What inspired you to travel abroad?
When I decided to volunteer abroad, I just finished my last year of pre-med and was waiting to be called for interviews for med school. I was born and raised in Honduras and I was used to volunteering in hospitals and learning about the patients and what they were being treated for. As I was adjusting to a new country, I felt that my pre-med journey in Canada was not as smooth as I thought it would be. I found myself taking courses completely unrelated to medical school and felt my career as a doctor was very far along the line. I needed to remind myself why I was in this career, despite it being so challenging.
Last day at CGPH
I was aware that as a pre-med student, I would not be able to treat patients and that my learning would be based on observing and shadowing doctors. However, this opportunity is not provided in Canada. My volunteering in Canadian hospitals mainly involved doing research, escorting clients, providing information, or assisting with directions. My long term goal has always been to work for Doctors Without Borders and take part in improving Global Health, so I thought immersing myself in a new culture and health system would not only help me with my application process for med school, but also inspire me to keep doing what I love doing which is serving others.
Some of the countries that came up as I was investigating volunteering programs were: Central America, Peru, Colombia, and East Africa. Since I am familiar with tropical diseases in Central America and Latin America, those options were discarded. It was exciting to think about the unknown now of East Africa. I have always read about diseases like malaria, AIDS, and tuberculosis, but had never seen a case nor seen how they are treated. It was also intriguing for me to learn how doctors manage to treat patients efficiently with a healthcare system that limits their resources.
Why did you choose International Medical Aid (IMA)?
International Medical Aid was one of the first options that came up when I searched for volunteering programs abroad. As I looked more into their work and opportunities, my search was pretty much done. It was important for me to find an organization that worked alongside local doctors, since they are the ones that know first hand what their community needs, and IMA provided that. At the same time, they put their grain of sand by using American guidelines for their medical clinics, which improves and provides healthcare to impoverished areas.
Reading reviews was also an important factor. I remember spending nights reading all the IMA student testimonials or just following IMA’s social media, and wanting to be there, wanting to feel that experience already. Reading the students’ testimonials inspired me greatly. It was fascinating to read their adventures and how the opportunities provided by IMA had improved them as professionals.
I completely understood my volunteering as a pre-med student was mainly observing, but to have the opportunity to see surgeries of cases that I would never see in Canada was a chance I did not want to let go of. Suddenly my fear of traveling across the world and being exposed to diseases I did not know disappeared and turned into curiosity and excitement.
Their Traveling, Housing, and Health Insurance made me feel safer, and even though I was going to be traveling to a not so safe country, our housing was located in a safe area of Kenya which had security 24/7. Another concern I had was, what was I gonna eat/drink to avoid getting sick? Luckily, IMA has Joshua! I believe it is safe to say he is the best chef in the country and there wasn’t a day I had to worry about what to eat. Last, but not least, I read all the outdoor activities the program provided. Since I was already going to be on the other side of the world, I wanted to get to know every bit of Kenya. However, it would not be fun to do it alone, so I was glad to read that IMA organized those trips with other interns and I was thrilled to share those experiences with them. Having said so, how can you resist going on a safari in Africa?
Scuba Diving at Diani Beach!
After all the anticipation, what was your favorite part about Kenya?
EVERYTHING. I loved how welcoming everybody was; it made me feel like I was home. I am extremely glad I got to explore as much as I could in Kenya. By the end of my trip I already felt like a local, which made it very hard for me to leave. However, I am definitely coming back, and this time as a doctor.
On my first day, I was anxious to meet the interns and staff, but they were the most down to earth and fun people I have met. My first day at the hospital was no different, all the doctors I worked with were extremely helpful and comprehensive. I was scared that as a pre-med student I would feel lost and out of the loop, and I did. However, the doctors understood and helped me along the way, explaining everything with patience. They made me feel comfortable to ask them questions and explained everything with detail. I will be forever grateful with them for giving me such a rich learning experience.
