POTSDAM – A group of 11 second- and third-year Physician Assistant Studies students from Clarkson University, along with a group of local medical professionals, recently completed a successful mission trip to the small and remote town of Diriomo, Grenada, Nicaragua. The trip, which took place from March 12 to 17, was led by Tushar Sirsat, assistant professor of Physician Assistant studies at Clarkson University.

The team consisted of Clarkson PA students Amber Murray ‘23, Melissa Barto ‘23, Meagan Moulton, ‘23, Jenna Harmeyer ‘23, Amanda Braniecki, ‘23, Ashleigh Dubanik ‘23, Rebecca Barringer ‘23, Michele Cavalli ‘23, James Templeton, ‘23, Camyn Peets, ‘24, and Michelle De-Angelis, ‘24.

“This trip was a life-changing experience which I will never forget. I'm incredibly proud of the impact we made as a team, and I look forward to coming back as a preceptor one day to continue our work with the wonderful people of Nicaragua. I saw our team rally around people who had close to nothing and change their lives for the better. It’s why we do what we do,” said Amber Murray, PA Student, and Travel Coordinator.

The team was accompanied by medical professionals Dr. Kiri Brandy, general surgeon at St. Lawrence Health, Megan Gagner, certified nurse midwife and doctor of nursing practice at St. Lawrence Health, Brooke Baker, a family nurse practitioner at Healey medical practice, and Sirsat as faculty advisor.

The team, hosted by Los Rayos de Esperanza, a local non-governmental organization, constructed pop-up clinics in schools and urban residential areas. Additionally, the team hosted a children’s fair on March 12 to educate children ranging from four to 14 years of age on oral hygiene, nutrition, fitness, and sleep. From March 13 to March 16, the group visited local community clinics and conducted home visits to rural underserved communities, distributing toothbrushes, soap, and vitamins, providing corrective vision services with the help of donated eyeglasses and supplies for an optometry station, and even issuing surgical care to 10 people.