UIWSOM Students crossing borders to perform service in Guatemala!

Alexis Mischel, President of the DOCARE chapter of UIW’s School of Medicine, will lead medical students to Guatemala on a service mission program from June 9-16, 2025. DOCARE International is a medical outreach organization that has provided healthcare to underserved communities around the world since its founding in 1961. Students participating in this program will gain global experience while advancing the DOCARE mission of supporting underserved communities. Dr. Thomas Shima of the Methodist Health System will be accompanying the group and providing expert leadership, drawing on his vast international experience. For nearly 20 years Dr. Shima has traveled throughout Central America, South America, and Africa on medical mission trips, caring for families and children in small, remote villages with little access to medical care. His very first mission abroad was with DOCARE to Guatemala, making his return to the country all the more rewarding.

Alexis is grateful for the opportunity to serve while learning about the people and culture of Guatemala and seeing a new location. She also looks forward to using the language skills she acquired as a Spanish minor, and to meeting students from other U.S. states who will form part of the DOCARE cohort. Alexis has been in communication with these students during the pre-trip planning, as she is in charge of the student registration process. This administrative responsibility is one of several she has taken on in her DOCARE leadership role. Alexis was happy to give back to the program in this way, and it will provide her with valuable logistical planning experience. Furthermore, she knows she can count on the support of experts such as Dr. Shima and UIW’s

Director of International Affairs, Dr. Javier Lozano. Dr. Shima is handling the coordination of all accommodations, transportation and service activities on the ground n Guatemala. Meanwhile, Dr. Lozano has offered excellent guidance on pre-departure logistics such as the management of participants’ payments.

Completing a Guatemala service mission has been a goal of Alexis for several years. Her first attempt at reaching her goal was thwarted by COVID. In early 2020 she was all signed up and ready to go, but 3 days prior to her departure she learned that flights were cancelled due to COVID. Her anticipation has since then been building, and she feels like the forthcoming program is somewhat of a redemption mission! It will be her first medical mission abroad.

UIW medical students who are interested in this program can email Alexis Mischel at mischel@studentuiwtx.edu

Below are three images from the Guatemala mission trip that UIWSOM students completed in 2023.

 IMAGE 1: A local community member in Guatemala receives osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). OMT is a hands-on technique that osteopathic physicians can use to treat musculoskeletal problems. It is a great tool for physicians working in rural areas where resources are limited.

 IMAGE 2: Most of the DOCRE clinics in Guatemala are set up in churches and schools. This is a picture of one of the clinics in a church.

 IMAGE 3: Students working at the makeshift pharmacy set up to serve the local community. One of the UIWSOM faculty members is a pharmacist and students help her with filling prescriptions and distributing them to the patients. Dr. Shima comes prepared with the medications for the most common diagnoses and students are able to package them and give written instructions on how to take the medications.