of the school. I have many more stories to
share from my experiences in both community service in Pittsburgh
and abroad, so if anyone has any questions, please feel
free to reach out. I'd love to share them.
You're listening to LEEKOM presents Heroes in Training. The lake
Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, also known as lee COOM,
has been providing training to heroes all across the globe
since nineteen ninety three. This podcast gives you an insider
look at the stories of triumph and hope from both
(00:22):
former students and faculty, helping you decide if LEECOM is
the right choice for your higher education. Let's start the show.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Hi, everyone, this is Maria Crocora.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I'm a first year PBI student at the LEECOM Erie campus.
As LEECOM students, we work every day to exemplify the
school's mission. The mission of the Lake Erie College of
Osteopathic Medicine is to prepare students to become osteopathic physicians
through a program of excellence and education, research, clinical care,
and community service to enhance the quality of life through
(00:59):
improved health for all humanity. Today, I would like to
discuss my experience in community service. The experience I'm sharing
was about my trip to Aguacate, Guatemala, specifically to the
San Andres Giron Clinic. I first heard about the trip
to Guatemala at my church, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church
(01:21):
in Pittsburgh, PA. At the time, I was working as
a surgical assistant. The surgeon I was working for had
decided to go on the trip, and I went so
that I could assist him in his surgeries.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
In the clinic. The trip started with a long flight
to Tuxla Guaralajare in Mexico, and then we drove over
the border into Guatemala into the mountainous region of Aguacat,
where we were welcomed by the townspeople who were throwing
firecrackers and very excited to meet everyone. The team consisted
of an oral maxiofacial surgeon, some primary care physicians, an optometrist,
(01:59):
and students and assistance such as myself. We met the
most important part of the team, the local physicians when
we arrived. The local physicians and medical students showed us
the lay of the land and of the clinic when
we arrived, and explained many important cultural components that were
essential to providing quality care. My ten days in the
clinic taught me many lessons, but there are three that
(02:22):
I would like to discuss today.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
The first being how many barriers can compound to affect
a community's health. Some specific barriers that we saw were travel.
Many people had to travel long distances to come be
seen in the clinic. This might have meant taking multiple
buses or walking long distances in shoes that weren't meant
for that type of wear, and we soon found out
that the closest hospital was in Mexico and about four
(02:46):
hours from where we were staying. This meant limited resources
in terms of emergency care, and it also meant taking
more creative approaches to treating chronic conditions. Another barrier became
evident by my work with the oral surgeon and the
local dentists who were seeing many dental carries and other
diseases in the mouth that are related to a poor
(03:07):
diet or a diet that's high in sugar. When I
further looked into the root cause of this issue, I
learn more about howl, the agricultural community is in this
mountainous region, and how farming is a really important way
of life. At first, I didn't understand how farmers who
are growing fruits and vegetables wouldn't be eating healthy, seeing
(03:28):
that they seem to have access to their own crops,
But through discussion with a local community, I learned that
it is actually cheaper to buy either rice or packaged
or processed foods, which are high in sugar and can
be lower in nutritional value, because they needed all of
their crops.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
To be sold to make money.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
It was also explained to me that farming can be
incredibly incredibly stressful, especially in a rocky and mountainous region
such as this, where the farmer's income is susceptible and
vulnerable to environmental pressure, and that this stress can also
make people crave foods higher in sugar and more comforting
(04:11):
rather than fruits and vegetables. When shadowing the primary care physician,
we also saw high rates of diabetes, a condition that
can be treated with both lifestyle and medication. Some barriers
that were seen when prescribing medication were having to explain
when and how to take medicine, as well as trying
to organize follow up visits so that chronic conditions could
(04:35):
be followed and monitored, both of which needed an extensive
amount of planning and time.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
As a successful healthcare business professional, earning a doctorate degree
may seem out of reach. Think again. Lee Comm's Doctor
of Healthcare Administration degree program makes it possible through their
School of health Services Administration. This flexible and affordable six
semester terminal degree centers around next generation healthcare systems, including
harnessing artificial intelligence, virtual medicine, and applying advanced data analytics
(05:09):
to enhance complex problem solving and research abilities. Courses are
delivered through a dynamic online learning platform available twenty four
to seven. Email Shsa at lecom dot edu to begin
your journey of discovery and make becoming a doctor part
of your future. Again. That's Shsa at Lecom dot edu.
(05:29):
Classes are now forming at lecom. We know wellness and
we are teaching the business of healthcare. This message is
brought to you by Lecom, a nonprofit organization.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
And through educational discussions with the community, we were able
to explain how to take medications and the different components
of a healthy diet and lifestyle. These discussions led to
collaboration between the local people and the medical professionals who
had come on how preventative medicine could be utilized in
(06:03):
situations such as these, and how tools were needed to
sustain the care after the healthcare team left. This leads
me to the next lesson I want to discuss, which
is sustainable action When volunteering. So I mentioned the collaboration
between the local healthcare team and the healthcare team from
the United States, and this all ties into the idea
(06:26):
of working with a community rather than doing work on
a community. This meant doing preparatory work before coming to
Guatemala to ensure that our actions would be both sustainable
and appropriate. This included many years of fundraising and dedication
to educating and supporting the education of local people in
(06:48):
that area who wanted to go to medical school or
nursing school. We also had to be dedicated to working
intentionally and ensuring cultural competency, which brings me to my
last lesson of trust and trustworthiness. Through shared leadership, collaboration,
committed partnerships, and authentic and transparent communication, we would show
(07:11):
that healthcare providers are worthy of trust and put the
weight on ourselves. And a piece of this is respectful
and reciprocal relationships. This meant that every morning and every
night we would eat together as a group, the local
people and the healthcare providers from the United States. We
would share stories and talk about our different cultures and
(07:33):
through this we were able to learn so much. We
learned about the importance of the indigenous community there, and
about the indigenous language Shook, which is spoken mostly amongst
elders in the community and is being spoken less and less,
and how important it was to them to preserve this
indigenous language, as well as the many stories of the
(07:56):
Mayan culture and their histories. Understanding the traditions and components
of their culture helped the providers from the United States
provide better, more competent care. It helped us be extra
patient when we had to translate from English to Spanish
to Chook, back to Spanish, and back to English to
(08:17):
communicate messages with patients. It helped us value connection and
gentleness as we worked with patients. We were also able
to better understand the psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual aspects of health,
all of which affected what we could see on the
outside and contributed to diagnosis. These three main lessons, and
the many more experiences, perspectives, and stories that I brought
(08:40):
from home from this strip can be applied to community service,
both in my local community and abroad. These lessons also
showed me what my values as a student and as
a future physician would be, including seeing patients as a whole,
as people who experience things in an emotional sense, a
(09:01):
spiritual sense, a mental sense, and a physical sense. I
aim to be a physician who listens and takes time
to look at all the pieces of the puzzle and
acknowledge cultural components and traditions that may affect the person's
picture of health. Most importantly, I want to be a
physician that is deserving of trust. And all of these
reasons pointed me in the direction of osteopathic medicine, specifically
(09:24):
an education at Lee CLOM. I'm very excited to continue
my education here and to keep upholding the mission and
values of the school. I have many more stories to
share from my experiences in both community service in Pittsburgh
and abroad, so if anyone has any questions, please feel
free to reach out. I'd love to share them.
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