What inspired you to go abroad?
As a child of a military family, I have learned the importance of experiencing diverse cultures and languages. From living on the Island of Guam to the city of Bucharest, I have learned valuable lessons about myself and my perspectives on the world.
As a sophomore in college, passionate about the medical field, I was eager to learn about the culture and medical system in Mombasa, Kenya, through International Medical Aid (IMA). Before this experience, I had never truly shadowed in a hospital in the States, let alone abroad in a public hospital setting.
By participating in an international internship through IMA, I would have the opportunity to deepen my passion for the medical field while learning to provide proper patient care under more strenuous circumstances.
Teaching students about menstrual health and distributing pads at schools!
Why did you choose International Medical Aid?
I chose International Medical Aid (IMA) because of its direct, hands-on experience in both a rural community and a public hospital setting.
Especially as someone interested in surgery, I was ecstatic to not only see endless surgeries, cases ranging from the brain to the femur, but also to explore other departments I had little experience with.
We, as students, have the incredible opportunity to witness the medical system in Mombasa at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CGTRH) and learn about the cultural and political factors that influence its delivery of patient care.
From observing surgeries to teaching students about hygiene, IMA highlights the importance of being a sponge and learning from the differing perspectives around you. Not only that, this program puts you in real-world examples of problem-solving when facing shortages.
CGTRH members are pushed past their limits, working up to 24-hour shifts and serving thousands. Due to their limited governmental funding for healthcare, Kenya heavily relies on international funding for healthcare delivery, which is already facing problems with a potential loss of this funding.
Despite the hospital facing these political challenges, I have never met more resourceful and dedicated doctors than I have at this hospital.
Because of IMA, my perception of CGTRH and patient practice has completely changed, taking into account the endless number of patients served daily and the taxing expectations required from healthcare providers at this hospital. I was in awe of their adaptability. Within every department, health practitioners used their skills to improvise and provide proper care for their patients.
This program gave me the opportunity to witness the true meaning of being a doctor: sacrificing everything to be there for every single patient. It is due to these specific factors and the lessons I would gain from these incredible medical professionals that I wanted to participate in IMA.
Learning how to dance after visiting tribal houses!
What was your favorite part of Mombasa?
Outside of the hospital, I believe I grew the most from the lessons I learned from the people within the country! In endless conversations with Uber drivers and random people off the street, I have gained a deeper grasp of the history of Mombasa and the cultural concept of tribal lines. Everyone here is more than willing to answer my ignorant questions about tribal names (I can still only remember Luo, Luya, and Geriama out of 44 tribes) or well-known spots to visit while in Mombasa.
Every single person I met here has taught me the importance of being curious and taking the time to care about what those around you are well-educated or passionate about. Providing this form of support and prioritization is a skill I will take with me in the medical field.
As someone who struggles with social anxiety, meeting new people in a foreign country filled with language barriers was utterly terrifying. However, this program has helped me prioritize compassion for others when overwhelmed, reminding me that community is so important and that family isn’t just blood. From learning tribal dances to practicing speaking Swahili with locals, I have never met more loving, kind, and thoughtful human beings than I have in Mombasa.
Helping measure glucose levels in a rural community!
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
The endless opportunities, both medically and activity-wise, made this an unforgettable experience! Over six weeks, I shadowed medical practitioners for 217 hours across multiple departments, including Surgery, Pediatrics, Obstetrics, HIV/AIDS Diagnosis and Treatment, Emergency Room, Radiology, Intensive Care Unit, and Internal Medicine.
During my first week at the hospital, I felt like a fish out of water, drowning in the medical terminology bouncing between doctors and interns. I could not tell you the difference between a cyst and a mass, nor did I have any clue about how to read a CT scan before coming to this hospital.
That being said, most of the doctors in the hospital were more than willing to answer my endless questions and take the time to teach us about diagnostic practices, interpreting scans, and surgical procedures. Through thoughtful doctors and interns, I was able to learn about different techniques of many patient care practices, fully translated from Swahili to English.
With each stimulation class and engaging lecture, my medical knowledge grew exponentially over such a short period of time. However, I think what made this experience so extraordinary was the close contact we had with patients. Even as an intern, this program reminded me that the little things can help a patient find joy in their situation.