During this trip, I also discovered how much I love kids. We had the opportunity to go to an orphanage and to a special school. and it was tremendously humbling to see how the children were so filled with joy and happiness despite all the struggles they were going through. This definitely inspired me to push myself to be the best doctor I can be and be able to help improve their lives in any way.
Another aspect I loved from Kenya is their culture. It was mesmerizing to immerse in their dances, their music, their food, and their art. It was a once in a lifetime experience to go to the Masai village and observe how their tribe lives and what their dances mean, not to mention the safari. It brings a smile to my face just to remember how beautiful the animals and the landscape were. It is definitely something that needs to be experienced first hand since neither pictures nor words give justice to such beauty. Before going back to Canada's cold weather, I got to go scuba diving at Diani beach. I missed white sand beaches and clear water! Overall, I loved everything about Kenya, its people, its culture, food, tribes, oceans, landscape, animals…everything.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
What made this opportunity impactful, besides indulging in a new country’s culture for almost two months, was to actually experience everything that goes behind living in a country with a poor healthcare system. Shadowing doctors at Coast General Provincial Hospital allowed me to truly understand the struggle and helplessness that patients feel when their diagnosis/treatments are limited not only for them, but for their children. It is heartbreaking to realize how a poorly managed government affects the lives of so many, not only by not keeping a sustainable health system, but by not focusing on keeping their citizens educated. Patients presented with illnesses that if diagnosed and treated early, could have been cured and even prevented with no complications, but unfortunately most patients are not able to recognize the severity of their symptoms until it is too late.
I believe most applicants prepared by reading about tropical diseases and humanitarian crises in East Africa before traveling. We are aware of the complications of these diseases and got vaccines and malaria pills before our trip (now I feel even more grateful to actually have access to these preventions). However, I believe we can never be prepared for what we experienced at the hospital. I am not only talking about dealing with diseases that developed countries have never seen, but what truly made me realize the complexity of Kenya’s broken healthcare system was learning every patient’s background. There are no books that can compare to the experience of actually being present and listening to patients as they explain why or what caused them to let their disease get so advanced.
Having volunteered in hospitals in Canada and Kenya helped me contrast more clearly the disparity in healthcare systems in developed versus underdeveloped countries. These opportunities have inspired me greatly to keep focused on my career and help fight that inequality in Global Health.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
IMA’s staff made this journey as smooth as possible. Starting at the apartment, Joshua and Naomi made me feel welcomed and at home. Joshua’s food was delicious. I felt privileged to get to try Kenya’s traditional food cooked by such an amazing chef. Naomi always had fun stories to tell and kept me up to date with my Swahili; there was never a boring moment with her. Benson and Brian were always good company for our local touristing and activities, they also had great suggestions on what places to go to and now I feel I know all the best places in Mombasa! Bella and Phares kept the lectures interesting and kept us well informed on the do’s and don’ts to stay safe in Kenya.
I recognize the program was very well organized and allowed me to take good advantage of every day I spent there. IMA’s program mentors were always available to answer any concern or request I had. It was very easy to communicate with them, and I really felt they had the best interest in me having a good learning experience. Every doctor I shadowed at the hospital was extremely helpful and patient with me. They encouraged me to ask questions, even if they were in the middle of a surgery or in the middle of a hectic case at the emergency room. By the end of each day I had a ton of information written in my notepad that I could read more about when I got to the apartment.
As I mentioned in a previous question, it has been a long time since I have interacted with patients in a hospital and it made me feel very fortunate to have amazing doctors understand my passion and explain every case with detail. They inspired me greatly and it was astounding to see them in action in a hospital that had no fancy equipment at all. They were always sharp with their decisions and I learned a lot from them on how to use resources efficiently when they are limited.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I wish I organized myself better in order to schedule more night shifts. I believe I did only two night shifts in surgery, which were very insightful. One of those nights, there was no water so all surgeries were held back. However, an anesthesiologist was kind enough to show me all the equipment and what each machine is used for. In addition, he went through all the different types of anesthesia and explained when to use each. I regret not doing at least one night shift in trauma and another night in OB, just to see how everything worked at night. I was also interested in visiting the psych guard, however the psychiatrist was not around most of the time and we could not get a hold of him. Another activity I wanted to do was to attend the clinics. Unfortunately, during my stay there were not enough interns for the clinics. I was sad to hear the clinics were held a week after I left.
