Experiences that change your life: CUMIS.

Hi my dear readers, this time I want to tell you about a pleasant experience that I had the opportunity to enjoy in March of last year, which made me confirm that I am on the right path and that I chose the best and most rewarding career in the world: Medicine.

Now the first thing, what is a CUMIS?

According to its acronym in spanish is the Multidisciplinary College Camp for Services and Research, then it is basically an activity that combines volunteering with research and has been carried out for 17 years by the Permanent Committee of Integral Health Care (CPAIS) from the Latin American Federation of Scientific Societies of Medical Students (FELSOCEM); This camp is carried out to provide primary health care to different rural locations in each region.

In 2017 the Scientific Society of Medical Students (SOCIEM) of the Universidad de Oriente of Bolívar (my college) organized a CUMIS which took place in the community of San Francisco de Yuruani (Kumarakapay), in the state of Bolívar, and to which I had the great luck to participate.

This was my second CUMIS, because in 2016 I had the opportunity to participate in a community called "La Mata de Tapaquire", also located in the state of Bolívar, where I was part of the organizing committee in the area of medicines, but I won't emphasize that experience, I consider more significant the one that I will tell you on this occasion because I enjoyed it much more.

After a long (but fun) bus trip to our destination, I could felt the emotion of everyone, in my case I had never been to the Gran Sabana and I admit that I immediately fell in love with its landscapes.

Our first photo when we arrived.

The community of Kumarakapay is made up of indigenous Pemones Taurepán which still preserve many of their traditions, and possess a sense of hospitality without equal.

In the place where we established the camp we could observe in the distance the majestic Kukenan tepuy.

Kukenan tepuy in the background.

As a partner I had my dear friend Diana, we shared her tent, in which despite being small we were comfortable (in fact we slept there in the first CUMIS); the problem arose at night because it didn't stop raining and almost all the tents were flooded, therefore, we had to sleep in rooms that luckily they lent us.

There were 7 great days, we were 35 medical students accompanied by 3 general doctors, 1 gynecologist, and 1 bioanalyst, equipped with medicines and medical supplies that we could collect, with which we served almost the entire community in our impromptu offices.

On the other hand, we gave various talks on parasitic diseases, family planning, and drug and alcohol abuse. The receptivity was great, we knew at first hand the kindness and humility of this community.

The outpatient clinic was used for gynecological consultations for obvious reasons; Personally, I was a little surprised at the number of patients who attended a check-up, I thought it was excellent that they took advantage of the opportunity to being attend, despite not presenting any illness, that speaks a lot about the progress of the community because, for example, in the first CUMIS indigenous women were very reserved and shy.

On the second day of work we decided to do a small (actually quite long) walk trip around, until it was dark. It was funny to return to our camp because when we realized we were tired and quite far from the camp, then we started walking back, minutes later a bus that went to Santa Elena passed, we made signs and it stopped; luckily he gave us a ride, we arrived quickly and the group that stayed awaited us with the dinner prepared.

But not everything was work! We took a day off to visit some of the local tourist attractions, even though they were close because at that time there was a problem with gasoline and we didn't have a suitable transport, the places we visited were magical, like all of the Gran Sabana.

The whole group in the Cortinas de Yuruaní.

Diana and I.

On the last day we didn't want to leave, although it was an arduous job to attend to so many patients, it was very enriching in all aspects, this experience gave me more confidence academically and in terms of dealing with patients, apart from teaching me many things that will help me as a person the rest of my life.

Volunteering is one of the things that have taught me and give a lot as a person, to be able to help others in a selfless way I think it would change the world in every way if everyone applied it. It's not easy, not everything is pink, but the feeling that you did everything within your reach to help other people is an incredible sensation.

If you have the opportunity to visit the Gran Sabana don't doub to do it, it is an amazing experience, a tremendous jewel that nature offers us, I want to go back and climb the Roraima, I hope to do it soon, if I do it I'll let you know xD.

Courtesy of @yosuandoni.

PS: all the photos are my property.

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Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://osmy07.timeets.xyz/2018/08/06/experiences-that-change-your-life-cumis/

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