Internships in La Paz, Bolivia

I participated in the Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine program in La Paz, Bolivia for four weeks and loved it! I liked that I was able to see healthcare in La Paz in different settings: I had two weeks of rotations at two different local community clinics and two weeks at the city's largest children's hospital (one week in surgery and one week in the pulmonary unit). The physicians I worked with were patient, kind, and very willing to work with me. I saw patients with cases that I would never see in the United States such as echinococcus granulosus. Not only was the clinical experience great, but the cultural experience was even better. My group and I were able to visit a new tourist site every weekend and our language facility made it so easy to plan the weekends. I also loved my homestay mother. The homestay experience was key in helping me practice and improve my conversational Spanish. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone looking to combine their interests in healthcare and experiencing new cultures!

I just returned from the Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine in La Paz, Bolivia program. I had a wonderful experience and definitely feel that the time I spent participating in the program will have a positive impact on my future career as a pediatrician. I saw some interesting diseases (i.e. Leishmaniasis) that are very uncommon in the United States. I also had the opportunity to explore some beautiful sites within the country. My host family was phenomenal and all of the food was delicious. Although I am still not fluent in Spanish, I feel that my language ability has improved and I have gained cultural perspective that will most definitely be beneficial in my future interactions with patients. I highly recommend this program, especially to those considering careers in pediatrics!