EcuaExperience: Pre-Medical and Volunteer Programs

This month spent in Ecuador was the best month of my life. It balanced education, adventure, and social aspects perfectly. Through the BioMed program, I was able to get first-hand healthcare experiences that are not possible in Canada. I gained so much knowledge about both specific patient care, and about the general fields of medicine that will help me in choosing a career path. The galapagos was definitely a highlight of the trip, from hiking to snorkelling and kayaking we were always busy and seeing SO much wildlife! The volunteering portion was incredible, however it would have been nice to have more days volunteering than what we did (as part of BioMed).
Overall, the memories from this trip will stay with me forever, of this amazing place and the people I got to share it with! Ecuador is an beautiful country that everyone should get the chance to experience, and HLD is a perfect way to see it all! I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but it exceeded by expectations and I highly recommend this program.

There was constantly an activity or experience to be had. Rarely any breaks. It felt as if six months of experiences were packed into one month. The medical rotations were extremely in depth. It´s impossible to find that type of first hand experience in Canada. The friends that are made on this program become lifelong friends because of all the experiences you share. The travel covers everything from the jungle to the mountains to the ocean.

This program was eye opening for me! It really gave me the opportunity to see how people live in parts of the world other than Canada. The fact that the owners Juan and Jose were involved in the trip made it a far better experience. The med rotations were very interesting, the volunteering was very rewarding and the tour portion was a blast!

In one day on Help Learn and Discover, we learned how to do examinations of the head neck and thorax, had a Spanish lesson, and ended with a dance party on a bus driving around the city. This trip gives oppourtunities to do things that I would have never have thought I would be able to do in my life. Every day is planned to make sure the participants can get the most out of the trip socially, culturally and in terms of medical education. I am so thankful to have been able to be a participant and would recommend it to any student.

This trip surpassed by expectations in every way possible. I was super excited when I heard about this amazing trip at my university, but no amount of information or presentations prepared me for the amazing adventures and life long friendships that I experienced during this trip.

I participated in the Pre-Medical Program for May 2015. I was blown away by the variety of things we did in 1 month. Some of the highlights during the "discover" part of the trip included horseback riding around a volcano, waterfall repelling, tubing (right to the doorstep of our hotel), surfing, hiking in the jungle, and much more. The one week of medical rotations gave me first hand experience in a hospital setting and the med tutors who we shadowed taught me more than I could have learned in any university course! One of the most life-changing parts of the trip was helping to build houses in the community. Each day was challenging and filled with hard work, but getting the chance to bond with the locals made it 100 percent worth it. The kids of community were the happiest, most loving children I had ever met and we quickly grew close with them, despite the English-Spanish language barrier.

Although every activity was amazing, the people are part of what made this trip so special. The owners of HLD, Juan and Jose, go out of their way to get to know each participant and to ensure that every activity goes perfectly. The leaders were amazing and the friends I made felt much more like family. I would recommend HLD to anyone wanting to travel Ecuador!

As a student with little information prior to going on the trip I had no idea what to expect and put all my trust into the program and the people behind it. I'm glad to say I went on this trip regardless of my knowledge prior to, it was honestly the best 5 weeks I could of asked for. I can even say I wasn't ready to go home when I did, I could of stayed there all summer long. My ecuaexperinece in Ecuador and the Galapagos is one I will cherish for the rest of my life and never forget.

The help portion of he program was especially rewarding for me, I couldn't of imagined how helping those who are less fortunate by building them homes would change my life. The joy and happiness on the communities faces would fill your heart with enough joy for the rest of your life. The community was so greatfull for their new homes and for their lives to change. I also loved how much we got to interact with the community and really connect with the people. From the friendly games of soccer, movie night with the kids, the welcome and goodbye dinners, as well as just working along side them to build new homes. I am so happy I got the opportunity to help this special community in Pujili no matter how much hard work it was and how dirty we all got at the end of the day.

The learning part of the trip was more then I ever dreamt of. The amount of information we learnt during our medical rotations and outside from doctors and the tutors was mind blowing, the experiences we saw in the different wards of the hospital was fascinating, and the just the experience of it all was amazing. There aren't many places in the world that will allow you to see what we saw, learnt what we learnt, and got an insight of the world from a doctors perspective and still feel safe and excited for what's next to come. The medical really allow you to see what career path and what lifestyle you will be going into if you choose to become a doctor.

The discover portion of the trio was absolutely nothing I could of ever imagined. The scenery in the beautiful country of Ecuador is nothing I've ever seen before from the volcanoes, rainforest, waterfalls, beaches, and hot springs were wonderful. I never thought one country was capable of so much Beaty. And the Galapagos was yet another beautiful surprise from the amazing blue oceans, white beaches, the wildlife, and sea life was so awesome. I couldn't of imagined being anywhere else but on this trip and meeting the amazing people I did. This organization is a great mixture of volunteering, discovering what Ecuador has to offer, and learning about what your carer might look like in the near future.

I went on the Pre-Med 1 trip for the month of May 2015. I wish the trip could have lasted all summer. The variety on this trip is incredible including surfing, water repelling, medical rotations, working with the community volunteering, hiking volcanoes, a rainforest and the jungle, tubing, horse back riding, snorkelling and much more! What really makes this trip so special is the two owners Jose and Juan. They make you feel like family while you are there and truly care that you are having fun and are safe at all times. If you are interested in medicine, the pre-med option is a great opportunity to really see if this is an environment that you enjoy - you actually get to stand in operating rooms watching surgeries, learn how to draw blood and make stitches, opportunities you would not be allowed to do in North America in your undergrad. Working at the volunteer site is very rewarding, seeing the conditions people live in on a day to day basis and how happy the children are even though they live in very poor conditions. This trip is a great combination of learning, laughing, working hard and having fun. Get ready to sing lots. dance, wear a constant smile and have the time of your life! If anyone was to ask me what would I say to future HLD students I would tell them get ready to have the best time of their lives!

This program was truly phenomenal. As someone who signed up for the program alone, I was a little intimidated at first. As I was traveling to a foreign country all alone, to meet up with a bunch of strangers, not quite sure what I was getting myself into. However, it wasn’t long at all before those strangers became close friends, better yet, my family! Traveling with so many like-minded people (people with a passion for change and equality) provides an amazing energy, it was hard not to be positive the entire trip.

Every place that we traveled was astonishing; I was blown away by how diverse Ecuador is. As one day we would be in the mountains, and the next in the rainforest. Also, all the activities we did as a group were amazing. All the new experiences really pushed me out of my comfort zone sometimes, which was a good thing - as I truly think I learned a great deal about myself from this trip.

The volunteer aspect was the most meaningful for me. The work days were long and hard, but were also incredibly rewarding. Getting to work alongside the community members which we were helping, and seeing the appreciation they had towards what we were doing - was incredibly touching.

I don’t think I will ever forget the memories and friends (fellow students, community members, as well as the leaders and organizers alike) that I have made on this trip.

I highly recommend to anyone looking to make a difference in the world, to sign up for this trip like I did. It may have been a bit of an impulsive decision, but it was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.