Alliance for Smiles

Words cannot describe how thankful I am for having been included in the program as Alliance for Smile’s first intern / educational observer. I had such an amazing experience during the trip to Myanmar.
I am very passionate about becoming a doctor someday, and this trip just encouraged me to pursue my goals even more. Being a young student, just the ability to be present among your nurses and doctors, and being able to observe and ask questions is a gift all in itself. Experiencing new cultures and immersing myself in a country that I have never been to before was a valuable experience that I will never forget.
Some of my top takeaways from the trip were visiting with the families of the children who had just been operated on, and getting to be right next to the surgeons while they were at work. Speaking with people from the hospital and learning how to operate on cleft lips and palates was truly an awarding experience. This was a very intense and deeply moving experience as all the doctors worked so incredibly hard around the clock!

I find that trips like this help shape the kind of person I strive to be, and the kind of doctor I hope to become.

Thank you Alliance for Smiles!