My day at FSIL 13 March 2015

by Gloria Korta MD

Dean Hilda Alcindor, RN has shown us miracles.  In the 10 years since she has been in charge, FSIL (Faculty of Nursing Science of the Episcopal University of Haiti in Leogane) has become the premier school of nursing in Haiti, the only one to graduate nurses with a baccalaureate degree. The curriculum is tough.  Only about 1/4 of the current freshman class is expected to make it to graduation.  Our group from Epiphany and St. Paul's is developing a relationship with this school.  Marisa and Dan Seligman and Caroline Larson and I had the opportunity to deliver a guest lecture to a class at the school.  Michelle Gillig also did lecturing and was a guide for two of the students to accompany us during the week at our mobile medical clinics. 

Since I am a gynecologist, Hilda asked me to talk about cervical cancer. While breast cancer is the number one cancer in the world among women, cervical cancer rises to that rank in Haiti. There is inadequate screening by pap smears, and the vaccine against the HPV virus, the cause of more than 90% of cervical cancer is financially out of range for almost all Haitians.

There were about 50 freshman students in my class.  I used a PowerPoint  presentation with video from the internet to illustrate my lecture.  The students were uniformly engaged, inquisitive and polite.  Each
student rose from his or her seat before asking a question.  They were encouraged by a member of the staff to ask follow-up questions to be sure they understood their points.  Their intelligence and enthusiasm was an inspiration.  What we can leave behind when we visit Haiti is some of our knowledge and an encouragement of their natural talents while what we take away is hope for Haiti's future.