What was your favorite part about your host country/city?
My favorite part of my host country was the food. Despite never having tried Kenyan or East African cuisine before, it's now among my favorites. Proximity to the Indian Ocean made masalas and biryani common, infused with the freshest spices.
The coastal climate allows for delicious local sweet bananas and mangos. Another must-try is Chapati, a sweet, chewy flatbread that simply melts in your mouth.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
What truly made my experience extraordinary was the people—from the clinical providers we collaborated with to the fellow interns with whom we shared our daily experiences. Spending 24/7 with healthcare professionals from diverse backgrounds provided an irreplaceable opportunity for continuous learning. The prestigious Coast General Teaching Hospital, a class five institution serving over a million people in Kenya's coastal province, served as the backdrop for unparalleled exposure and engagement.
Group photo in front of the main theater of Coast General Hospital in Mombasa, Kenya.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
I'm extremely grateful to IMA`s local staff for offering not just clinical insights but also a broader public health perspective during my time in Mombasa, Kenya. This holistic approach enriched my understanding of the medical education system and its implications on patient care quality in the region.
One staff member, Margaret, who conducted info sessions at the IMA house, was among my favorite lecturers. Her discourse on public health and Kenya's pre and post-colonial history was enlightening. This knowledge proved unexpectedly beneficial during a community outreach clinic. I encountered a patient who worked as a history teacher at the school hosting our clinic.
He sadly had alarmingly high blood pressure readings, putting him at significant stroke risk. Dr. Shazim decided to monitor him to ascertain if medications could stabilize his condition. My historical knowledge, imparted by Margaret, allowed me to engage and comfort the patient during this tense period.
While I lacked the clinical expertise to address his condition directly, I could at least keep him calm. Margaret's teachings were particularly impactful because she always addressed our myriad questions with clarity and relevance, making them applicable to our ongoing internship experiences.
Did your program provide specific pre-departure Covid support? If yes, tell us what kind of support you received.
Yes, they notified us of any changes in safety protocols issued by the Kenyan government. They went on to recommend we wear masks for traveling internationally. Additionally, masks were highly advised for clinical settings. Most interns would bring a fresh pack of masks with them daily for clinical settings.
Group clinical lecture hosted by Dr. Shazim on airways and intubation in the hospital's board room.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I regret not extending my trip to a full summer. While most interns opted for two or four-week rotations, I chose a four-week rotation, limiting me to four assigned departments out of the dozen offered. Meeting an intern who stayed the full summer allowed them to explore every department at Coast General Hospital, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the public hospital's functions and healthcare providers.
Witnessing their fluency in Swahili and rapport with practitioners made them an invaluable mentor to me. I aspire to return and expand my experience to reach that level of comfort in the future.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
Generally on weekdays, as an intern last summer, I would get up around 7-8 am, depending on if I was on the first or second computer bus to the hospital. After a quick shower, I would get dressed in my scrubs for the clinic and pack my bag for the weekly rotation- notebook, pens, ID badge, water bottle, etc. Some rotations required an extra pair of shoes and scrubs to be brought to the hospital for surgical settings.
Once at Coast General, I would meet up with the care providers in my associated ward or division. Shadowing would last until about 1-2 pm, at which point we would board the commuter bus back to the IMA house for lunch. If students wanted to, they could add an afternoon shift or even a night shift to their schedule based on availability and learning goals. I generally took 1-2 afternoon shifts a week and 1-2 night shifts during my four-week internship and found them to be very rewarding.
If not elected for an additional shift, interns generally in the afternoons would go to Swahili lessons, History lessons, or clinical labs. The activities changed weekly to allow incoming interns to get a variety of experiences recreationally and clinically.
A psychology lesson on individual resilience and how its ratings and sources vary in other cultures.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
During my free time abroad, I embraced the weekends for relaxation and rejuvenation. While generally a day of the weekend was invested in community outreach clinics, one day would be free for errands and recreation.
On off days, a group of interns and I utilized a local gym, conveniently a 5-minute Uber ride away, to work up a sweat. Post-workout, we indulged in a soothing soak at a nearby hotel's oceanfront pool and caught up on the weekly clinical drama.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
Throughout my stay, I resided in the IMA house in Nyali, Kenya, a suburb of Mombasa, situated approximately 15-30 minutes away from the hospital. The IMA house featured air-conditioned dormitory-style rooms spread across two buildings. The house was accompanied by a central meeting and dining hall where all of the interns would meet up for class or meals. Room occupancy varied from 1-4 people, depending on suite size and adjacent bathrooms. It was nice to have centralized accommodation with all of the other interns, it fostered many memorable movie nights and shared experiences.
Getting blood pressure readings on patients in a community outreach clinic near Mombasa, Kenya.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
For future participants, I highly recommend investing time in basic Swahili language acquisition before departure. While English is widely used in Kenya and understood by most healthcare providers, patients may not be fluent. Acquiring basic Swahili communication skills not only makes non-English speaking patients more comfortable but also demonstrates respect for locals.
While in Coast General Hospital as an intern, I would recommend to future interns that they find their voice early on-ask questions, and introduce themselves directly. Being vocal goes a long way in making sense of the clinical pathologies you are observing and shows the providers you are invested in and their practice.
Would you recommend International Medical Aid (IMA) to others? Why?
I wholeheartedly recommend this program to others. International Medical Aid (IMA) offers excellent programs in two host countries, Kenya and Peru, each supported by an exceptional team. The support staff in Kenya ensured its students had access to a diverse range of shadowing opportunities in a hospital setting.
Moreover, the program had well-integrated community outreach in its curriculum. An additive that ensures students forge deeper connections with the clinical content they are exposed to and the community as a whole.
Shariff Nassir Girls School, where we hosted a medical education seminar on feminine hygiene.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
The most significant benefit of traveling abroad is the intentional broadening of one's perspective and the promotion of adaptability. It's easy to form a limited worldview based on what's within your immediate surroundings.
Exploring new places exposes you to diverse languages, and belief systems, and reinforces both professional and personal skills. Networking abroad can be a powerful avenue for such exposure, contributing to a more enriched understanding of the world.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
I was profoundly moved by the dedication of these healthcare professionals. Despite being stretched thin in terms of resources and manpower, they consistently upheld their responsibilities and remained eager to impart knowledge. Their resilience illuminated the myriad ways I could be proactive, even as a fledgling medical student. While I couldn't directly influence the clinical outcomes I witnessed, I could absorb the lessons and channel them into advocacy.
That advocacy can take so many forms, it began for me as volunteering at community outreach clinics in Kenya, and became more involved through a healthcare NPO initiative active in the region. The intern-formed NPO (Kenya Scoliosis Relief Initiative (KSRI)) has been a great way to stay connected to the region and my fellow medical interns.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel, for me, is embarking on a purposeful journey with specific learning objectives actively pursued on foreign soil. It transcends recreational activities, involving a deep immersion into another culture and community and contributing to it in a tangible positive way. Taking the extra step to understand the local language, cultural norms, and geopolitical history adds depth to what you see and experience, making international journeys so much more enriching and transformative.
