Inside a makeshift clinic in rural Panama, East Tennessee State University students quickly learned that health care is as much about connection as it is about clinical skills.

In January, 40 students – including 14 Quillen Honors Scholars – participated in a faculty-led study abroad experience organized in partnership with Global Brigades in Panama. Students received hands-on training while delivering essential medical and dental services to communities with limited access to consistent health care.

Working alongside licensed dental and medical professionals, the group helped establish and operate six clinics in four communities, serving more than 550 patients. Students helped with patient intake, vital signs and medical consultations. They assisted with dental procedures, health education and medication distribution while also managing electronic medical records.

“It is profoundly rewarding to watch students experience global health in such an immersive and meaningful way,” said Dr. Karla Leybold, director of the Quillen Honors Scholars Program and faculty leader of the trip. “Suddenly, concepts they have learned about in the classroom, such as access, equity, prevention and trust, come alive in front of them. I could see their understanding shift from the theoretical to the deeply personal.”

For many students, the trip was their first experience delivering care in a setting with limited infrastructure, where remote locations and environmental challenges demanded flexibility, teamwork and clear communication across language and cultural differences.

In addition to clinical work, students participated in a Community Research Day focused on reproductive health, conducting surveys with local residents and gaining hands-on experience in public health research and data collection.

Outside the clinics, students visited the Panama Canal, observed rainforest wildlife and spent time with members of an Indigenous community, broadening their understanding of how culture and environment shape community well-being.

Armita Kordamiri, a junior majoring in biomedical health sciences with a culture and health minor and student leader of the ETSU Global Brigades chapter, said the experience reinforced both gratitude and purpose, but it was the connection with patients that left the largest mark.

“It was very easy to tell that our students were determined to serve these communities and wanted to be there to make a positive impact,” Kordamiri said. “The doctors worked not only to treat the patients but also to simultaneously teach the volunteers and expand their knowledge. At the same time, the locals created a very welcoming and friendly atmosphere despite our language and cultural barriers.

“At the end of our clinics, it was hard to say goodbye, which truly shows the value of connection we were able to create on the trip,” she said.

Leybold said that the connection between patients, clinicians and students is often what students remember most.

“These trips build cultural humility, adaptability and a deeper awareness of how social and economic factors shape health outcomes,” she said. “Whether they ultimately practice in East Tennessee or internationally, these lessons make them more compassionate, capable and responsive future clinicians.”

Kordamiri said each brigade challenges students to grow through travel, language differences and unfamiliar clinical settings — the kind of growth that can’t be replicated in a classroom.

“To me, expanding your horizons and making that effort to push beyond your comfort zone is an important way to grow as a student and a person,” she said. “Each brigade pushes me through the challenges of travel, cultural differences, clinical experiences and new environments.

“These challenges force me to take my university learning and apply it to real-world situations, reshaping a lot of my perspectives,” added Kordamiri.

The ETSU Global Brigades chapter offers students the opportunity to serve communities in new and exciting ways. To learn more about the Global Brigades nonprofit, visit globalbrigades.org. ETSU students interested in participating can visit http://bit.ly/4cQK8fw or contact @etsuglobalbrigades on Instagram.

Explore the many ways ETSU students, faculty and staff take part in hands-on learning at etsu.edu/go-beyond.

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