Clinica Adventista Ana Stahl - Iquitos, Peru Program location
Iquitos is located in the Northeastern part of Peru in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon some 270 miles by river from the border with Brazil and Colombia. The city is flanked by the rivers Itaya and Nanay, 60 miles (100 km) down stream from the point where the Marañón River unites with the Ucayali River to form the mainstream of the Amazon River. Oceangoing vessels visit the port of Iquitos regularly with supplies for the city and region, making it one of the farthest inland ports of major size in the world. As a result, Iquitos is an important starting point for exploration of the Amazon River.
Climate/Weather
Its geographical location, 3 degrees south from the equator and about 2,300 miles upstream from the mouth of the Amazon on the Atlantic Ocean, makes for a year round warm and humid climate. The area is characterized by strong tropical sun, and rainforest and climatic conditions along the Amazon remain remarkably consistent year-round. Temperatures reach the mid to upper 80's during the day and drop to the low 70s at night. Though many equatorial regions experience a distinct rainy versus dry season, this is not true of the Amazon. Rainfall occurs approximately 250 days out of the year.
Mailing address
Clinica Adventista Ana Stahl, Av. La Marina N 285, Casilla 484, Iquitos, Peru
Program descriptionSite size
The Ana Stahl Adventist Clinic has 40 patient beds with 35% occupancy rate. The site sees an average of 75 outpatients, and the maximum group size is six.
Services offered at the site
Program details
Languages
Spanish is the common language of Peru and is one of the country's official languages. Quechua (the language of the Inca Empire) was recently given official status and is still widely spoken, especially in the highlands. English is spoken, for the most part, in major cities.
Accommodations
Participants will be lodged in either a guest house, a hospital room, or a village hut/home depending on availability. Hospital rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a television, and a telephone. The clinic will provide meals, and fresh food is available for purchase in the city although it is rather expensive. Participants may choose to hire a cook to prepare meals for them at home, depending on their lodging situation. Students will be responsible for their own laundry.
Transportation to site
Participants are responsible for arranging their own air travel to the Secada International Airport in Iquitos, Peru. SIMS and the clinic will arrange transportation from the airport to the site, which is located approximately seven miles away. Travel time is estimated at 15 minute by car.
Eligibility
This site recruits students and professionals in the following health professions: medicine, nursing, international public health, health promotion, and laboratory technology. Other fields must check with the site first. All participants traveling to this site must be fluent in Spanish.
Program dates
SIMS arranges regular summer trips to this site.
Program cost
Application fee
The application fee for all SIMS-coordinated trips is $50.00. Trips during all other times of the year must be arranged on an individual basis with SIMS and the site. Students and professionals wishing to participate in a summer project must submit an application by the last week of February, prior to the summer they wish to go. Participants wishing to travel at other time during the year must submit an application four months prior to their desired departure dates. All late applications will be subject to a fine of $25.00.
| Fees | Deadline |
| Summer trips: $50.00 | Last week of February |
| Non summer trips: $50.00 | Four months prior to desired departure date |
| Late fee: $25.00 |
Program fee
Program fees include food, lodging, and transport from the arrival airport to the site. Program fees do not include air travel or personal travel while in the country. The following costs are based on a four-week stay and subject to change in conjunction with the site.
| Housing cost: | $10/night |
| Food cost: | $5/day |
| Transport to site fee: | $0 |
| Estimated total cost: |
Comments from former Student Interns
I wish I could've been more helpful to them. I felt like they were just helping me. Don't have any expectations or you may be disappointed. Without expectations you can just go with the flow, which is key.
I loved my experience because the clinic staff was so appreciative and friendly; they showed me God's love by always talking to me, giving me hugs, praying with me for me, praying for patients with patients, by each other's kindness and thier constant smiles. Going to La Clinica Ana Stahl helped me with my Spanish, showed me God's love, made me more excited to help others, and made me more excited to learn medicine.
Last Revised: Mon, Jun 05, 2006
