formed physicals on various patients. He saw infectious diseases, including MRSA and HIV/AIDS. When he rotated in the Pediatric Emergency Department, Jacobo had his first experience in pediatrics. “It really got me thinking about taking this direction for my career,” he says. His last rotation, in obstetrics and gynecology, was the most structured. He was able to scrub in for a total hysterectomy and helped with consults for high-risk pregnancies—including one mother whose fetus had developed omphalocele, in which a defect in the development of the abdominal wall muscles causes the intestines, liver, and sometimes other organs to be in a sac outside the abdomen. The kinds of ailments Julie saw included musculoskeletal pain, back and joint pain, dehydration, headaches, and gastrointestinal issues related to diet. “These are people who live an agrarian lifestyle,” says Julie. “Their aches and pains are associated with their lifestyle and dehydration.” There was very little if any obesity, diabetes, or hypertension. However, the gynecologic issues included sexually transmitted diseases and menstrual irregularities. Because the culture has such gender divisions, there were some barriers in discussing sensitive issues. For those situations, local and female physicians joined the team. Both Julie and Jacobo came away with a different perspective on medicine in general and their careers in particular. For Jacobo, the experience in pediatrics engaged him, and he learned about a new medical system that was PHOTOS COURTESY OF JULIE SZYMANIAK Above left: Students walking back from medical camp. Above right: Patients awaiting their examination at the HHE medical camp in Kwar. Far right: At the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Global Health Fair, Jacobo Santolaya (right) describes his experiences working in the Hospital Universitario Son Espases, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. gynecology tent, a pediatrics tent, and a dental tent. “It was very hands-on. You work with translators to communicate, adding to the complexity,” she adds. Over the course of ten days, Julie and her fellow medical students worked with 1,500 patients. Jacobo spent four weeks in the hospital following residents, or attending physicians in some cases, on their rounds, where he recorded medical histories as well as perKIM SOKOLOFF Robert Wood Johnson I MEDICINE 29