What inspired you to go abroad?
I was really looking for an experience that would change my outlook on the medical field. I have always loved traveling, but I was never able to travel abroad because of my busy baseball and school schedule. Going to Africa has always been a dream of mine and what better way to experience Africa doing something I love, helping people. It allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and learn about different cultures.
In my small town in Colorado and going to a small school in rural Nebraska there tends not to be a lot of differences in cultures. I have always thought traveling is the best way to learn because the people from those countries can teach you more than a lot of teachers or professors who have never been..
Members of the Maasai Tribe and I after our visit to their tribe
Why did you choose International Medical Aid?
I chose International Medical Aid because of the reviews I saw while looking for internships abroad. IMA allowed for experiences a lot of other organizations were not able to provide. I also had known of people who used IMA in the past so they helped with my decision as well. I was able to talk to alumni from this program as well, and the high praise they gave IMA made the decision very easy for me.
They also offered a lot of resources to help with studying for the MCAT, recommendation letters, cover letters, and also information about how to get into medical school. These really drove my choice as well because medical school is extremely hard to get accepted into and having these resources will only benefit me.
What was your favorite part about your Kenya?
My favorite part about Kenya was how welcoming everyone was. Whenever we would walk to the grocery store, beach, or dinner all the people on the streets would say, "Jambo", which means hello and they would always say, "Welcome to Kenya". The doctors and nurses were all very welcoming and always willing to answer questions that you had.
Kenya, for the month I was there, felt like a second home because of how wonderful we were treated. Going to another country I did not know what to expect in terms of how we would be treated, but all my expectations were blown out of the water.
Last day at the hospital
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
The staff at International Medical Aid were amazing and were always willing to help in any way. They were so welcoming and really made you feel at home even though I was 7,000 miles away from home. The other interns in IMA also made this experience extraordinary as well. It was so amazing to see all of these different people from all over the world come together and make memories that would last a lifetime. I met some of my really good friends to this day from this trip and I think that is pretty amazing.
The experiences we had in the hospital as well made this experience extraordinary too. The doctors and nurses really helped us understand everything they were doing and why they were doing it as well. The experiences I had in Kenya are not only ones I will remember for a lifetime, but also ones that would have never been all to have here in America.
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
The local staff at IMA and also at the hospital were extremely helpful in every way possible. To begin, the staff at IMA was so welcoming as I stated above, but also just extraordinary humans in every way. They all loved their jobs and would do anything for the interns no matter the time of day. They made accommodations for anyone that needed that whether that be eating chooses or living situations.
They were willing to stay late or come in early for whatever someone needed. The staff at the hospital was also full of amazing people. All of the doctors and nurses treated you as an equal instead of talking down on you like we see in the U.S. sometimes. They would stay after their shift was over and answer any question you had during the day and would help you really understand what they were doing.
Doctors during surgery as well would even stop and explain what they were doing and show us why they were doing it. Dr. Shazim who was our mentor Doctor while in Mombasa was an amazing teacher and person. He taught so many skills such as intubation, suturing, and also about the culture of Kenya. He would come to our residence after long days in the COVID unit and always have a smile on his face. He is by far one of the best teachers I have ever encountered in my academic career.
What’s one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I think the only thing I wish I did differently was get to know some of the doctors in my rotations better. I got to know quite a few doctors and nurses, but I do wish I would have gotten closer with them. I think this really would have helped me in the long run in case I ever had questions about the medical field.
Even though our medical field is different from theirs they still would have been able to give me some very useful information. Another thing I would have done differently would be trying to get more time in the O.R. because that is my passion. I got a decent amount of time in the O.R., but I wish I could have been in there a lot more often. Other than these two things I would have not done anything else differently.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
A typical day for me in Kenya was waking up around 7-7:30 am and heading down to breakfast. After breakfast, all the interns and I would get on the bus and make our morning commute to the hospital. After arriving at the hospital, we would all head our separate ways and go to our designated rotation for that week.
During these rotations, we would follow doctors around and learn about different patients and the doctors would explain what they were doing to help the patient. These rotations would go until around 2:30 pm and we would then head back to the residence. On two days during the week, there were options to do afternoon shifts in different departments and these would go on until about 4:30 am.
There were also options to do night shifts which would go from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. the following morning. If you did not do these we would usually go back to the house and have a debrief and talk about our days with the other interns. After that, we all just hung out and watched movies or went out to dinner with each other.
