Spirit Cultural Exchange Spirit Cultural Exchange Spirit Cultural Exchange Spirit Cultural Exchange
  • TRAVEL
    • Intern & Train in the US
      • Available Positions
    • Teach in the USA
      • Available Positions
    • Work & Travel in the US
    • Volunteer in Ecuador
  • HOST
    • Host a BridgeUSA Intern or Trainee
    • Host an International Teacher
    • Host Work & Travel
  • BLOG
  • GET STARTED
    • Get Started – Travel
    • Get Started – Host
    • Get Started – Recruiting Partners
  • LOGIN
Spirit Cultural Exchange Spirit Cultural Exchange
  • TRAVEL
    • Intern & Train in the US
      • Available Positions
    • Teach in the USA
      • Available Positions
    • Work & Travel in the US
    • Volunteer in Ecuador
  • HOST
    • Host a BridgeUSA Intern or Trainee
    • Host an International Teacher
    • Host Work & Travel
  • BLOG
  • GET STARTED
    • Get Started – Travel
    • Get Started – Host
    • Get Started – Recruiting Partners
  • LOGIN
Jun 24
Hospital Del Sur.jpg

Week 1, Post 2: Familiarizing Myself with Hospital Del Sur

  • Volunteer Abroad
I’m halfway done with my first week, and I cannot believe how quickly time has flown by. This makes me scared that 4 weeks will be over in the blink of an eye. On Wednesday, I volunteered in Pediatrics. Unfortunately, there were only 5 children in the entire wing, so I switched to the emergency room in hopes of seeing a little more action. Within minutes of arriving, I saw a doctor stabilize a broken leg and then apply a cast. There was another leg fracture in the same room. However, this was an open fracture, and the patient needed immediate surgery to align the bones properly and stabilize the bones that had completely detached from the rest of the leg. After the hospital, I finished my Spanish homework and then attended 2 hours of Spanish lessons. I returned to my host family to learn that my host parents were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary. We attended an intention mass in their name and then went to a restaurant in the Centro Histórico, which was crowded with people watching Argentina and Paraguay play each other in the Copa América. 
 
Medical Supplies CabinetAfter getting back late on Wednesday night, I had a bit of a harder time waking up on Thursday. Not to worry because I did catch the same bus as the other volunteers for our commute to Hospital del Sur. I volunteered in the Pediatrics wing again and tried to familiarize myself with the medical terms used in the diagnoses of all the patients. The diagnoses ranged from mordedura de perro (dog bite) to hyperbilirubinemia and sepsis neonatal temprana (early neonatal sepsis). Hospital del Sur operates very differently from hospitals back in the United States, as they still use paper charts and have only one cabinet for medical supplies and two computers for the whole Pediatrics wing. As much as I loved familiarizing myself with the Pediatrics floor, I hope to experience a little more action on the Surgery and Obstetrics floors and to scrub into surgeries in the next couple of days!
 
On Friday, I observed on the Surgery floor and scrubbed into numerous surgeries. I observed surgeries to repair a left tibia fracture and a biliary duct anastomosis. The next surgery was a right radius repair, and the orthopedic surgeon placed a metal plate to stabilize the bone to the other hand bones. He also took the time to explain to us why he was placing screws in specific places. After this surgery, there was another patient that needed a left radius repair. I got to observe the beginning of the surgery before I left with the other volunteers and headed back to the apartment.
 
  • Hospital Del Sur.jpg
  • photo 1.JPG
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • E-Mail

Comments are closed.

Recent Posts

  • Intern Spotlight: Ghyleen B.
  • Winter Photo Contest 2023 – Week 3 Winners
  • Winter Photo Contest 2023 – Week 2 Winners
  • Looking to the Future
  • Spirit Alumni: Where Are They Now? Meet Tony P. – Hospitality Student in the Dominican Republic

Categories

  • General (65)
  • Interns & Trainees (31)
  • Spirit Participants (57)
  • Spirit Staff (80)
  • Teacher Program (16)
  • Volunteer Abroad (124)
  • Work & Travel (622)

Get In Touch

spirit exchange logo
137 North Oak Park Avenue,
Suite 304

Oak Park, Illinois
60301 USA

CONTACT US

Covid-19 Resources

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Recruiting Partners
  • Work at Spirit
  • Privacy Policy, Terms And Conditions
  • LOGIN

Recent Blog Posts

  • Spirit Intern Ghyleen B.Intern Spotlight: Ghyleen B.

Follow Us

Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On YoutubeVisit Us On LinkedinVisit Us On Instagram

Sign Up to Get Tips on J-1 Visa Programs

Copyright 2020 Spirit Cultural Exchange. Website by Nicole Sankowski Design
  • Privacy Policy/Terms & Conditions

Spirit Cultural Exchange collects personal data about visitors to our website to provide program services and provide a personalized experience. By clicking the button below you are agreeing to the information practices in Spirit's Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions.

Cookie settingsOk, I agree
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT