Rochester Medicine Article: A Year in Honduras

A medical student learns about healing while he works on the basic needs of water, nutrition and education for the people of San José

Since July 2008, third-year medical student Matthew Malek, 25, has spent his year-out in the rural village of San José, a community of approximately 300 households situated in the rugged western mountains of Honduras. Electricity services only 6 percent of the houses, and about 80 percent of the houses lack piped water. Nobody has a flush toilet; about half don’t even have a latrine. Getting to the nearest Internet connection requires a walk of from one to three hours. Matt has been living alone in the adobe community building in San José, working in the dual capacity of researcher and community health volunteer.

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