Med brigades inspires Toreros

USD participates in the largest student-led movement for global health

Emma Goodman-Fish/Assistant Feature Editor/The USD Vista

Don’t use the term “Third World Country” around Stephanie Roessler, a USD student who is dedicated to breaking down the barriers between her classmates and developing countries. Roessler became interested in helping people of different cultures when she first joined Medical Bridges, a part of the “largest student-led movement for global health.”  

“The idea that I could be part of such a positive change as a freshman was so intriguing to me,” Roessler said. 

The organization first caught her eye as a pre-med student, but became much more than an opportunity to simply practice medical skills in a foreign country. 

After being accepted into the program in 2016, Roessler joined over 20 students on a week-long trip to Nicaragua, where they planned to work hand in hand with the community and give them the resources and independence to overcome the struggles they continue to face. 

At the end of her week-long trip, Roessler had fallen in love. 

 “I got the chance to connect with so many community members, to have met their beautiful families and shared our life experiences with one another,” Roessler said. 

Since her first trip to Nicaragua, Roessler has been on six different Brigades including additional trips to Nicaragua, Ghana, Honduras, and most recently, Panama. Twenty-five students joined the Panama trip including two group leaders, Roessler, President of Medical Brigades, and her Co-President, Andrew Gatto. 

For the Panama Brigade, the group arrived on a Sunday and began medical packing immediately the following day. This is one of the most important parts of preparation for setting up the clinics themselves, and the entire team works together to sort medications into 30-day dosages to give out free of charge for patients seen in-clinic. 

In the next three days, actual clinics were created. One station had certified Panamanian and U.S. doctors who gave professional diagnoses for illnesses to people in the community. 

Roessler shared a very special part about Panama. 

“We had an optometry station, which was totally student run,” Roessler said. “There was no professional optometrist, but students got to learn how to prescribe reading glasses and more.” 

The most important and empowering station for Roessler was the “Charla’” Clinic, which means “chat” in Spanish. Here, people of all ages are given education on holistic topics that most people take for granted. Lessons are shared in how to wash your hands, brush your teeth, why it is important to clean your water, and more. 

“It’s a really special station especially with such eager-to-learn individuals,” Roessler said. “It’s the most emotionally and scholastically interactive station and it’s where we can really develop friendships with the community members.” 

Roessler shared how deeply these interactions stuck with her. Since these Medical Brigades have left such a strong impact on Roessler, she encourages others to take this opportunity as well. 

“Do it because it scares you,” Roessler said. “The more you can push yourself outside your comfort zone, the better. Trying to speak someone else’s language and learn their culture is a lot of hard work, but it can help you not only better understand other people, but also the world.” 

Roessler emphasizes that the issues Medical Brigade are trying to tackle are not things that can be done alone. She needs everyone to be a part of the change. 

“You don’t need to be Pre-Med, or know anything about medicine or even be interested in that career path,” Roessler said. “As long as you want to help others and form international relationships then you would be a great fit.”

Brigades doesn’t just claim to change the world, it changes individuals too.

“I use Brigades as my New Year, every single Brigade is like a reset button for me,” Roessler said. “I remember what really matters most to me, what matters most to other people, how I can continue to make a change with what I have been given, and how I can learn so much from these individuals abroad with what they have been given. To recognize there is more outside of your own life bubble, the better, and that’s what Brigades really gave to me.”

Roessler has been dedicated to Medical Brigades for her entire college career, but others are just starting out.  Sarah Kushner, a current sophomore at USD, went on her first brigade as a first-year student and was also left with many impactful lessons from her Nicaragua trip. 

“I think a lot of people go on these service trips with the notion that they are going to change the world or drastically change someone’s life, but at the end of the day you’re not going to be that hero, nor do these people need one,” Kushner said. “However, demonstrating altruism, whether it be in a foreign country or in your own community, helps propagate some degree of positive change. If everyone did their part the world would be a much better place.”

College students are often considered to be in the formative years of their lives, finding out what they want to do and who they are going to be. 

Taking the opportunity to understand other cultures, places, and people gives developing individuals the chance to step outside their own world and define themselves in a different way.