Global Medical Training
@ UC Berkeley
Judy Shan: DeCal Officer
February 24, 2018
Share your experience with GMT trip in Panama. What did you found memorable?
This past GMT trip was an extremely memorable experience for me. I especially loved being able to meet so many new GMT members, and just bonding with everyone as a group. There were so many new experiences on this trip for me, even though this was my second trip to Panama. One memorable experience was when we drove up to a river bank on the first clinic day. At first, I thought that the coordinators were just playing a joke on us, and that we were only there for a brief photo pit stop before actually going to the real clinic site. However, when everyone started unloading the pharmacy supplies from the vabs and loading them onto the piraguas, or boats, that were by the river bank, I realized that we were going to take a boat to the clinic site. Riding the piraguas to the clinic site was definitely a very unique and fun experience. The wind was especially delightful in the hot weather.
What food do you like most in Panama
lol tbh I don’t like much food in Panama. However, the hotel had super delicious papaya and pineapple. It was the sweetest that I’ve ever had.
Public health nutrition is one of the most important factors that promote health. In your opinion, what is a healthy diet? How is Panama diet different from the US?
In my opinion, a healthy diet consists of proper amounts of fruits and vegetables, coupled with whole grains and protein sources. In Panama, it seemed to me that many people did not have as easy access to fruits and vegetables as we do here in the US. Their diet mostly consisted of rice, beans, chicken, and fried plantains. Almost everyone ate the same thing everywhere, which signifies to me a lack of access to a variety of fruits and vegetables that contain the necessary micronutrients for optimal health. In the US, we are able to access fruits and vegetables with a lot more convenience, but each person’s diet varies quite drastically across the spectrum, probably due to the variety of foods that are so easily accessible to us.