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Julie MacKinnon’s Intern Journal

I became involved with MEDLIFE during my senior year of college, at McGill University, in Montreal, Canada after going on a Mobile Clinic trip with MEDLIFE in December 2013, to Riobamba, Ecuador. Although I was already passionate about MEDLIFE and its mission, my experience in Ecuador really sparked my interest to become more involved, so I applied to be a year-long intern at the MEDLIFE National Office in Lima, Peru. After my acceptance in the spring, I was avidly waiting to get here, learn some Spanish, and start working with such a great organization.

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I finally landed in Lima after a long, 14-hour day of flying, first from Montreal to Miami, and then from Miami to Lima. After such a long day, I was excited  to settle into the new apartment with the other interns. While waiting for my bags, I fervently hoped that Tim, the Student Affairs Director, would be waiting outside to pick me up, as I had left my cell phone back in Canada. Thankfully he was, and we headed out into the foggy night to drive back to the apartment. As we passed the streetlights and traffic lights in the cab, it was hard to get a sense of what the city was really like, but I was excited to be here nonetheless.

I’ve been very blessed throughout my life to have traveled and lived in many countries across the globe – visiting places in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Besides Antarctica, South America was the one part of the world that I wanted to explore but had never had the chance. After living  in Lima for just over three months, I’ve had a wonderful time learning about and experiencing the city, which can be both charming and chaotic.

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One of my first times out in the field was in September, when I went on a patient care follow-up visit in a district called Villa Maria del Triunfo. The “slums” we work in are located right outside of Lima – only a 30 minute bus ride away from the office. There are a large number of shanty houses built up into the hills, all of which usually lack running water, electricity and flooring. Because these houses are located high up in the hills, one of MEDLIFE’s main goals is to build staircases throughout  these communities. These staircases will prevent injuries from falling, which has become a serious concern for these people.

The patient we saw on that Tuesday had just received a surgery sponsored by MEDLIFE to remove a lump from her breast. We were interviewing her about her experience with MEDLIFE, and asked her about the follow-up medication that she would need. Hearing this patient talk about how much she appreciated MEDLIFE was an eye-opening experience.. I could really tell how happy she was that we were there to help and her genuine gratitude was very touching.

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Since that first field day in September, I’ve learned so much about MEDLIFE, the people we work with, and living in Lima. It has definitely been an unforgettable experience! These past three months have been filled with new experiences for which I am very grateful. Among them, working in the field with our MEDLIFE nurses, helping a community through the building of  staircase, and having the opportunity to build relationships in Lima both in and out of MEDLIFE.  Though varied and unique, each of these experiences makes me more certain about my goal to continue serving communities in need and doing humanitarian aid work during my career.  Although three months have already passed, I’m looking forward to spending another six months here, and learning everything that MEDLIFE has to offer. 

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Hear it From MEDLIFErs

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Reya Seby
Western University

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.