Medical Internship in Cusco, Peru

Wow. Sure, it seems like such a small word, and maybe a cliche thing to say, but honestly, wow. The medical internship I did in Peru was absolutely amazing! I could not have asked for a better experience in terms of quality. Not only were the employees of Maximo Nivel incredible professionals, but they are also loving and kind people who you would like to get to know anyways. They do a fantastic job placing you somewhere you truly want to work. For example, one of my fellow volunteers didn't like her first job placement, and after speaking to Maximo, she was quickly transferred to the clinic where I was at. Maximo does very well placing you with a family as well. You always have the option of changing anything if you are not happy; in the end the experience is yours, and Maximo did all it could to make it the best experience for me. I was able to have large amounts of patient contact, and even saw sutures being put into someone's chest! Although my family was concerned about the safety in Peru, I honestly found it to be just as dangerous as any other city. Just be careful and everything will go well. There were so many opportunities to get to learn about the culture, travel, and eat good food. Cuzco is the center of Archaeological cites (aka ruins, but never say that to a native :D) and there is always something to do. Although finding places with wifi can be a little tricky, Maximo provided internet and a landline phone to make calls back home. I stayed a total of 5 weeks in Cuzco, and I wish to go back some day with Maximo again. This experience certainly encouraged me to continue with my pre-med track so I can one day become a doctor too. I hope many people continue participating with this incredible program, that not only provides medical internships but also a wide variety of other programs. I am certainly promoting it to all my friends at the University of Denver. Go Pios! And go Maximo Nivel!