What inspired you to travel abroad?
Being able to step out of one’s comfort zone is the first step in learning more about the world. This is the gateway to getting an insight into others’ perspectives. I wanted to go abroad because I yearned to immerse myself in a different culture. Living in a small town in Indiana for the majority of my life, I was not able to experience other cultures. I knew that the best way to learn about how others live, their values, and culture was to educate myself and go through this firsthand.
I felt inspired by the changing world around me and the medical advancements in different areas of the globe. This Kenya medical opportunity offered a unique way to advance my knowledge in medical practices and the Eastern African culture. I am so fortunate to complete this journey amidst the global pandemic with little disruption. In essence, I was inspired to go abroad to expand my knowledge of the world we all share by living and working with local people.
This is from a hygiene clinic in which we were able to interact with children and learn more about them.
Why did you choose International Medical Aid?
I chose to go abroad with International Medical Aid (IMA), specifically to the location in Mombasa, Kenya, to learn more about the Eastern African culture, the medical atmosphere in this country, and the opportunity to expand my perspective. My whole life, I had only read about the cultures of Eastern African countries and it seemed like a fantasy continent. I realized when I was looking at different places to go abroad, I knew the least about East Africa.
I came to the realization that having this opportunity to travel to Kenya would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a blessing. This program and organization would benefit me the best because it was the farthest out of my comfort zone and my pre-existing knowledge about Kenya was very little.
This program enabled me to gain expansive knowledge that would have never been accessed from reading a textbook. I chose this program because the collaboration that IMA had with Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital was important. I loved the fact that I would be learning alongside potential doctors and nurses that were currently in medical school. This allowed me to collaborate with them and share our thoughts in order to learn together.
This proved to be a unique opportunity for me and it allowed me to gain insight into how their medical atmosphere functioned. Adding to the reasons for choosing this program and organization was the ability to diversify my perspective as a whole. Although this could be applied to other abroad programs, IMA offered unique opportunities.
One example was going to primary schools and teaching hygiene lessons. This allowed me to interact with multiple groups of individuals to promote healthy living and proactive healthcare. I was able to expand my knowledge astronomically in multiple areas with this program, which is what my goal was by going abroad. In all, this program at International Medical Aid was the perfect match for me in allowing me to grow and learn vastly.
What was your favorite part about Kenya?
My favorite aspect about being in Kenya was the people I got to know. I came to realize from interacting with a multitude of Kenyans, how much they cared about me as a person, and not so much about what I had or my appearance. A motto that the Kenyans live by is “Harambee”, which means “all pull together” in Kiswahili. I loved how all the locals were so caring and wanted to connect on another level. I appreciated how they were not interested in what I had materially, but more so just me as a person.
This enabled me to concentrate on how I could give to the community. The conversations, stories, and lessons that were interchanged between a diverse group of Kenyans and me were so meaningful. I felt incredibly blessed to get the opportunity to talk with every person I met and ask them questions about life. In brief, my favorite aspect of Mombasa, Kenya was the community of people I was fortunate enough to meet and learn from.
View of the sunset in Kenya
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
My experience abroad was so incredible due to the people. I was surrounded by a multitude of different individuals, ranging from the Kenyan population, the staff of International Medical Aid, other interns, and the medical staff at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital. One person who represents this Kenya experience is Teddy, one of the staff members of IMA. He welcomed me and immediately wanted to know more about me and where I was from, how my travels were, and what I was looking forward to while I was in Mombasa.
As soon as we arrived at the residence, I was introduced to Benson and Margarett, who helped me with my luggage, gave me a tour of the residence, and gave me the rundown on everything I needed to know for the remainder of my time spent there. During this tour, I was introduced to the other staff members who, throughout the entirety of my trip, I was blessed to get to know better. The IMA crew was exceptional in all aspects.
In addition, the interns that shared this experience with me grounded the lessons I learned with real-life situations, facilitated my interactions with the medical providers at the hospital, and provided me with friendships that will last a lifetime. The people that came on this trip quickly became a second family to me and made this experience so worthwhile.
Finally, the medical providers who I was fortunate to follow around and assist at the hospital provided me with a first-hand look into the current medical situation in Kenya. I asked a multitude of questions and received thorough explanations that proved to be invaluable to my learning experience. I still keep in touch with members of the medical staff and students that I was able to meet during my rotations in the hospital. In all, the individuals that I surrounded myself with during my time abroad gave me priceless memories, incredible friendships, and an extraordinary perspective.
How did the local program staff support you throughout the Physician Assistant/Pre-PA Internship?
