Trinity Medical Students Working Alongside WPP Physicians

Students from Trinity School of Medicine recently volunteered in another WPP mission at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital outpatient clinic. The medical students worked in rotations, observing the details of cases under review and consultation procedures. They worked alongside anesthesiologists, pediatric surgeons, and general surgeons throughout the patient examination and guided consultation of patient records.

Trinity students all said that participating in the mission was a great opportunity. Jacob Smith and Joelle DesChatelets participated in the outpatient surgery clinic with the World Pediatric Project under the guidance of Dr. Jeffrey Lukish, a pediatric general surgeon out of Washington D.C. “We were able to observe the intake of approximately 12 pediatric patients with a variety of conditions and care plans,” they said.

Second-term medical student Erica Everett loved how the cases allowed her to apply what she learned in the classroom, “The WPP physicians allowed us to take the full history of the patients and the entry vital signs. Over a couple of hours of volunteering, we were able to see patients who had conditions that we just recently learned about in our courses. It was very interesting to make this connection and see these patients in real-world time. I think this was an invaluable experience at this stage in our learning because we studied it in the classroom, then gained a history where we had to make differential diagnoses, and finally listened to the physicians make up a treatment plan.”

Ananya Chekragari, another second-term medical student, agreed that the WPP mission was an enriching experience and stated, “During our time at the clinic, we encountered a variety of challenging cases. We had the opportunity to look at an 18-year-old pregnant female with a neuroendocrine tumor on her pancreas at 12 weeks gestation. This particular case provided insights into managing complex conditions during pregnancy. This experience enhanced our understanding of pediatric surgical interventions. The practical experience gained significantly contributed to our skills and knowledge in handling such conditions. Throughout our time at the clinic, we actively participated in history taking and physical examinations, further refining our clinical skills.”

Jacob and Joelle added: “Overall, we found the experience very fruitful and have nothing but positive reviews of the experience, WPP as an organization, and the leading physician Dr. Lukish.

What the WPP Is About

Since 2001, World Pediatric Project has provided thousands of children with access to lifesaving and life-changing care, facilitated training for hundreds of local healthcare workers across disciplines, and worked with governments and hospitals to develop system capacity, and resources and advocate for health policies.

The World Pediatric Project conducts ten medical missions in St. Vincent and the Grenadines every year.  The list includes general surgery and neo-natal clinics in January; ophthalmology and plastic surgery in February; physical therapy between February and March; cardiology in March; orthopedics in April; neurosurgery in June; and urology in September or October. The final mission is a second orthopedic trip specifically to address scoliosis and spinal fusion.  

In recent news, the WPP acquired Atlanta-based Childspring International, another nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing medical care to children in developing countries.

Giving Back with the World Pediatric Project

Trinity School of Medicine and the World Pediatric Project (WPP) have a long-standing partnership. Their mission of building a brighter future for local, regional, and international children affords our medical students exceptional training before residency and the opportunity to help and give back to our local community by providing them with healthcare services.

‍“It is a pleasure for us at WPP to partner with Trinity Medical Sciences University to give much care to our children and more so to have the students participate in these very exciting and knowledgeable clinics that allow them the opportunity to gain meaningful experience and knowledge,” said Sigmund A.D. Wiggins, the WPP SVG Program Director.

‍The students and faculty alike enjoy the breadth of knowledge, experience, and specialties that visit the island. Students frequently remark on the benefit of exposure to areas they hadn’t previously considered for elective clinicals or residency, broadening their experience and sense of opportunity post-graduation.