Moses Brown Students Head to Dominican Republic for Service Spring Break

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Saturday, March 12, 2011

Tracey Minkin, Features Editor

As kids from Rhode Island independent schools head off for spring break starting today, a team of 11 students from Moses Brown school are preparing for a trip to the Dominican Republic full of hard work, service, and reward.

An annual trip led by MB alumna and emergency room physician Molly Bliss, the trip to the developing Caribbean nation is in its seventh year. Students have been raising funds not only to fund their travel, but also collecting basic medical supplies which they will bring to the Dominican Republic and distribute. They will also work to bring basic medical care to low-income sugar cane workers.

Out of their comfort zones

This is no ordinary faux-service trip for resume building, say faculty who travel with Dr. Bliss and the students. "The students really step it up when they go on this trip," said Jennifer Leahy, a math teacher at MB. "I'm impressed with how they work under pressure (and heat) and step out of their comfort zones."

"The doctors we work with comment on how mature how students are."

Often students considering a future in medicine apply for the trip. Neil Desai, a senior, took his first trip last year because it seemed like, he said, "an incredibly unique opportunity, as a high schooler, to be a part of. The opportunity to help others in need and the cultural aspect of the trip appealed to me," he said. He's getting ready for his return trip.

A Moses Brown alumna with a vision

The trip began with Bliss, who had volunteered in the region during her earlier years as a physican. "I always thought how meaningful it would be to lead my own group of students," she said. "The kids work very hard," she said. "We travel each day out to a different batey where we set up a medical clinic, usually in a very hot, tin-roofed building."

"The people line up and present with a wide variety of illnesses. The MB students rotate through various jobs. They learn some medical skills, such as taking blood pressures and doing basic eye exame. They scribe for the doctors. They also get to experience the culture and spend time with the people, play soccer with the children, teach and learn games."

"The poverty in the bateys is overwhelming and the students are usually pretty blown away. It is about as far away from the East Side as you can get."