Rice Pre-Medical Society (RPMS)
Alternative
Spring Break
San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico
March 1 - 9, 2008
Application Information and Registration Fee
There will be 10 spaces available for the trip.
The completed application is due no later
than Monday, November 5, 2007 at 5:00pm in
the Community Involvement Center. Participant selection
will occur on Monday, November 12 (with some trips conducting
group interviews on November 10 and 11),
and applicants will be notified of their
status by 5:00pm on Wednesday, November 14. Applications
are available on-line at
http://www.rice.edu/service (click
on the "Alternative Spring Break Participant
Applications" link). You
can also view photos and read personal testimonies
from past participants on-line. By 5:00pm on Monday, November 26, those selected to participate
will need to confirm their involvement by
submitting a non-refundable registration
fee ($250.00), liability release, emergency
contact and insurance information, a
signed copy of the Conditions of Acceptance, and 10 personal solicitations (details on all these components will be discussed at the All ASB Meeting discussed below).
For more information on the trip or application
process, please contact the student Site
Leaders, Vickie Trinh (vickie.trinh@rice.edu)
and Igor Gorlach (igor.gorlach@rice.edu).
All selected
participants are required to attend a mandatory
team meeting 9:00-11:00pm
on Sunday, November 18 in Herring 100 (Auditorium).
Please hold this time on your schedule and
notify Christa Leimbach (leimbach@rice.edu)
at the time of your application if you have
a conflict with this meeting. Those that miss the meeting without prior consent will forfeit their place in the ASB program.
The registration fee includes
transportation, housing, meals, materials required
for service, some organized group activities,
and fees paid to the host agency. In most cases,
this registration fee does not even fully cover
the cost of transportation to the site. The
bulk of the trip expenses will be covered through
team and individual fundraising; all participants
are required to
assist with fundraising activities. Projects
may include bake sales, car washes, stadium
clean-ups, and other creative ideas. In addition,
participants will be required to assist with
personal solicitations to friends, family members,
co-workers, religious communities, civic organizations,
grant funds, and other sources.
A small amount of additional personal spending
money should be taken for souvenirs, meals
on the road, and optional activities.
While this is inexpensive for
a week-long service experience, we do not want
cost to be a prohibiting factor. If you are
concerned about funding your participation,
please indicated your desire to apply for a
partial scholarship by contacting Christa Leimbach (leimbach@rice.edu) before
the application deadline (5:00pm on Monday, November 5, 2007). Late requests will not be considered.
San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico
The Mexican state of Guanajuato is located in the North Central Highlands, northwest of Mexico City. Its major cities are San Miguel de Allende (http://www.internetsanmiguel.com) and Guanajuato. San Miguel de Allende is a breath-taking little town with authentic colonial era architecture, outdoor markets, and fiestas! Guanajuato's claim to fame: the first uprising for independence from Spain was initiated in Guanajuato. This tiny wonder has a hot springs, a salsa club, a small European community, and fabulous musicians from all around the globe! There are many diverse service organizations for volunteers in town, so you can learn about other projects while working on your own.
As is the case in much of Mexico, there is an economic disparity: wealth is concentrated in the hands of the few, and poverty is common, particularly in rural areas. Although San Miguel de Allende attracts many tourists and American retirees for its thermal springs and architecture, some areas surrounding this city are poverty-stricken. Socioeconomic factors influence health. In Mexico's poorest regions, such as the village of Jamaica, infant and maternal mortality rates are above the national average, and the birth rate is five per woman. There is an alarming widespread use of Caesarian sections; approximately 40% of Mexican babies are delivered by C-sections. Until the mid-1980's the Mexican government actively promoted C-sections as an instrument to reduce infant mortality. Some villages are 30 years behind the national standard. A severe rural/urban divide in socioeconomic and healthcare status exists in Mexico. (Friedland, Jonathan. February 15, 2000. "Labor Conflict: An American in Mexico Champions Midwifery As a Worthy Profession" The Wall Street Journal. New York.)
Center for Adolescents of San Miguel de Allende (CASA)
The RPMS ASB trip will work in collaboration with the CASA Center San Miguel de Allende (CASA) to promote the health and well-being of the impoverished residents of Guanajuato. CASA is one of Mexico's leading reproductive health NGOs, and Mexico's first government- approved Midwifery School. RPMS ASB trip participants will work with CASA's local maternity hospital and day-care center. The CASA center in town also includes a library, a midwifery school, and a theater! The mission of the center is to improve the health of local residents. For more info, visit CASA's web site at http://www.casa.org.mx/sanmiguel.html.
As stated on their website, CASA's mission is:
"To contribute quality and care to the building of better lives and conditions for those most vulnerable in our population through working on health, education and cultural issues; promoting sustainable development; and advancing the respect of human rights with a perspective on gender equality.
CASA was founded in 1981 when cofounders Nadine Goodman and Alejandro Gonzalez started giving informal talks about reproductive health in their home. Twenty-five years later, CASA serves over 60,000 people each year with its maternal health hospital, professional midwifery school, daycare center, violence prevention programs, and educational outreach about sexuality, family planning, responsible parenthood, and the environment."
Service
Students will have the opportunity to extend health and social services, especially reproductive health services, to disadvantaged communities, and gain a cross-cultural understanding and appreciation for community health initiatives. Participants will be able to assist with "hands on" medical fieldwork and learn about midwifery. Projects could include: observing and aiding midwives with births in progress, taking vital stats, distributing vitamins, and administering HIV tests during International Women's Day in San Miguel, and assisting peer counselors with reproductive education programs.
