Rolf O. Montalvo, MD assistant professor of family and community medicine, Medical School
	Collaborative Health Fair by UT-Houston and Universidad San Francisco de Quito: Benefiting the Underserved Communities of the Ecuadorian Highlands
Spring Break is usually considered a cherished time of rest and relaxation for medical students.  In March 2008, ten medical students from UTHSC-H will travel to Quito, Ecuador, not to vacation, but to promote the first ever The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston/ Universidad San Francisco de Quito Community Health Fair.  This project is the brainchild of Rolf O. Montalvo, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine.  Montalvo, who considers Ecuador his home, was given the opportunity to travel internationally as a medical student.  As one of the winners of the International Office Programs Award, he has chosen to give back to two communities that he considers important: his students and his home.  UT Medical students will gain invaluable lessons through international travel and practicing medical care that they might not experience anywhere else.  The people of Ecuador, a country where 60% of the population lives at or below the poverty level, will benefit from the physical exams and medical supplies Montalvo is bringing to aid and inform the country.  Montalvo will use the award for medical supplies, advertising for the health fair and travel.  Any medical supplies left over from the free physical screenings, will be donated to the medical school in Quito.  The UT Medical School students will reside with Universidad San Francisco De Quito (USFQ) medical school students during their stay. This will submerse the visitors culturally and allow students to discuss the differences of their people and medical needs.  Monday through Friday the students’ work will consist of accompanying USFQ medical students to different hospitals and clinics, under Montalvo’s supervision in order to have didactic sessions as well.  Montalvo anticipates that during this week, basic medical attention will be assessed to at least 110-120 families.  The week’s hard work is a build up to Saturday’s The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston/ Universidad San Francisco de Quito Community Health Fair.  This collaborative project will be held at an outlying under served community in the area.  The fair will consist of educational presentations on various topics such as: prenatal care/ family planning, dental hygiene, general nutrition, water sanitation, and oral re-hydration.  Montalvo has secured around 60 to 70 USFQ students from the medical, nutrition, psychology, dental and optometry programs and UT-MS students to carry out these presentations.  Special attention will be given to malnutrition and unsanitary water, the two most prevalent health hazards in this community.   The project will conclude on Sunday with a faculty and student meeting, critiquing the entire experience.  If the trip is proven to be a success, the collaborative activity between UT-MS and USFQ could become an annual event and most likely lead to an exchange program between the two universities.