Explaining Resource Differences
Students who have volunteered or worked in US hospitals and clinics are often unprepared for the lack of both human resources and the technology usually found outside the US in under-resourced communities.
When visiting facilities in other countries, particularly in under-resourced communities, they may make negative comparisons and inaccurate assumptions about the quality of care, based on the physical structure, available technology, and other factors that may be irrelevant.
In addition to judging the situation, some students find themselves in a position to make suggestions that are inappropriate for that community.
Upon returning from an under-resourced community, a nurse explained that prescribing medications to treat high blood pressure in an under-resourced community just causes more problems. Teaching the community members how to cook with less salt is more helpful because it is a sustainable solution.