SRU students offer healthcare services to underserved communities in Costa Rica

A group of thirty-one Slippery Rock University students recently traveled to Costa Rica to participate in a service-learning trip with the non-profit organization MEDLIFE. From May 11-19, these students provided free health care to low-income communities by staffing mobile clinics and conducting community development projects.

MEDLIFE, which stands for Medicine, Education and Development for Low Income Families Everywhere, partners with communities in Latin America and Africa to provide patient care, educational workshops, and community development projects. The SRU students gained valuable experience through this trip, with many of them experiencing their first time traveling abroad.

Olivia Humphrey, a junior biology major, shared her eye-opening experience of witnessing the living conditions and health care system in Costa Rica. The students stayed in the tourist town of Tamarindo but traveled to neighboring communities to provide medical relief, tests, preventative care, and educational programs. They also participated in a project day to make a visually impaired couple’s home more accessible.

Mary Ann Holbein-Jenny, a professor of physical therapy, accompanied the students on the trip, which is part of an annual service-learning trip organized by the MEDLIFE chapter at SRU. The students paid for their own travel costs, exceeding $2,500, but found the experience and opportunity to help others invaluable.

The MEDLIFE chapter at SRU provides students with the chance to gain patient hours, shadowing hours, and community service hours necessary for their future careers in health care. More information about MEDLIFE at SRU can be found on the organization’s CORE page, an online platform for SRU student organizations and activities.