The International Medical Aid staff made this experience so incredible. Not only did they facilitate all aspects of this trip abroad, but they were exemplary teachers that helped me understand the culture of Kenya more in-depth. The kitchen staff encouraged and taught my friend, Morgan, and me, how to make chapati, a traditional Kenyan side dish that is eaten with greens and meat. It was so fun to learn how to make this dish that was so integral to their culture and it allowed me to bring back that knowledge to the States.
Another example of how the staff made this program unforgettable was the biking classes that I took in the morning with Phares and Benson. These cycle classes gave me an insight into the workout culture, which I am interested in. In addition to this, I, unfortunately, fell victim to traveler’s diarrhea, which the staff aided and helped me with. Throughout the duration of the program, all the staff members were available to offer help in any way possible, even teaching me the basics of Swahili. I could not have asked for a better staff to facilitate this experience for me.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
If I were to do something different during my time abroad, I would have liked to learn the native language, Swahili, and immerse myself more fully in the culture. This would have allowed me to interact and be more personable with the native population. I would have liked to be able to use the language to interact with the patients in the hospital, local street vendors, staff at restaurants, medical providers in the hospital, and others.
Although the country’s official language is English, the Swahili language would have helped me understand the culture better. In addition to expanding my knowledge of the Eastern African way of life, I would have been able to aid individuals on a more personal level. Ultimately, I would’ve liked to learn from the locals using their language in order to connect and grow my perspective.
Here, we discussed the importance of menstrual health and period maintenance and supplied them with pads.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
A typical day in Mombasa, Kenya for me involved me waking up around 7:00 am, usually to see the sunrise from the balcony of our room. I would put on my bug spray, take my malaria pill, and go downstairs for breakfast. The kitchen staff would make us an awesome breakfast spread that usually involved toast, eggs, a traditional Kenyan dish that rotated, and fruit (which was my favorite).
I would talk with the other interns about their schedules for the day and would try to get to know them better. Next, we were picked up from the residence for a 30-minute bus commute to Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital. This allowed me to gain insight into how Kenyans commute, their public transportation, and a look into the markets. We would arrive at the hospital and go to our assigned rotation that week. My three rotations included the pediatrics ward, emergency ward, and surgery.
Each week in the hospital was different, and we would meet doctors and nurses that would guide and teach us about the patients that they were treating and the procedures they were performing. I learned so much during this time at the hospital by following the medical professionals, asking them numerous questions, assisting them when necessary, and learning more about them, individually, in the process.
Around 1:00 pm-2:00 pm, we would be picked up from the hospital and brought back to the residence for lunch. There were different options for the afternoon; one was to stay at the hospital till 4:00 pm-5:00 pm on certain days, on Wednesdays we would go to primary schools and teach hygiene lessons, and on other days, we were allowed to relax or explore the local area. Around 5:00 pm-6:00 pm, the kitchen staff would provide us with dinner or we had the option to go to a local restaurant.
At night, we would gather as interns to hang out, talk about our day, and, eventually, become great friends. These friendships and experiences that I had the opportunity to experience made each day a blessing.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
I enjoyed immersing myself in East African culture. In our program, there were lessons titled: “Current State of Healthcare in Kenya”, “Disease Burden in Kenya”, and “The History of Pre and Post-Colonial Kenya”. All of these PowerPoints gave us the opportunity to understand more fully the culture that we were immersing ourselves in. I liked taking what I learned in these lessons and comparing it with what the staff of IMA and the medical professionals that I interacted with during my time at the hospital told me about the culture.
This made the activities that we did in our free time, like going to Java House, the local beaches, and restaurants so much more meaningful. I loved enjoying the natural aspects of Kenya and taking in the beauty of the cities around me. I was fortunate to experience the Masai Mara Safari. This weekend was filled with traveling to Nairobi and going to a giraffe sanctuary and the national museum, taking a long car ride to the Masai Mara reserves, and getting to go to a Masai village and learn more about their tribe.
In all, what I enjoyed most about my free time abroad was experiencing this new and exciting culture that has so much to offer. I enjoyed every moment that allowed me to expand on my knowledge of how the country of Kenya came to be.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
We were fortunate to stay in a beautiful residence that included a large living room for all the interns to gather, a dining room, a pool, and a beautiful outdoor area. I stayed on an apartment-style floor that had two bedrooms that contained three beds each and a bathroom. Each room had a balcony that contained wires for us to hang laundry on.
