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Medical Work at Medlife

Medical Work at MedlifeWhy Medicine?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over one billion people worldwide currently face a “critical shortage in health care.” There are less than two doctors for every 1,000 people in Latin America due to geographic isolation and lack of transportation, as one quarter of the Latin American population lives or works in rural areas.

Many in Latin America have chosen to leave their rural communities in search of better economic, educational, or health opportunities in cities. As a result, the rapid urbanization of cities has given rise to a separate host of problems, including improper sanitation, unhygienic living conditions, and a lack of basic amenities.

Our Approach

For the past several years, MEDLIFE has been working to bring basic health care services to urban slums outside of Lima, Peru and San Jose, Costa Rica and rural areas of Cusco, Peru;  Riobamba and Tena, Ecuador; Tamarindo, Costa Rica; and Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

We focus our efforts on medical care through our Mobile Clinics, Health Education Workshops, and Patient Follow-Up Care Program.

 

Medical Work at MedlifeThe MEDLIFE Mobile Clinics

MEDLIFE Mobile Clinics bring free, high-quality healthcare directly to communities who lack access to basic health services. Staffed by local practitioners, Mobile Clinics offer basic medical treatment and preventative screenings and are designed to find patients who are in need of long-term assistance. Volunteers who participate in Medicine & Health Service Learning Trips shadow medical professionals, help run the clinic, and learn about local medical practices, global medicine, and the effects poverty has on health.

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Health Education Workshops

During our Mobile Clinics and our year-round community organizing work, we provide health education in the form of educational videos, brochures, and presentations by medical professionals. We provide information on diseases such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, diabetes, and more to help our patients understand how to prevent and treat such conditions.

Modeled after health education programs a patient would receive in the United States, our workshops focus on teaching patients about how to live healthier lives, demonstrating important health tests and screenings, answering questions, and trying to implement a culture of preventative care.

When patients are simply referred to local hospitals for treatments many times they still fail to receive the actual treatment they need due to lack of resources, lack of confidence, or lack of a true understanding of their medical problems.

For all of these reasons, MEDLIFE has developed a year-round patient follow-up program. We support our patients in many ways. We provide financial resources for treatments, emotional support, nutritional assistance for malnourished families, and educational resources to help individuals better understand their conditions.

 

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.