The gang is finally all here! With the last of the interns having just arrived, the office is alive and buzzing as the MEDLIFE family continues to grow. Keep reading to learn more about our 2017 MEDLIFE Summer Interns and their stories!
Crystal Rubalcava: MEDPrograms Intern
Hometown: San Fernando Valley, CA
School: UC Berkeley
Major: Molecular and Cell Biology & Integrative Biology with a Minor in Global Poverty and Practice
How did you get involved with MEDLIFE?
At Berkeley, in order be a part of the MEDLIFE chapter, you have to take a class. Given the size of our school and the allotted spaces in the class being capped around 40 students, we had to apply to get in. I applied, got in, and raised enough money to go on a service learning trip this past winter. After the trip wanted to continue my work with MEDLIFE, so I applied to be an officer in my chapter and have been involved ever since.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I will be starting my 4th year of undergrad in the fall. I am the oldest of 4 girls and am the first in my family to move away and go to school. I am Mexican, and I live by the major three F’s: Family, Food, and Fútbol. I aspire to be a physician and would like to work with the under-served people of Los Angeles because it has one of the largest Spanish speaking populations in the country but lacks medical professionals who can actually communicate with the people they work with. I would like to bridge that gap and make it easier, for people like my grandparents, to receive quality medical care.
Why did you decide to become an intern?
After coming back from my service learning trip this summer I realized I wanted to continue working with MEDLIFE. I am skeptical of global poverty work because “dufflebag medicine” attract many voluntourists who go on medical missions to boost their resumes. However, I find MEDLIFE to be different because it emphasizes community involvement for coordinating and planning mobile clinics and development projects. I really like the immediate medical relief with the mobile clinics AND sustainable relief with the development projects, such as building staircases with the communities of Lima. I also really just enjoyed the environment. The community members here are super friendly, and Peru is such a beautiful country. I needed to come back and explore more.
What was your first impression of Lima?
It is such a diverse city. I found it similar to Los Angeles where you have the extremely rich (Westwood in LA vs. Miraflores in Lima) living with malls, cell phones, Starbucks, casinos etc., and just a 30 min drive away you will find communities (Watts in LA vs. Shantytowns in Lima) that have minimal to no infrastructure.
What are your goals for this internship?
I hope to gain a better understanding of what global poverty means and what the type of work in this field entails so that I can go back and share the knowledge with my chapter and anyone else who would be willing to listen.
Jana Abdul-Samad: Volunteer Affairs Intern
Hometown: Burr Ridge, IL
School: Miami University of Oxford, Ohio
Major: Biochemistry with minors in Physics and Music Performance
How did you get involved with MEDLIFE?
I learned about MEDLIFE while trying to find an organization related to my interest in medicine. I joined my chapter at Miami, and went on a mobile clinic to Moshi, Tanzania soon after. I was attracted by the deeper understanding of the social aspects of healthcare that we are not exposed to in the typical classroom. It’s completely different when you’re faced with it in person.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’ll be a senior at Miami this coming year. I’m from Chicago, IL, but both my parents are from Homs, Syria. I hope to attend medical school and pursue a career as a physician, continuing to care for people in a new way. I enjoy playing violin, trying new foods, cooking, traveling, and meeting new people.
Why did you decide to become an intern?
Before joining MEDLIFE, I had been on two brigades with Global Medical Brigades to Panama and Honduras. I decided to try a trip with MEDLIFE to Tanzania, and I really loved the way the mobile clinics are set up with a reality tour prior to actually attempting to help the community in the area. MEDLIFE exposes the truth of the situation, and provides not only the aid needed, but also the education needed to care for oneself. I knew I wanted to do something for an organization that does so much more than just send money and materials, and I wanted to help spread their message. This was the best way to do that.
What was your first impression of Lima?
I was kind of surprised at how cloudy it always is here during the winter. However, I’ve still really enjoyed the city and how different every part and neighborhood of Lima is from the next. You can choose to be anywhere based on what kind of feel you are looking for.
What are your goals for this internship?
I hope that through this internship I can learn more about the sociological aspect of healthcare, and what factors are important for a community to sustain itself. I’d like to learn how to get a society on its feet and how to offer healthcare in a way that promotes development. This could help down the road, as I intend to return to Syria to help rebuild the country after the revolution. I hope I also learn a little bit more about myself and how I work with others, helping me become a more efficient individual.
Lisa Krecké: Volunteer Affairs Intern
Hometown: Colmar-Berg, Luxemburg
School: Leiden University College The Hague
Major: Global Public Health
How did you get involved with MEDLIFE?
During the last academic year, we started a MEDLIFE Chapter at my University, and I was involved in this process as a member of the Executive Board.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born and raised in Luxemburg, which is a really small country in Europe. Currently, I am studying at a Liberal Arts & Sciences College in The Hague in the Netherlands, and I will graduate during the upcoming academic year. I really enjoy getting involved in different groups and committees at my University and have very diverse interests. I love books and movies and I really enjoy sharing this excitment with people that are also passionate about these things.
Why did you decide to become an intern?
I really enjoyed my time on the Executive Board of our MEDLIFE Chapter and I wanted to learn more about the set-up and functioning of the organization on a global scale. I love traveling and experiencing new environments, so getting the opportunity to live in Lima for a couple of months is something that I am very excited to do. This internship will be a very valuable work experience and I hope it will help me with any future academic or professional plans.
What was your first impression of Lima?
Lima is a very busy and huge city. I will have to learn how to get around and navigate within it. However, everyone has been very nice and welcoming, so I am sure that I will figure it out over time. I am very excited to explore this city and visit its many beautiful sites and areas.
What are your goals for this internship?
