RAM Clinic in Puerto Rico, 2017

Three years ago, one of our Exec members, Laura Grabarczyk, attended her first clinic with RAM in Puerto Rico. Here, she shares all about this valuable and humbling experience: 
​"My first clinic with RAM was in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in 2017. We participated in multiple clinics on the island with a very small group of volunteers over the course of a week. These were much smaller clinics compared to other RAM clinics, due to fewer resources available and that the clinic was planned quickly in response to the hurricane. I was mostly able to register patients and help patients select new eyeglasses after seeing the optometrist. These jobs afforded me a lot of patient interaction, and there were many inspiring and heartbreaking stories about how the hurricane had affected them. The host communities were all extremely welcoming, and would surprise us with music or food after our clinics.
Overall, there were more challenges with these clinics due to the state of the island with lack of electricity, no dental services from not being able to find a dentist to come, and fewer patients that spoke English. However, RAM was still able to provide over $283,000 dollars of medical care to 1100 people that really needed it. Between hearing stories from the patients and getting close to the inspiring RAM volunteers, it affirmed my decision to want to go into medicine to help others."