Zlotnick Reflection - Zoe Weissberg

I feel so lucky to have been able to participate in the Cachamsi program. It's hard to narrow down my favorite things about my time there, but three parts of the experience stand out in particular:

Sr. Pablo Martínez

Pablo is the coordinator of the Cachamsi program, but he is also a local celebrity. He would often mention, in an offhand and casual way,  about being on TV or the radio the night before class. It's easy to see why everyone wants to hear him speak: he is simultaneously incredibly passionate, knowledgeable, and hilarious. Pablo happened to be my Spanish teacher during my time at Cachamsi, and this was a wonderful privilege. His knowledge of Spanish grammar is vast but he manages to explain concepts in such a succinct and often funny way that they finally click. He cares so much about nitty gritty details and subtleties because he knows they affect how patients understand and respond to questions, and that this affects their care.  There is no turn of phrase he isn't excited to explore. I wish I had more words to describe Pablo, but the most I can say is he is the best teacher I've had. He has given me the great gift of being able to confidently communicate with patients and their families. 

Role of the doctor 

One of the best features of the Cachamsi program is getting to participate in community outreach with the doctors from the public health clinics in the Cacha region. This is an area in the hills near Riobamba with a largely Indigenous community. During one such outing, we made several house calls, including to the home of an adolescent mother with a newborn who had not been able to attend their postnatal checkups. During this visit, we were able to catch hyperbilirubinemia in the baby and help set the family up with follow up labs and visits. We also spent time going from house to house to gather information about the residents and try to understand the population makeup of this rural area in order to better serve the needs of the community. I loved these outreach opportunities because I felt like it was a wonderful way to get to know the community and their needs in ways that cannot happen by staying in the clinic. It made me reflect on the role of the physician and how I might interact more deeply with the communities I serve in the future. 

Dra. Paz Miño

For the last three weeks of my time at Cachamsi, I worked with Dra. Paz Miño at the Hospital Pediatrico Alfonso Villagomez. Dra. Paz Miño is both highly skilled as a physician and beloved by her patients and hospital staff. She exudes warmth and care. She puts on a pair of Minnie Mouse ears or a finger puppet when babies start crying, and claps her hands and exclaims in delight when parents share happy news. I could tell by watching her interactions with families that they felt deeply cared for by her. She and I had many conversations comparing medical practices in Ecuador and the USA and she was always curious and eager to learn more. She also shared with me the struggles and moral injury of not having access to all the resources she wishes she could provide patients

She is a fantastic role model and I will carry her presence with me throughout my career. 

I am so excited to put the cultural and medical Spanish knowledge I have gained during my time at Cachamsi to use in the service of my patients and their families. 

I am endlessly grateful to the Stanford Pediatrics Residency Program, Stanford Global Child Health, the Zlotnick Memorial Scholarship, Sr. Pablo Martínez and the Cachamsi leadership, my host family, and of course Dra. Paz Miño for this incredible experience.