Become a Global Health Volunteer in Peru

What I liked most about the trip was experiencing a new country's culture and health system I had almost no prior knowledge about. I hadn't learned much about Peru in the past, and this trip really exposed me to how diverse and unique Peruvian culture is. My favorite volunteer activity was the anemia survey we did in La Esperanza and Zona Patria. I was able to see how people lived in a rural community and learn about people's perception of health and anemia specifically, since it is a major issue in Peru. A bonus was the beautiful mountainous location. The experience was more than just educational, and I had a wonderful time exploring downtown La Merced and hiking to beautiful waterfalls around the city!

I went to Huancayo with a group of 5-6 other girls when I was a sophomore in undergrad. It was my first time visiting South America and hopefully won't be my last. One of the biggest mental hurdles I had to overcome was the sheer amount of travel time, which ate up over an entire day of the journey. The 8hr plane ride followed by an 8 hr bus ride was tough, to be honest, but it was well worth it once we got going on the projects and activities. I experienced activities such as OR shadowing, visiting a remote area and setting up a pop-up clinic to take blood glucose readings and administer dental fluoride treatments, visiting an orphanage of young girls who had been abused by their families and teaching them about self-esteem and conversing with them in Spanish, and also learning different suture stitches on a pig's foot. I know these experiences can be tailored more closely to the interests of the group so don't be afraid to communicate what you'd like to see or do! Besides those activities, we had free time to explore around our homestay and we got to see some really cool little parks with amazing architecture and artwork that made for some cool pictures, in addition to the beautiful mountains, glaciers, and lagoons we saw on a hike on a mountain. Overall great trip and it's been a few years and I'm still raving about it!

FIMRC organized an incredible experience for anyone to take advantage of. I visited the Huancayo, Peru project site for the Summer 2016 trip. As a Peruvian/American dual citizen, I received priceless cultural and professional experience. This trip consists of the perfect combination of pleasurable and serious activities that really make the month spent abroad fly by. You really bond with your fellow colleagues and the community making it feel like a second home. The medical experiences that you receive are things you'll only experience beyond medical school in America and they indicate whether or not you want to go into the field if you're contemplating it. Overall, Huacayo, Peru was amazing and is only something you can experience for yourself instead of reading about it.

Entering a new culture means entering a new world. And in that new world, the idea of service must be redefined. Love of language, appreciation of tradition, willingness to adapt, and eagerness to learn all play a crucial role. Without an understanding of local people and integration with newfound culture, progress in professional areas is limited. This summer, FIMRC helped me learn all of this, and more.

I spent June-July 2016 with the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC), in La Merced, Peru (locally referred to as Chanchamayo). FIMRC’s mission is to “improve the health of families in the developing world through the implementation of innovative and self-sustainable health improvement programs” (FIMRC). In La Merced I partnered with hospitals and native communities, working on clinical rotations, health campaigns, educational presentations, and a few independent projects. However, above anything else, the FIMRC experience and local staff taught me this summer was about cultivating strong, trusting ties with native Ashaninkas and Chanchamayans, sharing beautiful life moments together, and showing them we have just as much to learn from them as they do from us.

FIMRC is an amazing organization to work with. The work I did was based out of their site in Huancayo, Peru so my experience specially speaks to the success of that particular location. The staff was extremely friendly and supportive. They were always there for all of the volunteers and by the end of our trip they became our good friends. FIMRC is an excellent organization for premedical students because of the clinical exposure participants gain. Whether it be through community outreach programs, observing shadows in the OR, checking a patients glucose level, or even planning a wedding, FIMRC is undoubtedly an organization that anyone who works with will agree with me saying that it was completely worth it.

This past June I am happy to say that I served with FIMRC (Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children) in the (likely) unheard-of city of La Merced in Peru. There, as an itinerant health fellow with 12 other volunteers, we went to various native communities as well as city centers to conduct health campaigns and give medical lessons.
We all lived together for the month in Rosa, Luis and Abuelita's house and were able to enjoy some spectacular food. Plus, the avocados from their backyard were the size of cantaloupes.
The city is situated on the eastern base of the Andes, fringing the jungle. Being in this ecologically transitional region made for some wonderful weather and beautiful sunsets. Each day we were able to immerse ourselves in the local medical community and regularly visit schools for our lessons. This was arguably my favorite part of this trip; giving humorous lessons at one of the schools and helping the understaffed special needs school by playing with the children. Overall, it was truly rewarding because no matter our background or level of experience-- we all provided integral parts in brightening the community's collective day.​

I was volunteering over the summer and just happened to be there during the 4th of July, so the other volunteers and I (with the help of one of the awesome host families) put on a celebratory independence party/barbeque since we weren't able to celebrate in the United States. We made American food like hamburgers and macaroni and cheese (and got Oreos, of course), and we even set off fireworks at night! Some of the Peruvians in the park nearby were a little confused, but our own Peruvian friends had fun with us. We even had a student from England celebrate with us!

Hours after we arrived in La Merced Peru disaster struck. A mud slide had taken out dozens of houses, leaving people homeless and in distress. As a group of 17 we came with many different specialties. We broke up into groups and assest the situation. A group of engineers were able to build and demonstrate a water filtration system using natural resources, another group came up with a health talk and provided gift bags with hygiene products, the last thing this community needed was an outbreak. Another group was in charge of helping the children cope with this tragedy by bringing toys and games to make them smile. This was an amazing experience for us to be able to use the donations we brought to help in a crisis, and make an impact on this community.