What inspired you to travel abroad?
I had always had an interest in traveling and in global health but never had the time to go abroad during my undergrad. Then, during my first gap year before medical school, I finally had some time to pursue this dream.
I thought this would be an amazing opportunity to immerse myself in another country, while also learning more about healthcare and working on my medical school applications. My program was delayed due to Covid, so I ended up applying for and being accepted into medical school before I was able to complete my internship but I was still so glad to be able to have that experience.
Community Health Clinic in Mombasa, Kenya
Why did you choose International Medical Aid?
I chose the pre-health program with International Medical Aid because it was recommended to me by a friend of a friend. I had been looking for global health programs for a while and was unsure of which to go with.
I knew I wanted to visit Africa but was having trouble narrowing it down. The IMA program had a very nice website, with clear information, and the alumni testimonials and the Instagram page made me feel like it was a reliable program. I was so excited when my application was accepted and I truly feel like I made the right choice.
What was your favorite part about your Kenya?
My favorite part of Kenya was how incredibly friendly and welcoming the people were. It is very common in the U.S., especially in New York where I am from, to basically ignore one another. This was not my experience in Kenya.
So many people would come up to us with questions, or just to say Jambo. Also, everyone was so appreciative if you made an effort to speak to them in Swahili, even if all you could say was Jambo and Asante. It made the trip so much better to feel truly welcomed by the people.
Health Education Clinic at a primary school in Mombasa, Kenya
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
I truly think the thing that made my experience as amazing as it was was all of the other interns. It was scary to fly to another country by myself and I had no idea what to do when I got there but the other interns made me feel at home so quickly.
It was so nice to go through the different hospital units with different interns, as well as go on weekend trips like to the safari. Spending 24/7 time together in such an intense experience helped us to build incredibly close relationships. I know I made friends for life.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
The local staff was so incredibly helpful on a daily basis. Between cooking all of our meals, doing our laundry, driving us to and from the hospital, and cleaning our rooms, I could not ask for anything more. On top of this, the staff was always around to answer any questions we had and they always did so with a smile.
I was so appreciative of the work that each of them did for us daily. I think the drivers and kitchen staff were especially wonderful and constantly went out of their way to do nice things for all of the interns.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
If I went back and was able to do something differently I would probably choose to stay even longer. I did four weeks in Mombasa and in the end, while I was very ready to return to my home and my family, I felt like I still wanted more time abroad.
There were so many interesting units in the hospital and we were only able to do one per week, meaning I was only able to experience four different specialties. I would have loved to stay a little longer to see a few more things before I left.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
On a typical day, I would wake up around 7 am, and then get dressed and ready for the hospital. Then I would head downstairs and eat breakfast that they prepared for us daily. After that, we all got on the bus together and went to the hospital. We spent the first half of the day shadowing and sometimes assisting, if it was within our scope of practice, at the hospital.
Then we would head home where lunch was waiting for us. After lunch, we did a daily debriefing of what we saw that day in the different units. In the afternoons we either had a lecture, a health education clinic, or free time. Then we all ate dinner together and most nights were spent hanging out with the other interns or watching movies in the common room.
Interns on our last day at the hospital
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
During my free time, my favorite thing was getting to explore Mombasa through different excursions. IMA was great about showing us different parts of the city, like the old town and Bombolulu. The safari to the Masai Mara was probably my favorite part.
I also loved going out and visiting different places with my fellow interns. We would often check out local restaurants, go to Java House, walk to the Beach, or visit Moonshine (the local bar). It was also nice to just have time to relax around the house and watch movies.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
The accommodations were wonderful. Most people had two-three people per room and two-three rooms per suite. I personally had two other roommates and then another room with three girls in our suite.
We were assigned to the penthouse which had a common area with a big couch and a tv, a small kitchen, three bathrooms, and five balconies with amazing views. My favorite part was the common living room and dining room where all the interns spent time together and ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
What is one thing every future participant should know about the Pre-Med/Health Fellowship before their program begins?
I think the most important thing to know is that it is an incredible opportunity, you will be supported throughout your time, and you will be so glad you did it. I think the biggest concern for people, when looking for a global health experience, is trusting that they selected a reliable program.
There is no way to know what you are getting until after you get there. But, IMA is worth trusting in. It was a wonderful program with beautiful accommodations, lovely staff, good food, and an awesome hospital. You will not regret making this decision.
African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, Giraffe Centre
Would you recommend International Medical Aid to others? Why?
I would absolutely recommend this program to other people. I felt that International Medical Aid did a great job of organizing my trip and answering any questions I had before I got there and that support only continued in-country.
We were given such awesome opportunities to learn in the hospital and with community health clinics. There was also plenty of time to explore and the optional treks were amazing. On top of that, at no point did I ever feel unsafe or left to fend for myself. For these reasons, and more I would definitely recommend this program.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
I think the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is expanding your worldview and stepping outside your comfort zone. It can be really scary to fly halfway across the world, all by yourself. It is a step into the unknown. It is full of anxiety and questions. But when you open yourself up to the unknown you leave yourself so much room for growth.
I had never traveled anywhere by myself before so this trip was totally new for me and it ended up being such a wonderful experience. I got to learn about a new culture, see so many new places, meet new people, and see amazing things. I think everyone should travel abroad if they can.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
My time abroad taught me so much about myself and about global healthcare. Now that I am home, I have started medical school and it is awesome to connect the things I am learning with things I saw first-hand in Kenya.
I felt like this was such an amazing learning opportunity since the hospital staff were all so eager to teach. It really helped to confirm my love for medicine. Moving forward, I would love to pursue another global health experience since I enjoyed this trip so much.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
To me, meaningful travel is travel that challenges you, allows you to experience new things, and forces you to step outside your comfort zone. It is easy to stay where you are and to accept things as they come.
Travel allows you to break out of these barriers and to expand your perspective. The world is so vast and there are so many things to see. It is a privilege to be able to do these things and if you are lucky enough to have the ability to travel, you should get as much from it as you can.
