An experience that has everything

I did the medical program in June for 28 days and it was the perfect amount of time with the perfect amount of experiences. The three components of volunteering, seeing the country, and participating in medical rotations were expertly organised and executed very well. During the whole trip we were constantly being looked after, but not in a smothering sense, we were still very free to explore, but I felt very safe as well. During the "discover" portion of the trip I hiked a portion of the Amazon, went tubing in the Napo river (amazing!!), enjoyed a relaxing night in the Amazon jungle, enjoyed a relaxing resort stay at Canoa beach, and saw so much wild life, culture, great sight seeing, and hit so many tourist hot spots. It was amazingly comprehensive! As for the learn portion, 3 participants were paired with a senior medical student and they taught us very neat things, gave us great resources, took us on the wards, let us interact with patient, and see incredible surgeries. I was able to watch a brain biopsy (so cool!!!), and the students and staff were so accommodating and awesome . Lastly during the volunteer portion we helped build 20 homes for families in Pujili. It was really tough work, and I am very glad I did it. It really put into perspective what I have at home made me really grateful for it all. We worked alongside the people who would be living in the homes and we all got to know each other and really bonded. The kids are so cute and playful. This was such an amazing experience. I think anyone considering a medical career and wanting to see what the world has to offer should definitely consider this program. Out of everyone in my group (we were only 12, but other months had up to 40) we were all raving about how great this experience was. So many experiences, and at the end of everything, these other participants become your best friends. It was sad to leave. In short, amazing program!