Overall, I wish I could have extended my stay at least a month…or a year. Nonetheless, I feel IMA helped me take advantage of my time in Kenya. Everyday was full of knowledge and adventure, time was never wasted.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
My day would normally start around 7:20 AM, when Joshua would have a delicious breakfast prepared already. My day at the hospital would start at 8:00 AM. At the beginning of each week, Bella provided a schedule for the whole week, which would normally include two lectures and a cultural trek. On Mondays, Phares would introduce me to the doctor that I was going to be shadowing, since every week I was placed in a new department. On Fridays, all the interns discussed everything that we learned and talked about the highlights of the week with our program mentors who also provided feedback.
My first week was Trauma. I would usually look for Dr. Varvani or Dr. Fatma and follow them around all day. Trauma days were always busy, probably the most hectic department. I absolutely loved the variety of cases observed in that department and Dr. Varvani and Dr. Fatma were outstanding teachers. If they were not around, I could even shadow the nurses who were very knowledgeable and helpful. There was always someone around willing to teach me.
My second week was Surgery. At the beginning of the day I would check the schedule on their board to see how the OR’s were distributed. Once I had an eye on where all the cardio or neuro surgeries were taking place, that’s where I locked myself in for the rest of the day. I was also allowed to move from OR to OR in the middle of the surgery, which was beneficial in order to make the most of my time at the hospital. I got to see a craniotomy, several shunt surgeries for hydrocephalus, hip replacement, and fistulas, just to mention a few!
My third week was Internal Medicine. These days were shorter. Interns would do rotations with the doctor and then discuss the cases among them and the nurses. When they were done I read through all the patients’ files to understand all their medical history and how they were progressing. This week helped me have a better understanding of the diseases and all the steps taken to treat them. I would normally be done around 10:00 AM or 11:00 AM and then go to Trauma since there was always something going on.
At the end of the day I would go back to the apartment and try to read more about the diseases of each patient. My last week was Radiology. Dr. Valerie and I would go through all the MRI’s, CT’s and X-rays. As she was writing her observations and results, she explained every detail on the scan and taught me how to read them properly. Brian would pick us up at around 3:00 PM and drove us back to the apartment to have lunch. The rest of the day was free unless we had a lecture or activity schedule. It was nice to have most afternoons free to go to the beach and explore new places!
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
I loved walking around the mall with the other interns, eventually we ended up at the beach, which was only minutes away. We heard Diani beach was one of the prettiest beaches on the coast, so we decided to go for the day and it was paradise! The sand was white and the water was clear. Luckily, I had my scuba diving certificate and decided to jump in. Kenya is absolutely beautiful even underwater. I got to see several sea turtles, starfish, and beautiful corals. Also, we got to ride camels! We also went to Watamu, another beautiful beach and on the way we stopped at Gedi ruins. The tour guide gave us very interesting facts about Kenya’s history and we got to play with the monkeys that were all around the park. On our way back to Mombasa, we stopped at another beach in Kilifi. This beach hopping was exactly hours before my flight back to Canada, so you can probably understand why I wanted to take in as much sun and beach as possible. However, the highlight of the tourist activities was the safari.
Masai Tribe!
