Belmont Global Medical Brigades Bring Care and Health Education to Guatemala

Students find purpose with medical missions that make a meaningful impact

This spring, 53 Belmont students and faculty traveled to Guatemala, where they joined local healthcare professionals and community leaders to provide care for more than 600 patients across two clinic sites. Through Belmont Global Medical Brigades (BGMB), students delivered essential medical services, taught lifesaving CPR skills and experienced firsthand how service can transform both communities and the people who serve them. 

Global Medical Brigades is the largest international student-led movement for global health, working to connect students and medical professionals with local communities and staff in Honduras, Panama, Guatemala, Ghana, Belize and Greece, who would otherwise have limited to no access to healthcare. 

This year, Belmont's chapter set a new precedent for lasting impact by implementing new educational components into routine medical care. Belmont students also taught CPR and offered choking response training, expanding the clinic’s impact from immediate care to lasting public health education.  

At the clinical sites, patients moved through stations including triage, physician consultations, pharmacy, optometry and health education. 

From Meaningful Service to Lasting Impact 

Open to students from every academic discipline, Belmont Global Medical Brigade offers opportunities to develop new skills, strengthen existing ones and discover how their talents can contribute to meaningful service.  

For many participants, the experience leaves a lasting mark long after they return home.  

For alumna Ella Quincy (psychology, ‘26), BGMB was the prompting she needed to explore an entirely different field. After serving with her first brigade, Quincy discovered her passion for global health, leadership and service.  

"When I signed up for Belmont Global Medical Brigades four years ago, I had no idea it would redirect the course of my life," Quincy said. "At the time, I was a music business major who thought I had everything planned out. But the week I returned home from my first Brigade, I knew I wanted to pursue this kind of work for the rest of my life." 

Inspired by her first brigade experience, Quincy changed her academic path and eventually became a leader within the organization. Quincy’s experiences with BGMB led to her accepting a Lumos Travel Award. Since her graduation in May, she continues to develop sustainable community initiatives for health and education in Guatemala while living with a host family and taking classes at La Union Spanish School.  

“Leading this initiative for the past two years has been one of the most formative parts of my college experience,” Quincy said. “They have challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone and to see healthcare through a completely different lens. Looking back now, that first decision to sign up for a Brigade my freshman year didn’t just change my major, it changed my purpose. I am endlessly grateful for the communities I’ve had the privilege of learning from and for the opportunity to be part of something so much bigger than myself." 

Alumnus Drew Kadersha (songwriting, ‘26) came to BGMB’s mission with a much different perspective. As a songwriting major, photographer and one of the non-medically trained students on the trip, he wasn’t sure where his skills would be developed and utilized.

"Being able to be a part of Belmont Global Medical Brigades this past spring break was an eye-opening experience that I will never forget," Kadersha said. "I was nervous about how helpful I was going to be and if I would fit in on the trip, but ended up still being able to contribute to volunteer efforts and still feel welcome among the other students." 

By documenting daily life throughout the trip, Kadersha captured meaningful moments of connection and cultural exchange while preserving memories that will endure long after the experience itself.  

 “I love learning about other cultures, so being able to interact directly with so many local Guatemalans and seeing what their day-to-day life looks like was an unbeatable experience,” Kadersha shared. “Being able to photograph the beauty of the country and the people, as well as moments during our clinics, was extremely fulfilling. I'm so grateful to have been able to provide Brigades and the other students with physical ways to remember our trip long into the future." 

Whether they arrive with plans for a career in healthcare or simply a desire to serve, students leave Belmont Global Medical Brigades with a deeper understanding of the world and their place within it. For many, the impact of one week in Guatemala extends far beyond the clinic, shaping the way they learn, lead and serve for years to come.