I would wake up early in the morning to do yoga on the balcony and watch the sunrise. Later, my roommates and I hung out in the living room. In total, I had five other girls that I lived with. This was my favorite part because we all got to know each other better and talk about our days more in-depth because we spent more time together.
What is one thing every future participant should know about the Physicians Assistant Internship before their program begins?
In order to reap the benefits that this program has to offer, I encourage future participants to be prepared before embarking on this trip. I mean this with respect to both the current medical state and the culture of Kenya. I wish I would have done more research as to the medical circumstances that Kenyans were facing so I could’ve asked more in-depth questions to the medical staff at Coast General Hospital.
In regards to the cultural aspect, I wish I would’ve learned basic Swahili sayings so I could’ve interacted with more of the locals on a personal level. Reflecting on my time abroad, I think that I could have learned more and been able to connect on a deeper level if I had studied the Eastern African culture.
Would you recommend International Medical Aid to others? Why?
I would recommend this program to other individuals who are wanting to immerse themselves in a beautiful culture that they most likely do not know that much about. This experience changed my perspective on many aspects of life and I feel that I gained so much knowledge that I would have never been able to attain any other way. It has made me change the way I live my day-to-day life. I think this program has so many unique qualities that a candidate looking to go abroad may not find in other providers.
International Medical Aid checked all the necessary boxes by providing a safe, educational, and fun program. I would further recommend this abroad experience to individuals who are looking for a great way to obtain medical knowledge in a unique environment that they cannot obtain in America. In essence, I highly recommend IMA’s East African pre-medical program to everyone who is looking to expand their perspective and gain insight into a culture much different than the one they might be used to. This is a great way to step out of one’s comfort zone and really experience a unique atmosphere with so much to offer.
When I returned to the States, I was ecstatic to tell my family and friends about the experience that I had. I talked extensively with my close friends and one, in particular, Emily Ritter, decided from my explanation that this experience is something that she wanted to partake in. I was so excited to give her advice and help with all things necessary for her journey. It was awesome to get to share this experience with her and aid in her trip. For both of us, this was an incredible experience that will live in both of us forever.
Here, we were able to supply the children toothbrushes and toothpaste.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
In general, I think the most beneficial part of traveling abroad is getting to fully absorb a different culture in an authentic fashion. Stepping out of one’s comfort zone not only supplies life lessons but also gives one the opportunity to grow their perspective. I think this is invaluable because no individual’s way of life is the same. We are all different to some degree and the best way to try to understand this is to put oneself in another atmosphere.
Being able to learn in this way allows us to make concrete memories, friendships, and wisdom in how others live. Being able to diversify in this way creates a new level of respect and gratitude for not only our lives but the lives of people that we surround ourselves with. In retrospect, I believe that we broaden our perspective about the world around us when we are able to travel to different places and experience these cultures first-hand.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
During my time abroad, I kept a journal to record the medical lessons that I gained, but also the experiences that I had. I reflect on these memories often, which have led me to permanently change certain everyday practices and my attitude about life. I was strongly impacted by the way Kenyans care about others. I found it very interesting that people were empathetic to me without knowing me at all.
Another aspect of the Kenyan population that really resonated with me was how happy people were. It was not about the materialistic goods that they had, but more so about the outlook they had on life. The happiness and gratitude that people expressed in their lives were inspiring and something I will always try to embody. Some practices that I have implemented into my life as a result of the experiences I had in Kenya is to write down what I am grateful for on a daily basis.
In addition, I am more conscious of my spending habits and negotiating what I really need versus something that I want. I learned that happiness is not equivalent to what one has, but more so the outlook that one chooses to have on the present situation that they are in. I am beyond thankful for the way that this experience changed my life and I hope to continue these practices forever.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
It is valuable to read and learn about different cultures, environments, and ways of life through text and at school. However, it is even more integral in the learning process to immerse yourself in that culture, to communicate with people in their life setting to really be able to fully understand the lifestyle that another civilization lives.
Meaningful travel, in my opinion, is being able to break down the barriers that one person has and fully immerse themselves into another culture. It is a gift that we can travel in the way we do through cars, airplanes, etc. It is so incredibly important to add the communicating and learning component to this trip. I have been so fortunate to experience and grasp different cultures through travel. I enjoy living like the locals and asking a lot of questions.
One of the biggest lessons I have learned in my 23 years of life is that every person on this earth is different and we all have different perspectives about everything from daily life to food choices and the way we learn. I believe that in order to gain insight into someone else’s perspective, we should put ourselves in their environment and walk in their shoes. In all, I believe that meaningful travel comes down to the growth of perspective that one takes away after returning home.