Before our road trip to Masai Mara, we visited the Giraffe Center and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. It was fun to feed the giraffes and the elephant shelter lets you adopt an elephant for $50/year to support their recovery back to the wild. After that, we spent three days at the reserve. The lodge we stayed at was better than a dream. We could hear the animals at night and monkeys jumping on the roofs. The view was beyond words; it was so peaceful to see the animals walking across the savannah. Not to mention, I cried a little bit when I saw the first herd of elephants walking right beside us. On the very first day, we got to see four of the Big Five! On the second day we had a full safari day and had a picnic by the Mara River, we also got to the border between Kenya and Tanzania (Masai Mara and Serengeti) which was pretty awesome. That evening, we visited the Masai village, they kindly showed us their homes and how they built it. I will never forget the moment I got off the car and the kids started running towards me rubbing a plant on my arms so that I didn’t get bit by mosquitoes. This filled my heart with so much love and happiness! The Masai also danced and explained their dances to us, during that exact moment I could not believe I was in Africa with the Masai tribe, it was definitely a surreal experience.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I stayed in a three bedroom apartment. During my stay, there were only two other interns staying with me, so we had plenty of room each. When more interns come, the program provides more rooms. The apartment was always clean and our housekeeper washed our clothes every day. All three meals were prepared by a chef so we never had to worry about buying food outside. The apartment was located in one of the safest areas in Mombasa in a gated community with vigilance 24/7. If we needed anything, the mall and bank were five minutes away, walking distance. Our rooms were very comfortable with air conditioning, hot water, wifi, and mosquito nets, too.
Overall, the program covered all my worries. I never felt I was in danger when I was walking close to the apartment area, nor had to worry about getting food that might get me sick. If I wanted to go to other sites, I could arrange everything with the program driver and he would take me safely.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before embarking?
The one advice I would give to future interns is to just make the most out of their time. It is definitely nerve racking to travel abroad to a place completely different from where we live, with norms, culture, and a healthcare system that we are not used to. However, IMA takes the burden off our shoulders by providing safe housing, transport, food, laundry service, and wifi. Our program mentors were in constant communication with us and guided us through our adventure. Once in Kenya, it was almost an impulse for me to try to explore everywhere. However, they advised on what places to avoid to stay safe and recommended better spots. Even though I went alone, I always felt supported by them. Having that relief allowed me to enjoy my experience even more. I am grateful for how the program schedule was organized. It allowed me to get enough hours at the hospital and at the same time get to know the country.
It is crucial to go with an open mind. Conditions at the hospital are tough so it is important to attend with the right intentions in mind and try to absorb as most knowledge as possible. Personally, it helped me to read about the most common diseases in Kenya and their healthcare system before starting the program. In addition, before the first day at the hospital, IMA provides an orientation where they cover everything about the country and the main issues they are facing. I found it absolutely worth it to have taken a leap and immersed fully into the country. The hardest or most anxious part for me was at the moment of making the decision of going or not, but once I did, everything started falling into place. Fortunately, IMA turned out to be very reliable and they attended all my needs during my stay. After that it is up to the intern to behave with prudence and take advantage of such an incredible learning experience.
Sahajanand Special School
Would you recommend IMA to others? Why?
I would absolutely recommend IMA. They provided a pleasant, safe, and informative experience. This was my first time traveling abroad and I would do it again with them with no doubt. Personally, it was an economic struggle as a pre-med student to get to volunteer abroad, but I feel every penny invested in this experience was well spent. I got to see surgeries I had only dreamed of and most importantly, my time at the hospital allowed me to interact with patients and understand their background and the struggles they face due to poverty and an unsupportive government. Besides going to the hospital, IMA allowed me to go to orphanages and a special school. Both, the leading volunteer at the school and the founder of the orphanage, talked about the difficulties faced due to lack of medicines, low income, lack of food, just to mention a few. Overall, I feel the program provided a very holistic view of Kenya’s health system by including all these activities.
