Learning Beyond Borders: Elmira College Takes Public Health to Panama

Deborah Woglom, Elmira College Nurse Education Instructor, developed a new travel course that took eight EC students to a rural area of Panama over their break in March. While there, the students volunteered at a local clinic, seeing firsthand the challenges in achieving accessible healthcare in a region where a significant portion of the population doesn’t have access to clean water or sanitation. Although not a typical spring break activity, the students were moved by what they learned and grateful for the experience.

“I was a little nervous at first,” confided Ashley Friend ’27, a Pre-Med Biology and Biochemistry major.

Friend had traveled before for vacation but had never been to South America, particularly to such a poor, rural region.

Like Friend, Caitlyn Ward ’27, a Nursing major, shared that she was apprehensive about the international travel since she had never been outside of the United States before.

Yet for both, the meaningful work they did at the clinic quickly melted their concerns. They practiced talking to patients and shadowed doctors treating patients for diabetes or giving children medications to get rid of parasites.

Prior to the trip, the students investigated the leading causes of illness, death, and disability in resource-constrained settings. When they arrived at the clinic, the students were quickly put in charge, leading the patient intake process, taking vitals, and sorting medications. They also educated patients, particularly children, about public health measures such as the importance of handwashing and why they should brush their teeth.

The program is coordinated through Global Brigades, a non-profit organization that works to help communities grow their local economies and improve access to healthcare. As part of their work, they partner with colleges and universities to create volunteer experiences.

“We saw at least a few hundred patients within three days,” reflected Ward.

“I’ve done community service hours at a hospital and shadowed with doctors, but this was the first time I worked hands-on with children,” shared Friend. “We had a language barrier, but I mostly understood what they were saying, and it looked like I was brightening up their days. They were brightening my days as well.”

Unlike Friend and Ward, Owen Mascaro '26, an Environmental Science major, wasn’t nervous about the trip. He signed up for the course because he loves to travel and saw it as a chance to go somewhere new and different. Yet Mascaro learned quickly that he could incorporate his passion for environmental sustainability into what he was learning about public health.

“This is a topic subset I was unfamiliar with,” he admitted. “I learned about how climate change is unleashing new infectious diseases and causing tick populations to grow.”

At the clinic, with the help of a translator, Mascaro educated local school-aged children about public health and the environment. He found an eager audience.

“When I spoke about recycling and how it can help with mosquitoes and ticks, I was surprised at how attentive they were,” he shared. “They were very engaged and asked questions.”

The trip also provided the students with other kinds of insights.

“I learned how poverty differs between the United States and Panama,” shared Ward. “There was a lot of homelessness, or people living in huts with no walls or doors. People pulled carts with food to sell, but in the seasons when food doesn’t grow, they will go without money. People take up crafts for jobs. One woman walked hours to sell items at our hotel just to make a little money.”

Ward purchased a few items from the woman, including some intricately beaded jewelry and wood sculptures.

When asked if they would recommend the trip to others, they all responded without hesitation.

“Just do it, just go. Take a leap of faith and do it,” urged Mascaro. “This experience opens your eyes and broadens your horizons. It blows anything you thought about health and community out the window. The whole experience makes you a different person, and I believe it will make you better.”

“If you are willing to step out of your comfort zone, this experience will lead to your biggest growth. You’ll see the world in a different way,” encouraged Friend.

Ward doesn’t just want to encourage others to take the course.

“I’m hoping to start a student club on campus to raise funds and go back and do this again,” she shared.

The Panama trip is an example of how EC’s hands-on, experiential learning experiences are helping students gain real-world skills while stepping into global roles and contributing to communities in lasting ways.

Interested in Public Health? Learn more about our Public Health Minor.