Program Reviews

The whole experience was wonderful! It made us reach beyond ourselves and our comfort zone, to help those that were truly in need. In one of our home visits, we reached out to a lady who had suffered a fractured hand and was also dealing with the death of numerous family members and having to live by herself. She was very grateful for anything that we did . . . starting with praying with her and providing her a rosary. We interacted with her several times and she was so much happier by the time we left. What a wonderful gift and blessing it is to be able to make a difference in someone's life!

I absolutely loved my leaders they made the trip for me, Loida, Rose, and Miguel were so awesome and they taught us a lot about the culture of Belize. I also love the restaurant we went to most of the time, Jalepenos. Our doctors were awesome as well. This trip was the perfect amount of fun/ traveling and medical/ volunteering. 10/10 would recommend/ go on another trip. I loved every minute of it.

We had an absolutely amazing trip. What made the trip so amazing... our incredible leader. She went out of her way to not only make sure we were equipped to work with our patients and provide them with the highest quality care we were capable of, but also that we learned a lot about the country we went to and about their culture. Overall I would highly highly recommend ISL because of the special people you will meet on your trip. The experience is truly humbling.

Going into my ISL trip, I was unsure what the experience was going to be like. I only really knew that I was going to Mexico with likeminded people to do medical work in the local community. Little did I know that, that was only the surface. What I found in the ISL experience was not only incredible hands on work, but also great immersion into the Mexican culture. The staff was wonderful and the accommodations were far beyond than my expectations. Everything about this opportunity was exceptional. If you want to do real hands on medical work and see the difference you can make in others' lives than this is the program for you. I only wish I could have stayed longer. Thank you ISL!

Before entering the ISL program for this mission trip to Costa Rica, my background in Spanish reaches back to my high school years and my Physical Therapy background only to the previous year of PT school. I was excited from the first day forced to sit through orientation, but after our last day I was quite sad to be leaving. The mutual social impacts we were capable of leaving and forming changed my life.

It's undeniable that this trip was one of the best decisions I've made so far in regards to my education and life experiences! From treating people in needy communities to working with children suffering from cerebral palsy in an aquatic rehab facility, no other experience could have given me such an array of the various paths that physical therapy can take you! One of the most memorable aspects of this trip was meeting this amazing grandmother who had intense shoulder pain, and was in great need of some relief from the everyday stress and hardwork she went through. We were able to spend 3 hours with her, not only pinpointing the source of her pain, but also relieving her of pain and giving her the attention she deserves not only as a patient but as a human being! I learned so much in my short time there, met some amazing people, and have gained an outlook in Physical Therapy that I will cherish and carry with me as I pursue this wonderful career path!!!

This trip was by far the most amazing thing I could have ever experienced. Going into areas of Costa Rica that even the locals were hesitant about and providing care to those who needed it most was an absolutely amazing experience. I would recommend this program to anyone and everyone who is interested in being a medical profession so you can see just how much of a difference you can make in a persons life if you truly care about the individual patient.

Our team of college nursing and pre-med students experienced a fabulous holistic healthcare and community service immersion! We had busy days working in the community by building gardens, painting schools, visiting a prison, playing soccer with the children, and attending church. Our healthcare work spanned community and home visits, a free neighborhood clinic, completing health assessments in the primary care clinic and providing patient care in the hospital. The leaders kept us highly engaged in serving the Baja population while improving our Spanish speaking and professional nursing skills. We had ample free time to enjoy the beach and do some tourist activities. We all returned to Iowa with a broader appreciation of diverse community needs.

The Amazon territory of Peru is a place you should visit! This place is beautiful, has great food, amazing wildlife to see, and the people in the communities we visited were so welcoming. The doctors we worked with were so willing to help us learn and gain experience in a clinic setting. I would highly recommend this program for someone who wants to learn about and experience Peru, who wants to immerse yourself in the Spanish language, and who wants to gain excellent medical experience.

I can't begin to put into words how, truly incredible this trip was. (oxymoron) It was without a doubt the most rewarding experience of my short life, so far. The people of the communities we visited were so inspiring, and as corny as it sounds, they touched all of our hearts. It brought me tremendous joy to be able to offer medical services to the wonderful people, and i absolutely can't wait to go back.