Belize Pediatric Elective

Hillside Health Care International Clinic
Eldridgeville, Belize, Central America

The Belize Pediatric Outreach Elective is a 2-4 week precepted elective that is available biannually (September and February) and offers you the opportunity to learn about tropical medicine in a rural area of Belize. The activities of this elective are aimed at improving the health status of the local population, establishing long-term relationships with local health care providers, and providing you with a unique exposure to medical care in an area with limited resources. Your elective will occur in both clinic and community settings, including:

• The Hillside HealthCare International Clinic (Eldridgeville): This clinic serves local residents in the Toledo District of Southern Belize. It is staffed by both permanent employees and volunteer medical personnel. The patients are of varying ethnicities, including Mayan (Mopan and Kek’chi), Garifuna, Creole, East Indian, and Hispanic. The primary language spoken is English.
• Mobile Clinics: Operated in coordination with the Belizean Ministry of Health, these occur twice weekly in remote Garifuna, Creole and Mayan villages.
• Home Visitations: A growing home visitation program in Southern Belize provides care to the homebound.
• Community Education Programs: Offered for village healthcare workers and the community.

Belize Pediatric Outreach Elective Resident Expectations

• Application is required to participate: open to all CHW pediatric and med-peds residents—Deadline for application for the September elective is May 1. Deadline for the February elective is October 1.
• Participation in pre-trip education: elective preparation, quarterly participation in global health journal club, and development of an individualized learning plan for the elective.
• Participation in outreach activities: prepare and present a public health topic to local staff and community, staff the Hillside twice weekly, travel with mobile clinics twice weekly, present at a Wednesday noon conference, provide education to local children, and work alongside a healthcare worker providing routine immunizations and prenatal care.
• Presentation at a CHW Residency Noon Conference: case-based, upon your return.

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Interested in applying? Contact Jackie Kuzminski (Nohl), MD