AMPATH, a partnership between Moi University, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Indiana University, and the Kenyan Government, serves to build holistic and sustainable health in Kenya and around the world. Rather than just providing an immediate treatment, the AMPATH model focuses on the underlying family, job, and education factors when treating patients. IUSD students travel to Moi University Dental School where they gain an immersive understanding of the AMPATH model and provide oral health screenings for children at various housing locations including orphanages and boarding schools for children with special needs such as being HIV positive or having developmental disabilities. This trip is also unique in that IUSD students are able to participate in hospital rounds at Moi University Teaching and Referral Hospital, which serves as an exceptional interprofessional learning experience that exposes students to severe pathology and trauma cases seen at the hospital. Other distinct features of this trip include an introduction to Swahili language, and educational excursions to a Kenyan rainforest, a private game reserve, and salt lakes, all of which enable students to meet various tribe members, understand the Kenyan ecosystem, and learn about the Kenyan political climate.