I want to learn more about community-based development work and thus have a clearer idea about careers I could see myself doing in the future. I hope to leave feeling comfortable in this city and feeling that I made many new friends.
Melissa Montes: MEDPrograms Intern
Hometown: Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
School: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN
Major: Biology
How did you get involved with MEDLIFE?
I became involved with MEDLIFE because a friend of mine went on a mobile clinic trip and invited me to go with her to a second trip to Tanzania this past winter break. I have also been a part of the team trying to start a MEDLIFE chapter at my school.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am laid back, easy going, and hard working person! I am from southern California and am a rising senior at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame! I love to be outside and to have fun with friends and family!
Why did you decide to become an intern?
I decided to become an intern because I loved my mobile clinic experience and wanted to continue to learn about and work towards MEDLIFE’s mission. I think that MEDLIFE is doing so much good for so many people around the world, and I really wanted to be a part of it.
What was your first impression of Lima?
So far Lima reminds me a lot of Mexico! There is so much to see and do, and I’m looking forward to exploring the city! The busy city life has been very exciting and an overall awesome experience so far.
What are your goals for this internship?
My goals for this internship are to continue to learn about global health issues, and what we can do to help as well as improve my Spanish skills. Oh and, most importantly, to have fun!
Noor Chadha: MEDPrograms Intern
Hometown: San Jose, California
School: UC Berkeley
Major: I’m majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology, with an emphasis in Immunology. I’m also minoring in Global Poverty and Practice!
How did you get involved in MEDLIFE?
I first heard about MEDLIFE as a freshman looking for organizations to join at our university’s club fair. After taking UC Berkeley’s student-led preparatory course for MEDLIFE mobile clinics, I came to Lima in January 2015. Prior to my trip, I questioned how I could really make a difference in two weeks. However, once in Lima, it was clear to see the impact MEDLIFE makes in the communities we work in. While an individual volunteer may only visit a given community once, MEDLIFE consistently returns and follows up with patients. Inspired by MEDLIFE’s focus on community needs and sustainability, I became involved in Berkeley’s MEDLIFE chapter as an officer. I started out as Spanish Director of our preparatory course, and now I’m our chapter’s co-president!
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a rising senior at UC Berkeley. Besides MEDLIFE, I work to connect patients with community resources at a hospital in Oakland, study the molecular underpinnings of Chlamydia trachomatis at a research lab, and dance on a Bhangra team! (Cal Bhangra – check us out!)
Why did you decide to become an intern?
Whenever I recruit members for our UC Berkeley MEDLIFE chapter, I consistently find myself emphasizing MEDLIFE’s focus on follow up care and sustainability. I love MEDLIFE’s holistic mission of comprehensively helping patients live healthier lives, and I’m excited to actually be a part of MEDLIFE’s long term work as an intern.
What was your first impression of Lima?
My first impression of Lima was two and a half years ago when I came on a mobile clinic here. I remember loving to explore the gorgeous, fun, and metropolitan city. However, I also remember being struck by how close yet how different the lifestyles were between where we lived in Miraflores and where we worked in Pueblos Jovenes. Going back and forth between both locations every day was an extremely thought provoking experience.
What are your goals for this internship?
I am excited to connect theories and paradigms from my Global Poverty coursework to real life poverty action. I have studied the historical and cultural contexts of MEDLIFE’s work in an academic setting, but I hope to learn a lot about what it actually means to sustainably combat health inequities on the ground. I am also excited to build relationships with both my fellow interns and with community members. I hope to have a meaningful impact while I am here, and also to take perspectives and memories with me that I can continue to apply once I leave!
Sydney Tang: Volunteer Affairs Intern
Hometown: Danville, CA
School: University of California, Los Angeles
Major: Undeclared in Life Sciences
How did you get involved with MEDLIFE?
I went on my first mobile clinic last year in Riobamba, Ecuador! I actually didn’t know about the trip until after the registration deadline passed, but I reached out to MEDLIFE asking if there was any way I could join. Next thing I knew, I had my bags packed and was on a plane to Quito! My experience in Riobamba opened my eyes up to a new perspective in health, and fueled me to learn more about the social, cultural, and political determinants that affect health. It was one thing to learn about these issues in school, but a whole different experience to actually see them in person.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I am an upcoming junior at UCLA! I love being in LA because there is always something to do, or somewhere to go. Hiking, playing soccer, crafting, and trying new foods are some of my favorite things to do. I also love finding new music (Ed Sheeran and The Beatles are some of my all-time favorites), and I would love to start a vinyl record collection sometime soon. Although I haven’t decided on a career path yet, I know that I am passionate about helping underserved communities and I want to work in healthcare in the future.
Why did you decide to become an intern?
After my trip to Riobamba, I went home feeling like my trip was cut short. I had an amazing experience, but I wanted to do something more. I decided to become an intern because it was an incredible opportunity to work toward sustainable change alongside other passionate individuals. MEDLIFE’s mission resonates with me, and I truly believe in the work that we do.
What was your first impression of Lima?
Lima is way bigger than I imagined. I was overwhelmed at first, but I have loved everything about it so far. I took Spanish for a few years in high school, but I want to challenge myself and practice it whenever I can. I can’t wait to just walk around and explore everything that Lima has to offer.
What are your goals for this internship?
My goals for this internship are to keep an open mind, try anything and everything, and be mindful of everything I do. Whether its struggling to improve my Spanish, or going the extra mile with a project, I want to challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone and make an active effort to learn as much as I can. I am so grateful to be here in Lima, and I want to make the best of this experience.
MEDLIFE Summer Interns and staff at a night meeting to discuss a future clean water project in the community of 15C