Photo: Jim Peck, Michigan State University
HIGHLIGHTS
Faculty member Jake Rowan (center) has spent the last year in Mérida to catalyze MSUCOM’s clinical, research and educational programs in Mexico.
Compassion South of the Border from MSU 360
Travel south of the U.S. border to Mérida, the capital of Yucatán, Mexico, and you’ll find many in serious need of basic health care. You’ll also find physicians and medical students from MSUCOM who are working to change that. For the past two years, faculty from MSUCOM, in conjunction with the Institute of International Health, have been working with leaders in the Yucatán’s health system to develop clinical programs that benefit the health of the area’s six million inhabitants. In Mexico, hospitals are arranged by insurance coverage and ability to pay. Agustín O´Horán is the hospital in Mérida that is designated for those without coverage and no means to pay. It is a very busy place where patients line up on the sidewalk for hours just to get into the emergency room. Resources are tight. It isn’t unusual for people to have to wait in the emergency room for two days or more on a gurney in the hallway. MSUCOM physician Jake Rowan moved to Mérida to work at O´Horán
and lead MSU’s on-site work necessary to best meet vital health needs, including the treatment of diabetes and kidney-related illnesses. Already 40 dialysis units and a hyperbaric chamber are up and running, and now the college is partnering to build Mexico’s first osteopathic clinic.
“This is an ongoing opportunity for medical students to come and learn.” Rowan’s “office” at the hospital doubles as a room where he and other physicians treat patients. There is a hyperbaric chamber in the corner that MSU helped the hospital obtain that sees a constant stream of patients. And while he may have a clear mission, he wants it to be clear that he is not on a mission. “This isn’t mission work,” says Rowan. “This is an ongoing opportunity for medical students to come and learn. It is a collaborative
effort that is beneficial to MSU, the College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the great people of Mérida, Mexico.” With a mega-watt smile and easygoing manner, Rowan gets excited when he talks about the program in Mérida. “From an educational standpoint, international health electives like this enhance the student experience by providing essential health skills that are crucial in a globalized society,” he says. “This initiative expands the international reach of MSU, MSUCOM, and osteopathic medicine. The program also expands the university’s research opportunities. O’Horán Hospital and the research universities in and around Mérida offer numerous areas in which we can collaborate with local partners to study our mutual interest in any number of fields including medicine, geology, agriculture, and many others.” And what legacy does Rowan hope to leave behind in Mérida? “I hope that I’m totally insignificant and that the program continues on and no one cares or remembers who started it,” says Rowan. “I just want students to always be able to come and do research and learn and go on.” SUMMER 2013 COMMUNIQUÉ
1