Natalie Eidson Reflection – 2025 Bolivia global health rotation

Natalie Eidson, DO, a pediatrics resident, was awarded a Center for Global Health Student & Trainee Travel Grant to pursue a global health project in La Tarija, Bolivia. View more photos of her time in country in this Flickr photo gallery.

In global health, there are moments that challenge not only our clinical knowledge but also our sense of purpose. One such moment greeted me on my very first day in Tarija, a small city in southern Bolivia where I chose to complete my global health rotation. Drawn to a rural site for the opportunity to engage deeply with a Spanish-speaking community, I arrived eager to learn and to connect.

My first day, at Hospital San Juan de Dios, I was introduced to a two-year-old boy with medulloblastoma. He lay quietly in a modest pediatric ward, sharing the space with four other children. A resident gently explained that the hospital lacked the oncology resources for curative treatment. All they could offer was palliative care. I stood there, deeply affected. Despite prior volunteer experiences in low-resource settings, I felt an unexpected wave of helplessness. In the U.S., a child with this diagnosis would often have access to curative therapy and a strong support system. Here, I was struck by the stark contrast—and questioned whether my presence could make any difference at all.

Over the next few days, however, my perspective began to shift. As my Spanish improved, so did my ability to connect with my patients. I came to understand that my role in Tarija wasn’t to replicate the U.S. healthcare system or to "fix" anything. It was to listen, to learn, and to contribute in ways that respected the local culture and resources.

In the U.S., residency often moves at a relentless pace—there’s little time for anything beyond orders, notes, and rounding. In Bolivia, I was given time for longer, more meaningful conversations. I had time to hear patients’ stories, to sit with families, and to consider the broader context of their lives and illnesses. That human connection reminded me why I chose medicine in the first place.

One of the biggest challenges I faced was letting go of the mindset that effective care requires advanced diagnostics or prescriptions. In Bolivia, when medications were often inaccessible, I had to ask myself: What can I offer? That question pushed me to think more creatively and compassionately—emphasizing prevention, education, and locally relevant strategies.

Medically, my focus was on respiratory diseases, which are especially prevalent in the region. I worked closely with the hospital’s pulmonologist and local medical students, interpreting chest X-rays together we that we taped to sunlit windows each day. I also collaborated with an infectious disease physician to better understand endemic respiratory illnesses. Toward the end of my stay, I gave a presentation on common respiratory conditions and created educational handouts to help the community recognize early symptoms and make preventive lifestyle changes.

I left Tarija deeply grateful for the experience. It reminded me that healing is not always about curing. Sometimes, it’s about showing up with humility, listening fully, and adapting to the needs of the people in front of you. In that way, the most meaningful impact a doctor can make may not come from a prescription, but from presence.