How my Time in Mexico Helped me Find my Path into Medical School

IFSA study abroad has a commitment to engaging its students with the community, and I was given the opportunity to shadow a local doctor at the public hospital in Merida, Mexico. The time I spent shadowing during my semester abroad allowed me to see international medicine up close and personal. I learned about Merida, Mexico, in a way I never would have otherwise. I spent time in the public hospital, speaking with patients whose first language was Maya and second language was Spanish. I could define this experience as professional development, and probably will in the future, but it was more than that. I connected with patients in a way I had never believed possible in the American healthcare system.