Public Health & Medicine Internship in the Ecuadorian Amazon

During my internship, I worked in the clinic and on a shaman project. I loved working in the clinic. I loved Carmen and Cris — they made my experience. What I'm most proud of is having acclimated to a completely different culture. The most impactful part was my host family. Being the only white person in an entire community was difficult at first — from it I learned that integrating yourself in a new situation just takes time. I think I could have spent more time in the community during the weekends. Looking back, I developed my Spanish speaking abilities, and the idea of adaptability will definitely help me in my future endeavors. Beyond that, I became more culturally aware. I am grateful for all of the wonderful relationships I made while in Ecuador and all of the amazing people I met. I think I am more confident in my abilities and just more outgoing now in general.

During my internship, I worked in the Red Cross lab, worked as an assistant to the paramedics, and worked with Sumak Kawsay Wasi with the physical therapists going out into communities to help the disabled people who cannot travel to Tena. The 1:1 check-ins were one of my favorite parts of the program — when I was having a hard time with something, the check-ins always made me feel better and gave me a better attitude for moving forward. I was living with the Andy Grefa family in Muyuna. Overall, I wouldn't have traded my host family for another experience because we got really close and they think of me as another daughter and I think of them as a family in Ecuador. I really liked how orientation was intimate and very informative — it made me think deep and I learned a lot before starting the actual internship. What I'm most proud of is using my communication skills to become part of the community and make friends here. I didn't come with a friend — I made all these connections on my own, and I'm proud of myself to think that wherever I go in the world, I can use these skills to integrate into the community. The most impactful part was all of the above. Being the first intern with my host family, I learned that communication is key — after really convincing myself that the only way to feel better was to communicate with them, things started to change for the better and I felt more at ease. During this experience I learned a lot about the importance of needs assessment and first studying a place and the people before trying to get involved — being more educated before diving into a project will only help eliminate obstacles and problems before they happen. My experience with Amazon Learning sparked an interest to work with communities in a healthcare capacity, and although I'm still unsure of how, it made me want to continue to travel and work in the healthcare field. I am grateful for the opportunity I was given to see a part of the world much different than what I have seen before and to have spent four months challenging myself and growing as a result of my efforts and the efforts of others. I learned what is important to me in life — experiences and getting to learn from others is more important to me than material things. I think Amazon Learning facilitates an experience that will change someone's perspective on life and will teach them something about themselves and about other people.

During my internship, I worked in a health clinic assisting staff, mostly nurses, as well as doing medical brigades and vaccination campaigns — really good experience and I would recommend it to anyone else who is pursuing a health career. The communication was very open and I knew I could ask for help whenever I needed it. I was impressed with how nice of a house I was placed in. What I'm most proud of is being able to handle prepping patients by myself on one of the busiest days. The most impactful part was all of the above. Learning Spanish taught me not to be afraid of making mistakes and giving it my all. Looking back, I wish I had spent more time with my family. Beyond that, I gained confidence in all aspects of my life that will help me to pursue my career more head strong. This experience also helped me realize what values I hold and how much they really mean to me — these values will help guide me through my next chapter in my life. This is the first time I've truly felt confident and proud of myself and it has made me less afraid of the future. I'm just so thankful for all the inspiring people I met throughout this experience.