In this post I take you on a trip to Panama on a volunteer medical trip. And we toured the Panama Canal.
updated May 26, 2026
One of the privileges of being a healthcare professional is traveling to other countries to provide care to local people. I have volunteered on several teams with CompassionLink, an organization whose goal is
equip communities to create healthy families and individuals–spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
Our team provided medical consultations, medicines, dental care, and vision exams for eyeglasses.
Dr. Aletha with a local healthcare worker
our team pharmacy
Jacob, a nurse, entertaining children (he is now a physician)
Visiting the Panama Canal
One of the pleasures of traveling is when our hosts express their appreciation by showing us the local sites and culture. In Panama, of course, that meant a visit to the Panama Canal, an engineering marvel.
The people and landscape of Panama are also captivating. Add to that a warm and usually sunny climate, made for an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
The Panama Canal is an amazing feat of human ingenuity.
enjoying a dance performance at our last group dinner before heading home
How you can share the HEART of health with Compassion
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When she applied for a position in New York City at the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), Dr. Judy Melinek never imagined that decision would plunge her into the nightmare of September 11, 2001. She was at the ME office that day when the Twin Towers were attacked and fell, killing thousands…
Judy Melinek, M.D., and her husband T.J. Mitchell wrote Working Stiff: The Making of a Medical Examiner, an account of her training as a forensic pathologist, a physician specialist who investigates sudden, unexpected, or violent deaths.
They lived in New York City for two years so she could study at the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). She was at the office when the Twin Towers fell on 9/11 and thus collaborated with the team of investigators who worked night and day identifying remains of the victims, a task she vividly describes in the book.
As a forensic pathologist, she understands why and how people die, and therefore also knows how people can avoid dying unexpectedly. As she writes,
“So don’t jaywalk. Wear your seat belt when you drive. Better yet, stay out of your car and get some exercise. Watch your weight. If you’re a smoker, stop right now. If you aren’t, don’t start. Guns put holes in people. Drugs are bad. You know that yellow line on the subway platform? It’s there for a reason. Staying alive, as it turns out, is mostly common sense.”
Working Stiff moves at a quick pace, in a conversational style. When she uses medical jargon, she explains it in simple terms. She describes the cases she investigated in detail so those with weak stomachs (no pun) may want to skip this read.
Having suffered her father’s unexpected death when she was 13 years old, she was no stranger to death, and she learned more from the 262 autopsies she did during her training. As she says in this engaging memoir,
“To confront death every day, to see it for yourself, you have to love the living.”
Dr. Judy Melinek
exploring the HEART of health, life, and death
I found this book fascinating and think you will also. Please check out other book reviews on this blog and follow for notifications of new posts.
Dr Aletha
Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.
watercress words by Dr Aletha 