Volunteering in Tanzania: A Student’s Guide
If you want to volunteer in Tanzania as a student, a MEDLIFE Service Learning Trip lets you do it with a team that works in the region year-round. MEDLIFE’s Tanzania…
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How to Shadow a Pharmacist as a Student
If you’re a student pursuing a career in pharmacy, you’ve probably heard that pharmacy shadowing is one of the best ways to find out whether the career actually fits you.…
Medical Spanish for Healthcare Volunteers
If you’re heading to a Spanish-speaking country on a service trip, learning a few medical Spanish phrases before you go is one of the most useful things you can do.…
Pre-Med Summer Internships vs. Volunteering Abroad
Summer is when a lot of pre-health students try to go out and get real-world experience. To do this, two options come up again and again: pre med summer internships…
What an Alternative Spring Break Can Look Like With MEDLIFE
Traveling for spring break doesn’t have to mean spending all you time on a beach. An alternative spring break option is a week spent doing service instead of vacationing, usually…
Language Barriers in Healthcare: Why They Matter
When a patient and a provider don’t share a language, the true point at the center of every appointment starts to break down and become blurred. Symptoms get described imprecisely,…
How to Convince Your Parents to Let You Volunteer Abroad
So, you’ve found a service trip you’re excited about that requires international travel. Now comes the next step: telling your parents. If their first reaction is worry or concern, that’s…
What Happens on a MEDLIFE Service Learning Trip, Day by Day
If you’re thinking about becoming a medical volunteer abroad, it’s worth knowing what you’re actually signing up for. A typical MEDLIFE Service Learning Trip runs about nine days, with eight…
First Flight, First SLT: How a First-Generation Student Found Her Path to Dentistry
Before her first MEDLIFE trip, Natalie had never been on a plane. A first-generation college student at Lamar University, she had never left the country, either. “The furthest I’ve gone…
Fundraising Ideas for Student Clubs That Actually Work
Every student club runs into the same problem eventually: the ideas are bigger than the budget. Whether you’re covering event costs, supporting a partner organization, or making a trip affordable…
How to Write About Service in Your College Essay Without Sounding Cliché
The typical college essay service story follows a familiar script: a trip, a moment with a child, and a realization about how lucky the writer is. Admissions readers see it…
How A MEDLIFE Chapter Leader Won An Obama Foundation Scholarship
Maya, president of MEDLIFE’s chapter at Yale, was recently named a Voyager Scholarship recipient! The program includes a $10,000 stipend for a public service project and monthly coaching sessions. Her experience…