Bridging Classroom and Community: Lessons from Santo Domingo

The medical mission, involving 19 students working alongside faculty members and other physicians, expanded our education beyond the classroom, strengthening our understanding of global health, cultural humility, and the values that guide osteopathic medicine.

Preparation began weeks before our departure. Through a supply and hygiene drive organized by TouroCOM’s International Medicine Club, we collected essential items to distribute to community members. We also participated in a virtual orientation led by a Dominican physician, who provided insight into local healthcare practices, cultural expectations, and common medical conditions – efforts that helped establish a foundation for our clinical services to come.

Flexibility and Teamwork

Once in Santo Domingo, we learned first-hand how medical care with limited resources demands flexibility and teamwork. We worked in both fixed and mobile clinics, providing triage, taking vital signs, interviewing and examining patients and practicing documentation. In the pharmacy, we learned to dispense medication safely and educate patients while working with translators. The experiences emphasized the importance of clear communication clearly and collaboration in delivering care.

We also learned how to work with limited resources, which meant having to be adaptable. We used sheets for privacy, and repurposed supplies to meet clinical needs. Adaptations like these reinforced that quality healthcare is rooted not just in technology alone, but also in being creative, respectful and paying attention to dignity of patients.

Working alongside Dominican physicians added value to our learning. For example, clinical decisions, such as what medications to prescribe, had to be guided by what the local population could access once we’d left. The whole team worked to emphasize treatments that were essential treatments and realistic, highlighting prevention, whole‑person care, and meeting patients where they’re at.

Linking Environment and Health

Beyond the clinics, we observed the strong connections between environment and health. Churches were centers of community life, but many families lived with stagnant water, limited electricity, and in homes with tin roofs. This meant treating conditions like dehydration, parasitic infections, and skin diseases - many of which were closely tied to environmental factors. These experiences underscored first-hand how social determinants of health can influence well‑being.

Political tensions also complicated access to care, especially for Haitian migrants facing deportation. Some people were reluctant to seek medical help. We had to be patient and culturally sensitive in order to build the necessary trust needed to treat frightened populations.

At one encounter at a mobile clinic, we met an older Haitian woman who was afraid to speak with us. Through a translator, we learned she was worried that we were affiliated with the government. After listening to her and explaining our role, she shared her symptoms and the emotional distress she felt after her daughter and newborn grandson were deported following a hospital visit.

Her story reminded us of the connections between health and lived experiences. To effectively address her concerns we needed to acknowledge emotional, social, and physical factors. Before leaving, we taught her simple breathing exercises to help her manage anxiety and prayed with her. She offered a blessing for us to take with us when we left.

Our experiences and lessons learned in the Dominican Republic will shape us as future DOs, committed to compassionate, community‑focused care.

A huge shoutout to everyone who served on this trip and to our partners at Foundations for Peace! TouroCOM-Middletown Faculty: Dr. Christian Hietanen, Dr. Emily Brown; Physicians: Dr. Doug Nelson, Dr. John Kleopoulos; TouroCOM-Middletown Students: Abdullah Al Hashimi, Adeola Adeleke, Allyson Varcoe, Austyn Yamada, Ben Nelson, Cierra Carrasquillo, Debora Chrispin, Funmi Adeniji, Harman Singh, Kayleigh Miedreich, Kaylie Lam, Luv Kataria, Mikayla Hertz, Rihi Jain, Rumen Osagie, Victoria Adedeji, Vishal Gohel, Yanni Kleopoulos; TouroCOM-Montana Student: Laraib Tariq.