Education is also an integral component of the experience- physicians, midwives, and other public health professionals will give lectures to enhance students' learning experience. In addition, students will have the opportunity to shadow a traditional midwife in her community and learn more about traditional medicine in Mexico. Collectively, these experiences will inspire and reinforce students' dedication to provide medical care to those most in need.
Accommodations
Located in the central downtown area of the historic and colonial City of San Miguel de Allende, in "La Canal" street, two and a half blocks west of the main square, you will find the Hotel Posada de las Monjas (http://www.posadalasmonjas.com). For its excellent location and services, this place of tradition has become the house of the traveler trough the years.
Activities
In addition to hanging out with midwives, participants will be able to explore San Miguel. Scheduled events include: trips to Botanical Garden, El Charco del Ingenio (an ecological reserve), the thermal springs, salsa dancing, and to wrap things up, a fiesta complete with mariachis. Field trips to historic locations and art galleries around the city are also possibilities. Participants will have the golden opportunity to employ their bargaining skills at the open markets.
Health
Upon acceptance, participants will be required
to complete a medical questionnaire and possibly
a medical interview as well. Examples of the kinds
of questions that may be asked are as follows:
- Have you had any chronic conditions requiring medical
care?
- Will you need any special medications or
medical care while on this trip?
- Are you allergic
to any foods or medicines?
- Do you have any other
dietary restrictions?
While traveling to an under-developed
country it is important to be aware of the
health risks associated with that travel.
Information will be provided for all participants
regarding the current health risks in their
host country as they are outlined in country
specific information sheets by the Center
for Disease Control. Along with this information,
students are encouraged to seek an appointment
with their primary care physician over winter
break in order to receive the proper vaccinations
and medications needed for travel to their
host country. Depending on the destination,
these could include prevention for malaria,
typhoid, tetanus, diptheria, hepatitis, or
other illnesses. The cost of these immunizations
may range from $100-$200 dollars per person
and is not included in the registration fee.
It is also important to recognize that while
traveling in an underdeveloped country, the
medical facilities will not be the same as
in the United States. Differences should
be expected in the following areas:
- The actual
medical facilities (equipment, automation
of services);
- The level of communication
and cooperation between doctor and patient;
- Assumptions about the point at which medical
treatment is needed; and
- Methods such as
medical forms, laboratory tests, and prescribed
treatments.
Safety
While abroad, it is imperative
that all students follow the safety guidelines
put forth by the Community Involvement Center.
These guidelines are based on Consular Reports
and information from the United States and
host country's governments. The following
are some of the precautions being taken:
- Travel alone will not be permitted;
- Travel at night and on dark, unsafe roads will not be permitted;
- Travel will only be conducted with the whole group, a tour guide,
a driver, and private transportation; and
- While abroad, students will abide by all rules
established and decisions made by the
staff participant.
Prior to the trip, there will be several
meetings to address issues of safety, including personal
property such as valuables and passports, appropriate
dress, and culturally appropriate behavior that will
alleviate drawing attention to oneself. When in another
country, you are often surrendering many of the rights
and freedoms that United States citizens take for
granted. This should be kept in mind at all times
during the trip.
Conditions of Acceptance
Although we do not want to discourage anyone from
applying, we want to ensure that the conditions
of participation are clear. Please take a moment
to read the conditions below.
- Participants in the Alternative Spring Break
program are expected to
exhibit sensitivity to the host culture; observe
local rules and laws; and abide by the philosophy,
structure, and regulations of our host agencies.
- A primary goal of the program is learning. Participants
are expected to prepare for the trip by completing
the packet of readings provided by the Community
Involvement Center and attending pre-trip orientation
meetings. In addition, participants will be encouraged
to keep journals and participate in-group reflection
while on the trip.
- The Community Involvement Center will assist
in arranging reasonable accommodations on-site
and arranging service work to be done in conjunction
with the host agencies. Nevertheless, the exact
nature and conditions of these accommodations and
work cannot be guaranteed. Many of the conditions
we expect at home (i.e. hot water, daily showers,
washers/dryers, privacy, etc.) may not be available.
- The participants will be responsible for participating
in all fundraising activities, including personal
solicitations.
- It is the participant's responsibility to obtain
a passport and any necessary visas (if required
for the trip) before he/she goes and to bring his/her
own spending money for free-time activities, a
few meals, and other personal expenses.
- It is the participant's responsibility to insure
he/she is covered by a travel/health insurance
plan for the duration of the program, which includes
emergency medical evacuation.
- The participants are responsible for making all
decisions regarding appropriate health precautions.
- Participants will not consume/use alcohol or
illegal drugs, smoke, or engage in sexual activity
while on the trip.
- Participants must at all times be with another
member of the group. In general, activities outside
the scope of the program will not be accommodated
and participants should not make outside commitments.
- All participants are required to follow all
safety guidelines established by the Community
Involvement Center while on an Alternative Spring
Break trip, as well as during travel to and from
the site.
- In addition, following the trip, group members
will be responsible for presentations and information
sessions to be given to the Rice community in the
fall semester.
- Once accepted into the program and the registration
fee is paid, participants are financially obligated
to the full purchase price of their plane ticket
and/or agency fees if they drop out for any reason,
since these are non-refundable and will cost more
than the initial $250 registration fee.
