University of Scranton 2024 – Students Return to the Dominican Republic

In late January 2024, a team of fourteen senior occupational therapy (OT) students and two faculty chaperones traveled over 1500 miles to connect with a culture unlike their own and provide a lasting impression both there and in their own hearts.  The group engaged in a transformative Level I fieldwork experience bridging professional healthcare attributes with global awareness initiatives in the Dominican Republic (DR).  The OT department of the University of Scranton has partnered with Cambiando Vidas (meaning “changing lives”) to provide this experience to senior OT students.  Cambiando Vidas is a grass-roots organization linking the United States and DR through the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to reach their full potential.   The two organizations collaborate to allow OT students, DR community members and DR healthcare workers to reach their full potentials. While this marks the third annual trip, the OT DR trip was unable to be completed in 2021 and 2022 due to health risks and organizational restructuring during the pandemic; however, the newly organized Cambiando Vidas was thrilled to have the Scranton OT students be the first inaugural trip back.

     OT students and faculty traveled from Scranton to San Juan de la Maguana, DR, to combine the academics of OT fieldwork with a service component including a full house build in addition to providing therapy services to the neighboring communities.  Students actively engaged in both academic course work while performing occupational profile interviews, health screens, vital assessments, OT standardized assessments for mobility, balance and endurance which led to the formulation of treatment plans and goals as well as observing and providing interdisciplinary healthcare internationally with licensed occupational and physical therapists, and then combined this with the service component of a less than one-week house build project and cultural awareness activities to demonstrate the social injustices occurring in the DR.  Throughout the experience, students reflected via pre-trip preparation activities, group discussions, reading materials, journaling and/or case study assignments and post trip communication.

     In San Juan de la Maguana, OT students and faculty were welcomed into the community with open arms.  In only five days, a complete house build from foundation to fixtures occurred.  This two-bedroom house with tiled kitchen and bathroom along with electricity was transformed from a house into a “home” for a young couple to plan their future and that of their nine-month-old daughter.  During this house build, OT students also observed colleagues and workers by analyzing work ergonomics and safety awareness utilizing a screen assessment and case study format.  In the afternoons, the group provided a pop-up clinic to this community utilizing the community church as their site.  Through the guidance of OT faculty and Cambiando Vidas leaders, OT students were able to develop interpersonal skills and professional behaviors, verbal and written, by completing occupational profile interviews, health screens, pediatric developmental profiles, vital and OT assessments followed by the development of goals and treatment plans.  In turn, DR community members who are exposed to social injustices such as poverty, access to food, shelter and water, access to education, access to healthcare, and quality of healthcare received some much-needed education and assistance.  Scranton OT students developed a deeper understanding of these social determinants of health.

     OT students were also able to identify and compare/contrast OT service delivery models in the DR versus those in the US not only in the community but also in an established interdisciplinary healthcare facility, Asociacion Dominicana de Rehabiltacion Filial San Juan.  At this center, OT students and faculty were included in the team of healthcare professionals to observe, assess and treat a variety of orthopedic, neurological and developmental diagnoses across the lifespan. OT students were also exposed to interdisciplinary healthcare through the addition of early intervention services and physical therapy. Through the guidance of faculty and the DR therapy team, OT students practiced oral and written professional skills by providing interviews, assessments, and utilization of clinical reasoning to develop goals and implement/revise treatment plans.  In turn, OT faculty provided US therapy concepts and strategies to the DR therapy team.

     Throughout the trip, OT students were immersed in the DR culture through language, meals, customs and tours of the surrounding areas.  The group was challenged to solve common barriers such as language and customs to provide the needed healthcare.  The group also learned of the laws governing the people of the DR and how the power of the government effects their society, especially in terms of business, healthcare and education.  Throughout the trip, students were challenged to self-learn in a variety of situations and to be successful in incorporating course material into the multitude of situations present in the DR.  Throughout the experience, students were encouraged to critically reflect on the events of the day and share such via group discussions resulting in a bond within the group.  This immergence into a non-traditional community allowed OT students a firsthand look at the effects of social injustice as well as provided the freedom for hands-on development of healthcare skills.

     At the conclusion of the trip, the group shared their struggles, triumphs and knowledge (along with hugs and tears) gained over the short week.  Many reflected upon how the experience has changed them, both professionally and personally.  The collaboration with Cambiando Vidas also reminded the group in turn how much the DR community has also gained from their presence by providing hope for their future related to housing, healthcare and compassion.  The OT DR trip is a phenomenal example of how healthcare education and service can be combined in a dual relationship to meet both course objectives and the Jesuit mission of community-based learning.

(source: Challenges in Theory & Practice, Spring 2024, Vol. 23 No. 2 by The University of Scranton – Issuu)