Healthcare and Community in Ecuador Jackson Roberts '19 had the opportunity to intern in Quito, Ecuador, exploring local customs, becoming part of the community, and learning the ins and outs of healthcare.

“Living and functioning in a foreign city was an exhilarating and challenging experience that has increased my confidence in my own ability to work internationally in the future.”

Jackson Roberts ’19

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri
Major: Neuroscience and Anthropology
Minors: Poverty and Human Capability

This past summer, I had the opportunity to work as a Shepherd International Intern in Poverty Studies in Quito, Ecuador. The program connected me with a host family in the city as well as a non-profit health clinic where I would work throughout the summer. One of the unique features of Quito is that it is located in a narrow valley nestled between the Andes, meaning that its population of more than two million stretches out for miles with very little width across. The result of this for me, living in the center of the city and working in the south, was a lengthy series of bus rides each morning to arrive at work at the other end of the city. I found the bus ride a fantastic way to experience the city as a local would, riding the same route tens of thousands ride each day to get to and from work. Riding the bus for a couple hours each day allowed me to really feel the pulse of the local culture and experience the city in a way a tourist never could.

At the clinic itself, my main responsibilities involved helping run a day program for geriatric patients. About 50 to 70 patients would arrive at the clinic each day, ranging in age from mid-60s to late 90s, to receive basic care and support, as well as to simply establish a sense of community centered in the clinic. Many of those who came to the clinic had been abandoned by their families or lost contact with children who had left the country to work abroad, leaving them without much of a local social network. In a country where the family unit is often highly emphasized and essential to the support of its various members, these individuals represented an instance where the social norm had broken down and left them without a safety net. My tasks there included providing companionship to the patients who visited the clinic each day, as well as supporting nurses with basic tasks such as taking vital signs and directing the patients.

Overall, a lot of my responsibilities ended up being a great deal of fun. Prior to this summer, my interactions with the elderly were often stilted and awkward, but I found myself laughing constantly and navigating conversations with ease as the summer progressed. My experience at the clinic brought a lot of unexpected surprises, including a visit from the president of Ecuador.

In addition to my work with the geriatric program, I worked some afternoons making house calls to diabetic patients who were unable to make the trip to the clinic. I also spent a week at an alternative medicine clinic outside of Quito, which provided an incredible opportunity to explore my interest in medical anthropology in a firsthand manner. Seeing how traditional medicine is adapting and persisting in an increasingly urban and globalized society was very interesting, and will continue to be an important issue in the country moving forward.

My experience as an intern in Ecuador helped to reaffirm my commitment to pursuing a career in international healthcare, whether that be as a medical doctor or public health professional. Observing and working in another healthcare system has provided a lot of insights that can be compared and contrasted with our own healthcare system in the U.S. In addition, simply living and functioning in a foreign city was an exhilarating and challenging experience that has increased my confidence in my own ability to work internationally in the future. I think these experiences are critical for W&L students as we prepare ourselves to be global citizens in an ever-changing international landscape.

If you know any W&L students who would be great profile subjects, tell us about them! Nominate them for a web profile.