At the Carmelo de Nazareth Convent, nestled in a remote mountain village in the highlands of Guatemala, Kansas City University’s (KCU) team of student doctors, faculty and alumni physician volunteers were hard at work. Under the guidance of Gautam J. Desai, DO, FACOFP dist, director of KCU’s Global Health Program, they quickly set up a clinic and began treating a steady stream of patients—mothers and babies, farmers, street vendors and agricultural workers —many of whom make less than $2 a day and have little to no access to medical treatment.
It was fourth-year medical student Mikayla Lebo’s last opportunity to work with the team before graduating and officially becoming a doctor. She had no idea that before the day was over, she’d be stepping beyond the clinic walls and making a house call that would challenge her skills in ways she never expected.
Later that afternoon, one of the sisters living at the convent approached Dr. Desai with a very special request. She told him about Andres, a man in the village who had been struggling with serious health issues for the last two years after being stung by a swarm of bees. That incident led to cascading health problems. His condition had worsened steadily, leaving him weak, isolated, and unable to travel and seek the care he desperately needed.
That was all the team needed to hear. Allison Abraham, DO, a 2011 KCU alumna and longtime global health volunteer, gathered a few of her fellow physicians, Student Doctor Lebo and an interpreter. Together, they set out on foot to Andres’ home, knowing they might be the only medical professionals he’d see for a long time.
When they arrived and assessed Andres, they quickly realized his health history was a puzzle. Carefully, Dr. Abraham began piecing it together, deciphering his medical records (written in Spanish) as she asked his family questions about his condition. What she discovered was much more concerning than what had been assumed initially.
“Andres had suffered multiple bee stings, which led to a fall and a hospital stay,” she explained. “But when we dug deeper, we realized that wasn’t the real issue. He had a brain bleed and pneumonia, and he never received the rehabilitation he needed after being discharged.”
Without proper follow-up care and ongoing rehabilitation, his condition had worsened significantly. Although they couldn’t heal Andres as his family had hoped, they did provide answers and a much-needed sense of clarity—something his family had sought for years.
Student Doctor Lebo says the house call is something she’ll never forget.
“I was very honored to be able to provide care to Andres alongside our alumni physicians,” she said. “It was remarkable to watch them work through such a complex case. I learned so much about triaging a patient properly and thinking through a case step by step. It’s going to help me be a better physician.”
Dr. Desai, who worked with Student Doctor Lebo in the Dominican Republic when she was a first-year student, says the experience showed just how far she has come. “KCU’s Global Health Program makes such a difference in the education of our medical students. They have to rely on their hands and eyes and ears to make diagnoses. They are able to see how most of the world, lacking health insurance, lives, and it helps them become more empathetic and improves their communication skills.” KCU is one of only a few medical schools in the nation that offers these kinds of real-world opportunities.
Dr. Abraham says the visit was yet another meaningful moment in her long-standing commitment to KCU’s global health outreach. “I keep coming back year after year because this program is important,” she said. “It’s supported by volunteers, the University and faculty who believe in the value of this work. It’s incredible to see the next generation of students, like Mikayla, embrace this experience and carry it forward.”
Encounters like this one in the Guatemalan highlands offer a powerful reminder of why KCU remains committed to global health outreach. Through each trip, students gain more than medical knowledge—they grow into compassionate, culturally aware physicians prepared to care for those in need, wherever they may be.
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