Phoebe Arthur's Experience in Bali with Alternative Breaks

Phoebe Arthur is a a double major in Global Health and Critical Gender Studies at UCSD. She is currently interested in women's and children's health, food insecurity, gender equality, and an overall focus on providing healthcare to underserved communities. Her passions lie in advocacy and community! Outside of her majors, she also is a Restorative Justice Support Intern with CARE at SARC, the Vice President of Community Engagement with Students 4 Global Health, and a member of the Women's Club Basketball Team.

Alternative Breaks at UCSD partnered with the Bali Institute to offer undergraduate students the opportunity to provide direct care to local populations in Ubud, Bali. Through NGO visits, collaboration with medical students, and community-based work, we gained insight into Balinese traditional medicine, practices, and culture. Bali Institute is founded on cross-cultural connection, doing so in a respectful manner that values the autonomy and sustainability of the Balinese people and lifestyle.

For her field experience, she worked in a group with four other UCSD students in partnership with two Balinese medical students to deliver health screenings to local villages in Bali. They visited a list of homes in Ubud collecting diabetes data and adding it to a pre-existing database. They spent 3-4 hours at a time conducting in-home visits to households, where we greeted patients and took measurements of their blood sugar, blood pressure, height, and weight. While following the list of diabetes-positive patients, they also provided testing to any household members who also wanted one. Additionally, they offered daily vitamins, taught the children how to wash their hands properly, and asked the mother of the household to complete a health questionnaire examining if they regularly weighed and fed their babies, checked for mosquitoes, and have access to clean water. If they found any mosquitoes, we provided a mosquito-repellent powder.

Some challenges they faced during the field experience included the language barrier, unpredictable weather, and limited time. It was challenging translating from English to Balinese through the medical students, as some information would get lost in the process. However, they learned that using shorter, one-on-one phrases with every patient was helpful. She found patience and hand gestures to be the key, and the Balinese people were incredibly kind and receptive. Due to environmental conditions, the terrain was sometimes muddy and uneven during rain; therefore, they would occassionally have to take service breaks to preserve the medical equipment or relocate. This often entailed helping patients move or modifying their regimen if they were unable to do so. Unfortunately, if some patients were too fragile to stand, they had to skip height and weight measurements. When it came to time management, they multitasked by dividing the tasks amongst themselves to ensure we visited every house on the list

"My experience in Bali was one that I will carry with me. I am grateful to have been led by the hosts of the Bali Institute, who guided us through an authentic experience of Bali's people, culture, and way of life based on their connection to nature, designated space for healing, and belief in the power of natural medicine. It opened my eyes to the differences between their healthcare system and the US. I really resonated with the birthing clinic, Bumi Sehat, because of their extreme care and attention for mother's comfort through the promotion of epidural-free births, bodily autonomy, and peaceful facilities. This was a symbolic example of women's healthcare not as a political issue, but rather a matter of trust. A human right. And, seeing how open and trusting the village locals were to allow us into their homes showed how successful Bali's healthcare system is at briding the barrier between white coats and vulnerable populations. I hope to incorporate this level of sensitivity."

Overall, Phoebe highly encourages students to participate in this field experience opportunity! At UCSD, she is currently the VP of Community Engagement for the Students 4 Global Health club, and she plans to incorporate many of the lessons she learned throughout this field experience into her work at the school. As a member of the club, she engaged in similar community-based service projects, providing resources through food drives and education through PSA's. As a club leader, she looks forward to reaching larger populations and teaching students about some of Bali's traditional forms of healing.