Interns and I after a hygiene clinic
What did you enjoy doing during your free time abroad?
During our free time, I really enjoyed going out and exploring Mombasa. There was always a group of interns going out to dinner or to the beach to hang out for the day. We would walk to different shops and just explore the culture of Kenya.
I also really enjoyed just hanging out with the interns and getting to know everyone. We were all from different walks of life so it was really fun for me to get to know them and just learn about their lives. The one thing I enjoyed the most in my free time was going on a safari with other interns. I have always dreamed of going on a safari and having the chance to do that was absolutely incredible. I can say to this day that was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.
What type of accommodations did you have? What did you like best about it?
IMA would cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner for us every day. The provides amazing excursions which allowed me to make some lifelong memories. They also had an incredible residence with A/C and very clean rooms. They provided transportation to any restaurant or destination that we wanted to go to within reason.
I think what I liked most about this was that we never had to worry about making food and there was always enough for us to eat. These excursions allowed for us to really go out and explore Mombasa and learn about the culture which I found to be one of my favorite parts about the trip. I love learning about other people and where they come from, so to be able to do this first hand was incredible.
The residence we stayed at was immaculate and always clean, which for me was a huge plus. I have always been a very clean person so coming home to a clean residence was very nice. I can not forget about the A/C because Kenya even in winter was extremely hot and humid and this made our living arrangements a lot better. The transportation aspect was very nice as well because we were not able to really explore everything that we wanted without this transportation.
What is one thing every future participant should know about the Pre-Med/Health Fellowship before their program begins?
They should know that IMA will take very good care of you and make you feel at home. They should also know to take advantage of every opportunity that is presented. Always do the afternoon shifts and the night shifts because that is where you learn the most because you get to be one on one with the doctors and nurses.
Do not be afraid to go out of your comfort zone because this will be the most amazing experience you will ever have. Having the opportunity to do this will probably not come again to take it. The doctors and nurses at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital are amazing and willing to teach you.
Always ask questions because that is the only way to learn while you are over there. This program exceeded my expectations in every way possible. The staff at IMA were amazing and always there for you as well as the doctors and nurses at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Would you recommend International Medical Aid to others? Why?
Yes, I would recommend IMA to anyone who is looking for a medical experience somewhere abroad. The program is extremely well run and they are always putting the interns first. I never felt like this was a business but more of a program that really wanted to provide healthcare experience for their interns.
Going to another country by yourself to a program full of people you have never met can be very scary, but IMA did an incredible job at making you feel at home. I really felt that they cared about me as a person and not just another intern.
Safari in the Maasai Mara
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
I feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is learning about different cultures. I come from a smaller town in Colorado where I do not get to experience many different cultures. I feel the best way to learn in life is first hand and by traveling abroad you get to learn from those who are living in this culture.
I think it is important to get out of your comfort zone and seek discomfort and traveling abroad does just that. You are in a place where you know no one and probably do not even speak the same language. But, by reaching out of your comfort zone you learn a lot about yourself and come to realize how amazing the world we live in really is.
Now that you’re home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
It really has made me more thankful for the little things in life. Going over to Kenya was quite a culture shock because I didn't really know what to expect. I have never been out of the country let alone to a 3rd world country. To see how these people lived and how most did not even have running water, really put into perspective how thankful I should be for the little things in life.
These people even though living in very tough situations always seemed to be very outgoing and welcoming. I think I have learned that life is never bad enough to not be nice to other people. It also has shown me to accept others for their differences because that is what makes them unique. Always go somewhere with an open mind and never be too early to judge because your judgment is wrong 99% of the time.
My life back home is very different from what I saw in Kenya and I am very thankful for that, but Kenya showed me that the issues I have back home can not even compare to some of the issues they are having over there.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel to me is going in with an open mind and embracing the culture and differences other people have. To really experience a culture you need to immerse yourself in the culture. Staying on a resort somewhere to me will never be meaningful travel because you are not actually experiencing the country you are in. You need to get out of your comfort zone and talk to the people in that country to really understand their culture.
Traveling can be the best teacher in the world if you allow it to be. Do not go in with predetermined notions about a certain country or culture. I feel like we do that too often in America where if we see someone different from us we try to make them more "American". To me, for travel to be meaningful you need to come back with more knowledge about a culture or certain group of people than you had before. Not a nice tan and a bunch of pictures of you at the beach.
