This week has been nothing short of incredible. From walking through centuries of history in the colonial zone to examining NICUs, I felt like I was straddling two worlds—one foot in the past, one charging toward the future of medicine.
We started off by visiting Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia University Maternity Hospital, the largest maternity hospital in Santo Domingo. Accompanied by Dr. Angelica Floren, a pediatrician and president of DOFMI, and her colleague from the University of Zaragoza (a microbiologist specializing in infectious disease), we attended a presentation on neonatal sepsis and hospital-acquired infections. He emphasized not just early detection but also the critical importance of cleanliness in clinical settings, something that, honestly, feels like such a basic concept but is too often overlooked in resource-constrained environments.
Later, we were introduced to three biomedical engineers from Comen, a company that develops neonatal incubators and other medical equipment. I was fascinated watching them at work: observing, photographing, and analyzing every inch of the NICU setup. They weren’t just there to pitch products. One of the engineers told us, “I’m not a salesman, I’m here to help hospitals improve their care.” That stuck with me. It was inspiring to witness someone so committed to making technology work for people, not just selling it to them. That’s the kind of biomedical practice I want to be part of.
On Friday, we visited Los Mina Maternity Hospital, the second largest in the city, known for taking in overflow cases from other facilities. Dr. Floren and her colleague introduced us to the hospital director, Dr. Armando Cemejo Cepada, an OBGYN. The facilities were clean and clearly improving, especially compared to years ago from what Dr. Floren mentioned. We toured their obstetrics unit, NICU, and microbiology lab, where I got to see the BacT/ALERT system in action, a machine donated by CHOP (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) that detects bacterial growth in blood cultures. It’s been a while since I’ve seen biotech like this in a clinical setting, and it was very interesting to learn about these machines once again.
But the absolute highlight of the week? Presenting my cervical and endometrial biopsy training models to a group of gynecology residents. It felt surreal to share a project we’ve poured so much time and heart into. When we brought out the models, the residents lit up. They immediately started matching cervical abnormalities to the correct sliders, and several tried taking biopsies themselves. Seeing their reactions was so rewarding, as they told me it felt very accurate. I also gained very insightful information during this time. They told me that they performed cervical biopsies around 4 to 5 times a week; however, they mainly perform LEEP, loop electrosurgical excision procedures. This was a procedure that I very much want to add to the LUCIA, and I am excited to get started on that. I’ve done some research on the procedure, and I was curious if there was a need for an alternative to electrosurgical generators. These generators are used to heat up the instrument that is used to cauterize the cervix tissue during the biopsy, and I did not know if med schools could afford to buy extra just for training. I got mixed answers from the residents, but I plan to dive deeper into this need. They also told me that they performed endometrial biopsies more often than cervical biopsies. This matched up with some prior research I had done, where there has been a sudden trend in risk for uterine cancer in Dominican women. This truly showed the need for such a training model.
They also shared how, during their own medical training, they used old models or even fruits to practice procedures. There was no proper training model they were actually using in medical schools, despite how common cervical and endometrial screenings have recently become. I gave them surveys to gather feedback, and they even invited us back to shadow them in surgery and delivery rooms and to continue refining the model together. We are very excited to begin working with these residents, and I am truly honored by their offer!
One conversation really stayed with me: a resident told me how early teen pregnancies and rising obesity rates are leading to more cases of endometrial cancer here in the Dominican Republic. Many teen mothers suffer from severe hypertension, and premature births are common. Seeing such tiny babies in the NICUs was heartbreaking—but also deeply motivating. These hospitals are doing everything they can to save these little lives, and with the help of advanced equipment and passionate clinicians, we are making progress. Even small changes, like replacing tape with clean plastic wrap to reduce contamination, can make a difference.
Outside of the hospitals, we made sure to explore a bit of the country too last weekend. We visited the Colonial Zone, the oldest European settlement in the Americas, and walked the cobblestone streets lined with history. At the Christopher Columbus Lighthouse, I stood in awe of its sheer size (it was HUGE). We also relaxed at Boca Chica, where we met a very sweet local boy who proudly offered to teach us how to swim (definitely a memory I’ll always carry with me).
On the technical side of things, I’ve been developing the endometrial biopsy training model further. We’re now prototyping with an infrared sensor with an LED to detect proximity to the uterine wall—goodbye Eddy current, hello precision! It runs on an Arduino board, and I’ve been diving into the code to get it just right. It’s been fun flexing my engineering muscles again. I’m also redesigning the LEEP component of the cervical model in CAD, aiming to improve on what LUCIA didn’t quite perfect. My current focus is creating a better cervix holder that can withstand repeated procedures and give more realistic feedback.
This week reaffirmed everything I’ve ever felt about wanting to be an OBGYN. Being here, learning from these doctors, engineers, and residents—it’s a dream come true. I feel inspired, humbled, and ready to keep pushing our projects forward to provide quality care to everyone, no matter where they are from.
Thanks for following along. Until next week!
– Valerie <3
p.s. I’m waiting on a bunch of awesome photos that were taken by their photographer, so brace yourselves 😉