About Us

The UF CMDA Nicaragua mission trip exists to provide an opportunity for interdisciplinary health students of the University of Florida to represent the love of Christ by serving internationally. The vision of the trip is for all students to have the unique educational and personal experience of practicing their field of study in an underserved area while working in collaboration with students, educators, and other health professionals. This trip recognizes the importance of cultural and global education in student development and strives to make health humanities an equal focus of the trip.

Our trip creates a multi-faceted impact on the communities we visit. Due to the interdisciplinary vision of our trip, we are able to provide care in multiple areas. Medically, our team provides expert advice and treatment for patient’s medical conditions, some of these definitive and others temporary. In a ‘temporary,’ situation we are able to refer patients for further care or provide lifestyle education. Our surgical bus, dentistry, and optometry clinic allow provision of needed procedures and simple tools that leave a lasting impact. Further, there are youth programs organized daily that provide a holistic approach to child-care on our trip, reaching beyond immediate medical needs.

This trip carries a strong commitment to not only help globally, but also provide a unique experience to help students in their personal and professional growth. The physicians, dentists, and pharmacists on the trip are simultaneously focused on treating patients while teaching students. Students are able to practice as well as learn new skills, both in terms of patient interviewing, work-up, procedural technique, and how to provide healthcare in a setting of limited resources. In addition to a student’s given field of study (see below for included areas), they are given the option to observe or participate in patient care in any of the clinics, with many choosing to take advantage of this opportunity. If any unique cases are seen, students are encouraged to collaborate so all may learn from the conditions only seen on such trips. Lastly, daily debriefings occur where all are able to share reactions and experiences from the day. This encourages self and group reflection, playing an important role in humanities education.

Nicaragua at a Glance

Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the largest country in the Central American isthmus, bordered by Honduras  to the northwest, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Managua is the country’s capital and largest city. The multi-ethnic population of six million includes people of indigenous, European, African, and Asian heritage. The main language is Spanish.