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2017 MEDLIFE Leadership Corps in Ecuador & Peru!
By Georgia Frykberg
MEDLIFE recently held its second annual Leadership Corps, a two-week service learning trip that is open to Chapter Leaders and Student Advisory Board (SAB) members. This year, eight student leaders were joined by MEDLIFE staff, including CEO Dr. Nick Ellis, in Ecuador and Peru to learn in-depth about MEDLIFE’s work and future goals, as well as global health and development issues such as structural violence, education, urban development, public health and international aid.
MEDLIFE Staff, including CEO Dr. Nick Ellis, and the 2017 Leadership Corps participants in Llillia, Ecuador.
It was an action-packed two weeks that included a hike to Llilla, the first community MEDLIFE ever worked with back in 2004, where both students and staff spent a somewhat chilly night camping at 3,800m and ran a mobile clinic the next day. Other activities involved visiting the hospital and daycare center belonging to Fundacion Tierra Nueva in Quito, attending a night meeting in Lima with over 300 community members, learning about Peru’s recent history at the LUM, working on a development project, and dropping by the MEDLIFE Wawa Wasi in Union Santa Fe.
We’d like to thank this year’s participants: Carolann McNicoll (McGill University), Karolina Weglinska (McGill University), Erika Ortiz (University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla), Matthew Holmes (Rowan University), Heena Patel (Rowan University), Jason Hong (Richard Montgomery High School), Hailee Peterson (University of North Dakota) and Fouad Berry (University of Michigan, Dearborn).
Check out the video below to see more footage from the 2017 Leadership Corps!
This trip motivated me more to pursue a career in the healthcare field so that I can use my resources to help those who need it the most, similar to MEDLIFE’s mission.
Victoria DiCanio
University of Connecticut
It was most enjoyable to finish the hard work and see how big a difference a group of individuals can make. It was such an amazing experience.
Anita Woo
University of Toronto
I enjoyed the mobile clinics the most, especially the dental and triage portions. I would definitely recommend a MEDLIFE trip, it was a great experience.
David Saff
Maclay High School
The most enjoyable part of my trip was hanging out with the amazing group of kids I was with. I would highly recommend a MEDLIFE volunteer trip to others.
Sydney Sansone
Nova Southeastern University
This trip made everything that I was learning in my public health courses come to life and immersed me in a new culture while also learning about medicine.
Abygail Youmans
College of Charleston
Being involved with MEDLIFE is not like joining another club - its bigger than that. It is about joining a movement that seeks to help change people’s quality of life for forever.
Emi Hofmann
University of Central Florida
Not only was I able to participate in a week long Mobile Clinic, shadowing doctors of all types of specialties including pharmacy, dentistry, gynecology, and more, but I was also able to learn about the culture and visit incredible places.
Julian Takagi-Stewart
University of Toronto
One thing that I really loved about this trip was that MEDLIFE made sure that the volunteers got an understanding of the complexity of issues that lead to underprivileged people in communities outside of the main city
Hannah Van Hofwegen
University of Ottawa
Whether it was basketball with the local kids, assisting the doctors, talking with families, building washrooms, holding babies, or spending time with the people who were on the SLT with me, this was an amazing opportunity that I would do over and over again.
Isabelle Holt
Cornell University
I loved learning about the patients MEDLIFE has followed and how they offer real help to people with chronic/urgent conditions. It is amazing how the organization formed real connections with the communities.
Valerie Lindeborg
Parent
Our family had the privilege of participating in multiple trips with Nick [founder] and his amazing staff. Their expertise made the trips unforgettable while instilling in my boys the fundamentals of good character: selflessness, compassion, and empathy.
Harry Vildibill
University of Georgia
As an aspiring physician, MEDLIFE motivated me to further continue my goal of becoming a doctor. In fact, I enjoyed the Tanzania Service Learning Trip so much that I decided to go on another trip to Cusco, Peru.