Regarding tourist activities, IMA also schedules cultural treks and safaris. Luckily, I came back to Canada without a feeling of “I wish I could have gone to…”. The treks were all with a tour guide, which made the experience much more educational than going on our own just to take pictures. The safari was also very well planned and an experience of a lifetime, I would not have changed a thing about it! With IMA, I feel I learned A LOT about Kenya, its health system, history, culture, and environment. Throughout the week, our program mentors would schedule at least two lectures that would either talk about disease burdens in Kenya, political problems, healthcare problems, intubation courses, and suture courses. This program definitely covered every aspect you would want to learn when you are traveling to a new country.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
I believe traveling abroad challenges you as a person in every way, especially if you go on your own. You definitely need to get out of your comfort zone. Luckily, you are in a country where nobody knows you, so there is no reason to be shy. This is the perfect opportunity to improve our social skills, we can always learn something from everyone.
The more you travel, the more you meet people who motivate you or learn new things you didn't know you liked before. The more exposed we are to new experiences, the more we can learn about ourselves and what truly inspires us.
I believe traveling abroad allows us to broaden our perspective on life and actually try to add our grain of sand to make things better. For example, I believe a person who has traveled to Africa and actually experienced the living conditions and seen children dying of malnutrition will have a harder time turning a blind eye on the issue than someone who has only read about it. The level of empathy and connections built during a trip are much stronger and actually inspires you to try to improve their living conditions even on a small scale.
It is also beautiful to learn about different cultures, their beliefs, language, art, and music. It was incredible to meet tribes that have not changed their beliefs and traditions even during an era when people are very easily influenced or brainwashed. Traveling abroad provides a better understanding of the world and opens our eyes and makes us realize how little we know of what there is to know. Personally, volunteering at Kenya’s hospital helped me get out of the feeling of being stuck in my career and be okay with the fact that it takes time and the results are going to be worth the struggle.
Masai Village
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
One of the reasons I decided to volunteer in Africa was to remind myself why I was taking such a challenging and long career path. I not only returned inspired from the trip, but now I know my happiness is definitely derived from serving others. Now I understand all the interns’ reviews that said it was a “life changing experience”; there is truly no other way to put it. Working at the hospital was the most humbling experience I have had so far. I believe I will remember these patients even when I’m already 20 years into my career as a doctor, since they left a huge mark on me. Getting to know their struggles and realizing the unfair disparity that exists between healthcare systems in developed and underdeveloped countries motivated me to do whatever I can to narrow that gap.
I discovered traveling, understanding new cultures, and serving others is my one passion. Now I have focused my career goals in order to work for Doctors Without Borders. This experience made me realize I need to have a strong mindset and understand that this career is hard and may have several setbacks, but it is important not to feel discouraged. I now understand I am fortunate enough to actually decide what I want to be when I grow old, and not everybody is given that chance. There is nothing I would like to do more than help those who are unable to follow their dreams because they were born in a country with a corrupt government that holds them back in every way possible.
The doctors I shadowed at the hospital were remarkable. It was fascinating to watch them manage every situation without relying on high tech equipment and very limited resources. Now I realize the importance of knowing how to perform tasks under any circumstances, which I will be doing when I work for Doctors Without Borders. Overall, I feel this experience made me grow and focus on myself. I now accept the difficulty of this career, but understand I have all the tools to become the best doctor I can be and the least I can do now is give back to them.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
For me, meaningful travel means fully immersing into a country and learning everything there is to know about it. It is about going to a new place as a blank sheet and adding new discoveries, new information, learning languages, meeting new people, and understanding other cultures. It is about learning new aspects about ourselves, discovering new passions and new interests. It is about broadening our perspective on the world and understanding our footprint in it. There would be no use in going to a country and learning about its struggles just to turn a blind eye on them. Or visiting a country, taking touristy pictures, and not learning anything about the country’s history or their political issues.
Another way of making a trip meaningful is to not support tourist attractions that include animal exploitation. I was glad to know that the giraffe and elephant centres IMA took us to were both rescue centres, but is important to be aware of businesses that make money out of tourists ignorance and animal cruelty. I believe meaningful traveling is about forgetting about unnecessary luxuries and focusing on human interactions or even nature. There is a lot to learn about other people and we can never stop being amazed by nature’s gifts.
