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Intern Journal: Emily Gardner

          Any of my close friends and family can tell you that the months leading up to my departure for Lima were characterized by multiple mini-existential crises; although I’m a fairly spontaneous person, the more I thought about it, the crazier it seemed to pick up my life and move to another country on my own for a year.  Everyone around me was incredibly supportive, but always with an air of skepticism–was this really what I should be doing with my life at this point?

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          At the same time, I knew there would be a moment in which all of the worry and anxiety became worth it, a moment in which I was certain that I had made the right decision in moving to Peru.  Luckily, that realization occurred much quicker than I had anticipated.  

          Before we started our internship, we had a weeklong training period with all of the staff in which we learned about the MEDLIFE mission and how each facet of the organization contributes to the overall picture.  Although I was involved with my MEDLIFE chapter in college, I was amazed by everything I was learning.  While we were listening to our founder Nick Ellis speak, I paused and looked around the room.  The audience, the driving force behind MEDLIFE, consisted of individuals from all over the world with diverse backgrounds, interests, and skill sets.  Seeing all these incredible people gathered in one place for one purpose, I immediately felt that I was a part of something bigger than myself, a feeling that is both intimidating and comforting.  All my previous worries “se fue” and I dived in head first into my year with MEDLIFE.

          Even though I came here by myself, I’ve never felt alone.  I have found that friendship emerges easily between people who share a passion (even if you also share a kitchen).  It is really incredible to be able to stand alongside my housemates and friends, the same people I eat breakfast with every morning, and accomplish amazing things together.  This picture was taken at the end of a long day spent tossing bricks up a hillside to begin construction on a house for Soledad, one of our patients, and her son José.  They were both there alongside us the entire day, giving us water and Inka Cola, chatting with us during breaks, and constantly expressing their gratitude.     

          There is still a lot to accomplish before the big inauguration and move-in.  Although I wish we could simply snap our fingers and finish the project, part of me muses that every home should be constructed this way–piece by piece.  True ownership springs from physical investment in a project and active presence each step of the way.  At the end of the day, even though I was just a link in a long chain of MEDLIFE staff, interns, and community members, I have never felt so accomplished and, again, part of something bigger.  I strive to apply this same mentality to my internship with MEDLIFE as a whole; no task is minute, no role is insignificant.  

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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.