During my first day of rotation in the pediatrics in-patient ward, I saw a beautiful girl lying on her broken cot while her mom did everything she could to make her daughter happy. As I watched this interaction, my hands began to fold a piece of paper ripped out of my International Medical Aid journal into a simple crane. Although missing any sense of glamour or appeal, I gave it to the little girl. With a quiet “asante”, which means thank you in Swahili, I saw her mom begin to use the crane to play with her daughter, moving the little creature around the cot. I can't tell you how happy I was when I saw the girl examine the piece of paper in her hands, a smile coming to her lips.
It was a moment like this that reminded me why I even wanted to go into the medical field: supporting patients and providing a sense of comfort in their pain. This trip really did change my perspective on healthcare as a whole and what exactly I want to eventually go into. No matter what, I definitely want to come back to Mombasa somehow.
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
Oh my goodness, the staff were incredible!
From the moment I arrived in Mombasa, I had people waiting for me at the airport with an IMA flag, welcoming me with smiles and big hugs.
This kindness was shown throughout my six weeks while living in the intern housing by every staff member. The main IMA team was responsible for dozens of students coming and going every week and for organizing all our schedules every day. I have such respect for everything they had to do while I was there! On top of that, the chefs were amazing! I fell in love with chapati while living here. I promise, if you have never had chapati, your life will change after your first bite. The cleaning staff were also so sweet! They did our laundry for our scrubs and cleaned our rooms while we were shadowing at the hospital.
Although I loved everyone on the team, I want to give specific shoutouts to Eurastus and Grace, who always took the time to talk with me and offer such thoughtful advice. I miss them very much! All in all, the staff were extraordinary and are more than willing to listen whenever you need it. They definitely made the housing feel like a home.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I wish I had some medical qualifications or higher education in the medical field before I went into this program. Although I learned a lot, I think this experience could have been even more fruitful with a deeper understanding of medical terminology and medical practice.
That being said, the medical professionals at the hospital understood that we were not in medical school and explained things at our level. You can definitely walk in with minimal knowledge and learn a lot, but I think having a base level of understanding should be suggested before arriving.
Other than that, I felt like my experience was very rewarding!
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
Since I am a morning person, I often wake up around 6:30 am and do my devotions. Then I would get ready for the morning bus that would take us to the hospital. The chefs made us incredible meals (chapati dogs were my favorite) for breakfast before we left.
We would then shadow in our specific department until around lunchtime. After that, you would either go back to the intern housing and participate in a debrief or stay at the hospital for an afternoon shift, which was only offered on Monday and Thursday.
After our shifts, many interns would go to the mall that had a wonderful gym and yummy restaurants. On days when we didn’t have afternoon activities, you could visit the city, go to beach resorts, or even go to the mall! We also had baking classes with Eurastus and even Swahili classes at the intern housing on our time off.
Normally, we have health classes scheduled during the afternoons, where we would go to local schools and teach students about how to put on pads, brush their teeth, or even express their emotions. These were some of my favorite activities, having the opportunity to play with the kids afterwards!
Sometimes IMA would even schedule cultural treks, where we visited tribal housing, fed giraffes, and walked around with ostriches and giraffes. You are never bored while in Mombasa!
On Tuesday and Thursday, they also offer night shifts, which run from 8pm to 6am. I know it sounds like a lot, but I made some of my favorite memories during those night shifts! Highly suggest doing them! And this is coming from someone who goes to bed early, haha. You won’t regret it.
Feeding giraffes at Haller Park with my close friend, Melody!
What did you enjoy doing during your free time abroad?
I did so much during my free time! The highlights were definitely walking right next to giraffes, holding a crocodile and a snake, riding a camel, scuba diving, trying archery, walking along the white beaches of Mombasa, and singing karaoke with friends!
I saw so many beautiful animals while in Mombasa! I was able to feed giraffes and watch hippos being fed at Haller Park. I scuba-dived and saw massive lobsters, an octopus, diverse fish, clams, and more!
