The Link Between Health and Infrastructure
Health, on a surface level, is often thought of in terms of doctors, hospitals, and medicine, but the connection between health and infrastructure is extremely critical and often overlooked or…
Blog
How Dental Volunteering Gave Gabriel A New Perspective on the Field
For aspiring dental professionals, dental volunteering can be so much more than just hands-on experience, it can provide a deeper understanding of patient care, global health, and the human side…
Why Cultural Immersion is the Best Way to Learn a Language Abroad
Many students travel abroad hoping to learn a language quickly. They download apps, memorize vocabulary lists, and practice verb conjugations. Yet even after months of study, conversations can still feel…
Customs and Greetings In Ecuador: How To Make Meaningful Connections
If you’re someone who is planning to come to Ecuador for the first time, or are preparing for a Service Learning Trip (SLT) with MEDLIFE, understanding the local customs and greetings is…
MEDLIFE’s Key Pillars: Partnering With Local Physicians For Better Rural Medical Services
Volunteering with MEDLIFE means that you are associating with our core values and philosophies surrounding poverty, global health, and providing rural medical services. We believe that all of our volunteers should…
What To Know About Smiles Movement’s Dental Volunteer Trips: A Testimonial From Jenna!
While there is plenty of information out there about dental volunteer trips, you may be wondering what the experience is really like from a first-hand perspective and how it can…
The Pitfalls of International Development: How MEDLIFE Avoids Creating Dependence & Doing Harm
International development is often driven by good intentions, improving lives, expanding access to resources, and addressing global inequalities. But despite the initial intentions, many traditional approaches by non-profits and NGOs…
How to Improve Leadership Skills with MEDLIFE’s Global Perspective Workshop
The Global Perspective Leadership Workshop (GPL) is an interactive online workshop designed for participants to explore and develop leadership skills in both personal and global contexts. Conducted over Zoom on April 20th and 27th,…
How The Social Determinants of Health Affect Underserved Communities
Health is shaped by much more than access to doctors or medical treatment. The social determinants of health, which are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work,…
What Liam Learned About Health Education and Prevention with MEDLIFE
Through his volunteer experience with, Liam, the Vice President of the Laurentian MEDLIFE chapter, learned about and directly witnessed the importance of health education and prevention in underserved areas. As…
What is Performative Activism?
Performative activism is something that often manifests when volunteers prioritize photo opportunities, social media recognition, or self-validation over understanding the community’s needs and being present simply to be of service.…
Global Health Book Recommendations for Book Lovers
For the book lovers who are passionate about global health, there is a wealth of literature that provides excellent insight into the challenges of poverty, healthcare access, and social inequality.…