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Students from the ɫ����ƵCollege of Osteopathic Medicine have established roots in a developing country abroad, providing help with medical shortages for those in need as part of a longstanding program at the ɫ����Ƶ COM New Jersey Clinical campus, a consortium of hospitals that provide third year ɫ����Ƶ COM students with core training.

Six medical students (Dylan Bellavance ‘18, Charlie Mach ‘18, Hope Barone ‘18, Hugo Raposo ‘18, Jessica Andrade ‘18 and Zoe Waldman ‘17) volunteered with the New Jersey based medical not-for-profit foundation, Waves of Health, to travel to the northwest border of the Dominican Republic. From November 5 to November 13, 2016, the Assistant Regional Dean, Joseph J. Calabro, D.O., encouraged the students to join physicians, pharmacists, nurses and EMT’s to provide ongoing, primary medical and pharmacy care in underserved communities of the Dajabón province.

During the week-long mission approximately 1,342 patients, ranging from infants to adults, were evaluated and treated. The most common disorders treated within this region included hypertension, diabetes mellitus, parasitic and fungal infections, dehydration, urinary tract infections, gastritis and asthma. In addition to providing free medical treatment, all children and young women were given multivitamins and patients over 40 (if needed) were given reading glasses. Two ɫ����Ƶ COM students enrolled 99 patients in an ongoing diabetes mellitus study to evaluate the effectiveness of short-term medical missions and evaluate patient needs.

Two ɫ����Ƶ COM clinical professors were of the founding members of Waves of Health. Christopher Boni, D.O. and Kate Hanify, D.O. (also a ɫ����Ƶ-COM alumnus) went on the first mission in 2007. Waves of Health has since traveled to the Dominican Republic biannually to provide free medical and pharmacy care with passion, empathy and consistency for the communities in which they serve. Students worked under the direct supervision of attending physicians for one week, from 7 a.m. –5 p.m. each day, to provide comprehensive care to the local Dominicans and Haitians. ɫ����Ƶ COM students will return with Waves of Health to the province of Dajabón in May 2017.

“Waves of Health and the New Jersey Clinical Campus provided us with a broad, unique and humbling learning experience,” said ɫ����Ƶ COM student Dylan Bellavance. “From the daily urban hospital-based care provided within the states to the rural and austere clinic work in the Dominican Republic, we were exposed to a full spectrum of medical practice and the power of healing. All of those involved in this medical mission came out of the week with a new perspective and understanding for medical care in a third world country.”

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