Last week we hosted our third team of physical therapy and occupational therapy faculty and students from The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Guatemala. I love this team, especially as I’m a graduate of UTMB. It is always a great week as we learn and work together.

Here is what their week look liked and what a short term mission trip with TCI might include, should you decide to visit us in the future. Enjoy this adventure through a few words and pictures.

Cultural Orientation

We start our week with a day of cultural orientation activities, including a house visit, using local transportation. We learned about our own cultural biases, local cultural beliefs, local medical practices and beliefs, the impacts of culture on therapy provision and much more. We discussed how cultural differences can be important in how we not only present rehabilitation, but also in how we provide therapy services. 

Bus Trip to Canilla 

This year, for the first time, we all rode a bus to travel to our therapy program in Canilla. Although we hired a private driver, we were able to experience what it is like to travel by bus on the dirt roads and roads under construction. Dr Utsey’s Fitbit indicated she walked 26,200 steps and climbed 361 flights of stairs, most of that from the bus ride.

Sometimes, as pictured below, you have to help put rocks in place to create a ramp to climb up on the newly paved road. In Canilla, we worked with our patients from Maripositas and enjoyed lunch at some local ruins before returning home.

Working with our Rehabilitation Promoters in CAF at ASELSI 

Using locally available materials to build adaptive equipment for our patients

Teaching our Rehabilitation Promoters and the Local Midwives

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and description about our week with the UTMB team. Thank you UTMB! We look forward to seeing you again next year. In the meantime, anyone else interested in coming to work with us? You’re invited!