News

What Are the Students Doing?

Each year, the students in Adelante Mujer submit a report about their clinical work, either with an individual patient or their overall work.  Following is a report recently received from a student.  It gives you a good idea of how the students put into practice all they are learning.

I am currently in the Ophthalmology module, where I do my clinical practices in the afternoon and night shifts once a week. For now, everything is fine, and I am up to date with classes. This year I don’t have a specific patient since I don’t have time to do daily visits to a person. The 5th year is quite full of activities with the class schedule.

But if I interact with patients on a daily basis, people already recognize me when they see me on the street and are very grateful.

This month we have assisted some communities in vaccinating adults and children against COVID-19, Tetanus and making sure that children have their complete vaccination schedule. We also give them Antiparasitic medicines.

I feel happy because the people of the communities trust us and accept that they are given the medicine, unlike in previous years when they were incredulous about the existence of certain diseases.

I have attached some photos of my clinical practices. Always grateful for your support. You are a very important part of this great dream.

Heydi, May 2023

 

 

Uraccan University sign on building

Culturally Competent Doctors

During a medical mission trip to Nicaragua in 2013, I was struck by the poverty and lack of access to medical resources in Nicaragua.

Nicaragua is the 2nd poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The average yearly income for a Nicaraguan is only 1,950 US dollars per year.   In outlying clinics, there was no running water and no labs available.

When I asked for a pregnancy test for a young woman who I thought might be pregnant, I was told by the local nurse, “you just feel” as no test was available. In the Continue reading “Culturally Competent Doctors” →

Six New Doctors

On March 15, six Adelante Mujer students took the Hippocratic Oath at the promotion ceremony of URACCAN’s Intercultural Medicine program. We are very proud of our students and all of the hard work they have completed over the past six years. With this class, Adelante Mujer is up to 76 graduates since our beginning.

New Doctors March 2023  New Doctors March 2023

The women will now begin their internship and their two years of service before they can receive their MINSA number (similar to licensing). Please keep Carol, Dora, Janiesca, Marianne, Slilma, and Xochil in your prayers as they enter the next phase of medical training.
We also accepted ten new students Continue reading “Six New Doctors” →

¡Muchas Gracias!

Throughout the year, we receive emails from the women in our program.  They often share their gratitude for the support we provide through your generosity.  Here are a few of the many expressions of appreciation we have received over the past year.  Some of them are from women who have been in the program for a while.  Others came from students who had just been accepted when they wrote us.  Continue reading “¡Muchas Gracias!” →

Transitions

As we transition to a new year, Adelante Mujer is going through a transition of its own. Marie Trebec, who has been serving our organization since 2018, is retiring. Sister Mary Christine Fellerhoff, CSA, is taking over the position of Administrative Assistant of Adelante Mujer. For the past month, Marie has been training Sister Mary Christine on the programs, processes, and software used in our office.  

Marie (left) training Sister Mary Christine on office procedure at Adelante Mujer

Continue reading “Transitions” →

Prospective New Doctors

It’s that time of year again when potential new students in the Adelante Mujer program start the application process. This semester we have ten women who have applied and completed interviews! These women are all in their second year of the Intercultural Medicine program at URACCAN University. While most of these women come from the northeast area of Nicaragua, a few come from further south or west.  But they all come with a passion for helping their people.  

Continue reading “Prospective New Doctors” →

A Long Road

We often talk about the six years the women in Adelante Mujer spend in the Intercultural Medicine program at URACCAN University. These women work hard, often beginning their studies in a language that is not native to them. (Women from the remote areas of Nicaragua often speak Miskito or Rama, or another indigenous language. Those who do, will learn Spanish when they start at the university.) These women, most coming right from secondary school, begin studying physiology, anatomy, Continue reading “A Long Road” →

We Are Strong

Last week, Adelante Mujer’s Board of Directors met.  The group meets three times a year to review, discuss, and plan the organization’s activities.

Front row from left are Mary Gorske, Sr. Doris Klein, Joan Schilke, Paula Elmer, Dr. Ann Schlaefer (outgoing). Back row from left are board president Barb Senn, Sarah Endicott DNP, RN, executive director Karen Heuberger, Rita Thomas, past executive director Sr. Diane Bauknecht, Dr. Gina Everson. Absent Jane Monahan.

Continue reading “We Are Strong” →

Welcome to Our Newest Students

In late July, the students at URACCAN University started a new semester.  Seven of those students are new members of Adelante Mujer.  All seven are second-year students in the Intercultural Medicine program. They range in age from 17 to 23, and all have hopes to specialize in different areas of medicine, from obstetrics and gynecology to neurosurgery.

                     Yaritza, Nora, Elena, Verónica, Ashly, Adjanny, Shaimara

The women were very grateful to learn of their acceptance into the program. Here is a message from one of the students. “Thank you very much. I can’t find words to thank you for this great support that you gave me. I will always give my best at all times, thank you very much and blessings.”

Welcome to Yaritza, Nora, Elena, Verónica, Ashly, Adjanny, and Shaimara! May God bless you, your studies, and the people you will serve.

~~ Karen, September 2022 ~~

A Note from our Outgoing President

Dear Friends of Adelante Mujer,

Over the past eight years, I have had the graced opportunity to assist in the mission of Adelante Mujer as a member of the Board of Directors.

When Sister Ann McKean, CSA, asked me to be part of the board, I hesitated a bit to begin yet another task in another country. However, Ann cheerfully allowed me all the time I needed to make a decision to commit to the mission for Nicaraguan women. After some months, I responded affirmatively because of CSA’s longtime commitment to Nicaragua in the services of education and health care. I did not just commit to Ann’s call but to an inner sense of my own life of ministry to the poor whether in Continue reading “A Note from our Outgoing President” →