Jamaican service-learning trip redefines PT major’s path to patient care

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2. Jamaican service-learning trip redefines PT major's path to patient care

Before JoJo Blewitt ever sets foot in a physical therapy clinic, a week in rural Jamaica is already reshaping how she understands healing, access to care and the kind of provider she wants to become.

"I always knew I wanted to study abroad coming into college, so when this opportunity was presented …" said Blewitt, a pre-physical therapy health science major at Commonwealth University-Lock Haven. "And it had a medical center, I knew I had to go."

Celebrating its 10th year, Lock Haven's long-running service-learning initiative continues to make a meaningful difference for the communities it serves while also shaping the future healthcare professionals who participate.

Throughout the week, Blewitt applied what she's learned in her coursework directly to the Harmons community. She helped lead educational lessons in local schools and presented during parent workshops.

"I had the opportunity to teach a lesson on how bacteria and viruses spread to the children in the schools," she said. "I also presented at the parent workshops on how the medications in first aid kits we handed out work and when to take them, as well as the difference between sprains and strains."

For Blewitt, one of the most meaningful moments came from a simple interaction with a young student.

"A specific interaction that stood out to me the most was when I got a really shy student to let me put fluoride varnish on her teeth," Blewitt said. "She later volunteered to be in my lesson when I came to her class. That showed me just how far a small connection can really go."

Experiences like that reinforced her desire to work closely with patients in the future. But the trip also opened her eyes to the realities of healthcare access in under-resourced communities.

"Working directly with the community helped shape my understanding of their access to healthcare, because I was able to listen to their stories firsthand," said Blewitt, recalling speaking with one mother who faced major barriers simply trying to get medication. "One mother had to stay at the pharmacy for six hours waiting for her prescription, just to find out she wasn't able to afford it all."

Moments like that left a lasting impression and deepened her understanding of the challenges many families face. Blewitt credits the health science program for preparing her to step into a leadership role during the trip.

"The program prepared me for an opportunity such as this by providing me with very involved professors and classes," Blewitt said. "The professors have played a pivotal role in my education and my understanding of topics I'm learning."

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the experience, however, was personal growth.

"I learned that I know a lot more than I thought I did, and I need to be more confident in my knowledge," Blewitt said. "I was able to teach the people of Harmons about so many different things, and that has helped my confidence as a student and future healthcare provider."

The program has also influenced how she sees her future career. "I'm now more interested in serving under-resourced communities once I become a physical therapist," Blewitt said. "I would love to travel to more countries on medical missions and help treat more patients."

Categories:

• Academics
• Health Sciences
• Pre-Physical Therapy
• Professional U
• Science and Technology
• Service Learning
• Students

Tags:

• Workforce Development