by Tamarreo Tatum
The UAB School of Optometry's Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (SVOSH) chapter expanded its impact during its annual mission trip to Bocas del Toro Province, Panama, providing comprehensive eye care to 468 patients, a significant increase from the 341 patients served the previous year.
Led by faculty advisor Sandra Wang-Harris, OD, MPH, FAAO, the mission brought together UAB students and faculty alongside partners from Universidad Especializada de las Américas (UDELAS) to provide vision care in underserved communities.
"Going to the same country two times in a row really helped solidify the relationship we started last year," Wang-Harris said. "We worked so well as a team with our host school that we saw more than 30 percent more patients this year."
For Wang-Harris, some of the most memorable moments came from seeing patients experience improved vision for the first time. One patient was a young Indigenous girl with significant vision needs. Although finding a suitable pair of glasses among the donated inventory seemed unlikely, the team discovered a nearly perfect match.
"When she put them on, this huge smile came across her stoic little face," Wang-Harris said. "My heart leapt for joy."
Another memorable encounter involved an 83-year-old man whose goal was simply to see the people passing by his front porch.
"His toothless grin when seeing me clearly through the telescope brought all of us much happiness," she said.
For SVOSH President Naiya Patel, the trip reinforced the life-changing impact of vision care while shaping her perspective on patient care.
"Watching their faces light up and seeing the immediate smile when they put on their new glasses for the first time was incredibly meaningful," Patel said. "That simple moment reminded me of the impact that something we may take for granted can have on someone's life."
Beyond patient care, the mission also focused on advancing optometric education and strengthening professional partnerships in Panama. The primary goal of the service trip is to provide care while collaborating with host countries and educational institutions to create meaningful learning opportunities for local optometrists and students.
Following the mission, Drs. Wang-Harris, Onken and Hernandez remained in Panama an additional day to participate in a professional congress sponsored by ASOPTAPA, the Association of Panamanian Optometrists, and Optilab.
During the event, UAB faculty delivered lectures on emerging clinical topics to Panamanian optometry students and licensed optometrists, while proceeds from the congress helped support UDELAS students' participation in the mission.
As students returned to Birmingham, they carried home more than clinical experience. They left Panama having helped hundreds of patients see more clearly while strengthening partnerships that will continue expanding access to vision care in the future.