This summer’s trip was the third year in a row that UHart students and faculty have worked at Eucon Medical Health Services. Three participants from last year went on the trip again this year.
“We are seeing people make the time to come every year and contribute,” said Thomas Bellama, applied associate professor of physical therapy, who leads the program. “That kind of continuity is great for the local community and to help our students accommodate and be able to practice at a high level when we get there.”
For the students who participate, spending a summer on the far-flung South Pacific island is a chance to acquire valuable career experience they might not have closer to home. “School prepares you to take the National Physical Therapy Exam and to be a competent clinician,” said Lindsay Coffey ’26, “but this is incomparable to experiencing it in real time.”
Ben Senra ’26 agrees. “In school we learned everything in isolation,” he said, “but going on this trip made me realize that the lines get blurred in real life clinical situations.”
Wesley Johnson ’26 said his experience in Saipan taught him how to problem-solve in real time with limited resources. “The trip exposed me to unpredictable clinical scenarios that simply cannot be replicated in a classroom setting, which helped solidify a strong foundation heading into clinical rotations,” he said.
Saipan boasts a varied mix of cultures, including Indigenous Chamorro, Japanese, Spanish, and American influences—and that’s part of the reason for the program. “Traveling to Saipan helped me to learn about how different cultures react and respond differently to pain and impairments,” said Blake Edwards ’26. “It was important to be able to recognize body language when a patient was uncomfortable during treatment in order to modify interventions appropriately.”
The program helps fill a crucial gap in a place whose dire economic situation means qualified medical professionals are growing scarce. “Everyone seems to be leaving for better opportunities,” Bellama said. “No one is coming. Patients and people that we ran into in the community were grateful that we were still coming.”
Wesley Johnson ’26, College of Education, Nursing and Health ProfessionsThe trip exposed me to unpredictable clinical scenarios that simply cannot be replicated in a classroom setting, which helped solidify a strong foundation heading into clinical rotations.
Facts About Saipan
- It’s part of the United States. The Northern Mariana Islands, including Saipan, became a U.S. commonwealth in 1986, and its residents are U.S. citizens.
- It’s summer almost year-round. Saipan holds a Guinness World Record for the most equable and consistent temperature on Earth.
- It has a vibrant mix of cultures. The culture is a blend of Chamorro (the Indigenous people), Japanese, Spanish, and American influences—reflected in its cuisine, languages (English, Chamorro, Carolinian), and festivals.
- It’s a diver’s paradise. The waters around Saipan offer world-renowned dive sites like the Grotto, with its underwater limestone cave and vibrant marine life.
- One of its most popular foods is … Spam. The canned meat product has been a hit in Saipan since the U.S. military used it for rations during World War II. According to one statistic, people in the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as Hawaii and Guam, consume 16 cans of Spam per person per year.