Also, many interns would go to beach resorts, enjoy the beautiful white beaches of Mombasa, snorkel, or even go jet skiing. On the beach, my close friend, Melody, and I rode a camel together, got henna tattoos, and even enjoyed the sunrise above the Indian Ocean on different occasions!
There was also a crocodile farm where we could hold a crocodile and a snake, which I thought was so cool. There was also an iconic karaoke bar that we went to every Wednesday night for a couple of hours! It was a wonderful space for singing and dancing.
Finally, there was an incredible church I went to with some interns that was only a couple of minutes away! Those services were incredible and spiritually empowering! I really had so much fun in Mombasa!
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
IMA is very accommodating to your needs, in my opinion. For food preferences, the chefs were more than willing to make specific meals for you, even packaging them if you wanted to eat at a different time.
We also have access to Glovo, a food delivery app, which delivers food right to the internship housing. The IMA team was also very helpful in reorganizing your shadowing schedule if you ever felt uncomfortable or overwhelmed in a specific department. I loved that I could just stop by their office to talk about anything, which helped me feel at home.
Also, you always felt very safe in the internship housing. We lived in a gated community, having our own separate gate for our housing with guards stationed 24/7. I never felt unsafe or nervous while being abroad in Mombasa.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
I would do research on the medical and public system in Mombasa, specifically highlighting the limited funding and manpower present. I would also want someone to walk in basically as a blank slate, without expectations or biases.
Although most of us have a medical background, there are many ways to do something even if it might be different than how we have learned it. It is our responsibility as interns to be respectful and thoughtful toward doctors who know more than we do.
You are probably going to see things you never imagined. But you have to understand the factors behind their public hospital. They run under very different factors than what most interns have personally experienced at home, showing that we must respect and learn from the medical practitioners who have lived and learned in this environment. Use this time to learn and grow, both personally and medically!
Would you recommend your program/provider to others? Why?
Definitely! I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this experience. As someone who is anxious and a perfectionist, I found this experience helped me grow in my ability to go with the flow and solve problems in diverse situations.
This program only further ignited my desire to enter the medical field, pushing me to explore more opportunities abroad in areas most in need. I never realized how much I took for granted until I came to Mombasa.
I will never forget the simple blessings I have in the states where I can pick up and buy any medication or food product I can fathom. I think every student considering a career in medicine should experience a program like this. Not only to learn about different departments, but to visually witness sacrificial and proper patient care.
I praise God for this opportunity, and I have been telling all my pre-med friends about it!
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
I think you learn a lot about yourself and how much you can overcome when tested. Before this experience, I never thought I would be able to teach a class on hygiene or even help hundreds of patients in rural clinics. But this program gave me such courage in myself and my abilities, pushing me past limits I never thought I could pass.
I also feel like this experience helped me mature in my worldview regarding healthcare. Hearing and seeing something are two different things. I really learned this lesson in Mombasa. And let me tell you, I gained such respect and compassion for every health professional in that hospital after shadowing for six weeks.
Through this opportunity, I pushed myself and faced a lot of my fears, changing for the better. I am grateful for these lessons I learned in Mombasa!
Playing Simon Says and dancing after teaching students about how to brush their teeth and wash their hands!
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
It sounds cliché, but I feel more confident in myself. I was always surrounded by doubt when someone asked me why I wanted to go into the medical field, especially since I had zero experience.
After this internship, I can say that I definitely want to go into the medical field, even more so now! But on a personal level, this experience helped me put myself out there when meeting so many new people, showing that close friends can come from places we least expect them!
I am now more willing to overcome my fears and welcome failures while at college. Because, without failures, we can never truly learn. I am looking for every opportunity to travel abroad for medical internships just like this one! If you are debating about going or not, do it. I promise you it’s worth it.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Learning and experiencing a different culture on a personal level rather than a touristic one. I want to walk away with more questions than I started with, making me want to come back to Mombasa!
For me, whenever I travel, I want to experience it all, and I was able to do just that through IMA. I also want to make friends wherever I go, which I was able to do in the hospital, at the intern housing, and even throughout the city! I learned so much about the medical field while having time to do so many incredible outdoor activities!
This is a very balanced trip that was fruitful for both my potential medical future and, honestly, just for myself.
