trans·late
/transˈlāt,tranzˈlāt/
“Move from one place or condition to another”.
Starting in 2016, student volunteers from the American School of Barcelona (ASB) have been working in collaboration with doctors and medical students from the Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) as they provide free basic healthcare to impoverished Peruvians in Iquitos and in remote river communities along the Amazon Basin. The volunteers from ASB work closely with them by translating for both the medical staff and the patients. This allows for more effective and precise communication between the doctor and the patient; something that is essential and can save lives. In 2018 ASB had the first ever scholarships to support student participation in service learning. The students went through an application process and they were tasked with completing a project to contribute to the community. Alvaro Bermudez and Marina Volchok were among the first ones submitting their projects. Marina has created a website that helps volunteers learn about the mission and what makes a good volunteer. This resource will come in handy and help future students prepare for the mission, you can check the website at: https://mvolchok.wixsite.com/peru-medical-mission/2018 and get inspired yourself!. Alvaro made a video “To Translate” that documents his experience on Peru trough the 2018 journey: https://ighealth.msu.edu/global/. The video is a vivid sample of what future volunteers of ASB or MSU can experience in their study abroad programs in Peru. It’s also an invitation to collaborate, to break the status quo and move from one condition to another, trying to help those ones in need.
Check out more news on Study Abroad programs at: https://ighealth.msu.edu/studyabroad/
