Founded in 1991 by two USF students, is a non-profit organization that provides acute and preventative care for thousands of people in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, every year. Now in its third decade, the organization continues to be led by students at the USF Morsani College of Medicine and the Taneja College of Pharmacy.
Mehdi Rizk, a third-year medical student and co-president of Project World Health, is among the current students who have served residents in the city of about 65,000 people in the mountains of the central Dominican Republic. 鈥淚 feel like a lot of people in medical school have an idea of what specialty they want to do,鈥� Mehdi says. 鈥淔or me, it was global health.鈥�
Initially, Project World Health provided medical supplies and assisted on service trips to underserved populations in Colombia, Haiti, Honduras, and Cuba. However in 2000, the organization took its first trip to Jarabacoa with a small contingent of students, a doctor, and a nurse. Since then, more than 900 USF students have participated in medical outreach there, creating a longstanding relationship between USF students and the residents.
Rizk was introduced to Project World Health in his first year of medical school and soon after began working as a liaison. 鈥淕etting the word out is really important,鈥� Rizk says. 鈥淎nd most people don鈥檛 know about us.鈥�
Every year, Project World Health also provides tens of thousands of dollars of medications, hygiene kits, and medical supplies to Jarabacoa. 鈥淲e stick to the same town so that we can provide that continuity of care,鈥� Rizk says.
When asked what his favorite aspect of the organization, Rizk quickly noted the student leadership for Project World Health. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 really expect to have the responsibility, but you do,鈥� Rizk says. 鈥淚t really, truly is student-run.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e doing all this great work and providing, but we鈥檙e also building a foundation of knowledge for USF students to bring back,鈥� Rizk adds. 鈥淕lobal health is local health.鈥