EcuaExperience: Pre-Medical and Volunteer Programs

Juan and Jose gave clear instructions for what was to come the following days and it was always exciting to hear what was in store for us. Each day was packed with activities such as med rotations, hikes, waterfall repelling, beach time, volunteering in a community (which includes playing with the kids) and always great food! It amazed me that one month could be so productive, eye opening and fulfilling. It definitely changed my life in a positive way!

Every day there were activities on this trip that seemed like something out of a movie. From the galloping horses around a volcano, to tubing down the Amazon river and rappelling down waterfalls, each day was one to remember. I found myself getting to the hotel every night reminiscing on the next incredible experience we had had that day, which allowed the group to become so close.

The medical rotations were a major reason I signed up for the trip. The tutors were fun to hang out with, and I learned more in that week than I ever have in that time. Although I was able to scrub in on surgeries and was able to see things I never would have been able to in Canada, the volunteer experience was the most rewarding. Although I had done something similar in high school with Free The Children, the contact with the locals was unparalleled. We finished the week with a soccer match, and a farewell dinner that was very emotional. It was a truly humbling experience to know we had made a difference in these people's lives.

All in all HLD was the trip of a lifetime. Juan, José, and the leaders made sure everyone was taken care of and happy at all times. My time in Ecuador I have made lifelong friends and have had the best month of my life.

HLD has been an absolute blast. I enjoyed every part of it, whether it was watching medical surgeries only a foot away or repelling down waterfalls in the Amazon rainforest! Each aspect of this trip has an outstanding amount of wonderful things to be offered. I learned more than I ever imagined I would throughout the medical rotations and got really close with the tutors that taught us. For myself, nothing will top building the homes for the families of Pujili. We all worked very diligentl and every second of it was worth it. It was amazing to see the level of gratitude each and every one of them had for us, especially the kids. Getting to see how the families used to live and then helping construct a better future for them was truly humbling and I am very grateful for being apart of such an experience. I am very thankful for the friends I met the first day and even more thankful for the family that we have become. The HLD Ecuaexperience is a trip of a lifetime and has impacted my life greatly. I highly recommend HLD to all that want to experience what the medical field is like, to make a difference in many families lives or even if you just want to see what the beautiful country of Ecuador has to offer, you will have a blast.

Literally words can not explain the experience I have had with HLD. I have made some lifetime friends as well as learned a lot about myself. With the help of the med rotations as well as the mentors I now know without a doubt that I want to be a doctor, which is something no other trip can offer. Sitting here at the end of my trip writing this, and trying to think back to all the thing I have done since landing in Quito blows me away. Each day is jammed back full activities whether it is watching open heart surgery, rappelling down waterfalls, playing beach volleyball in Canoa, shopping in the markets, or hiking through the amazon rain forest. To anyone reading this review and thinking whether it is worth it, I can personally guarantee the trip is worth every penny.

HLD was an incredible experience for me. I learned an unbelievable amount during the medical rotations, and had an amazing time meeting lifelong friends. Yet for me, I think the volunteer aspect of the trip is what stood out the most. It was quite life changing to see how genuine the people of the Pujili village are, and how happy and grateful they are for the homes we helped build. It was extremely touching to have that interaction with the community. One difficulty I experienced was getting quite sick and having a hospital visit, and while that was difficult to experience and miss out on events, I definitely learned a bit about my self and strengths I have, as well as encountered the kindess of the staff during my recovery in Quito which I am very grateful for. I absolutely will recommend this trip to as many people as I can, as I believe it is an extremely valuable trip and have become very passionate about the HLD program.

HLD provided a trip like none other. The food, accommodation, and activities were all fantastic. What makes this program extra special is the volunteer experience and the friends I made. The whole group became like a family away from home.

Working alongside students like myself and the local families who would eventually receive the homes, made the volunteer work very fun and much more meaningful. Through this experience, I learned to appreciate all that I have and the opportunities I will be given for the mere sake of living in a incredibly blessed country such as Canada. I will never forget the overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude I felt by helping these lovely families and I thank HLD for creating such an amazing connection between us.

My month in Ecuador travelling with HLD was the most amazing experience of my life. Although the cost of the trip initially made me hesitant, after coming on the trip I can say that it was 100% worth every penny. The three components of Help Learn and Discover were very evident during the trip and it was an unreal experience working along side med students in the hospital. I learned so much for than I could have ever imagined during just one week of medical rotations. The volunteering week in Pujili was life changing and really was eye opening to me and it was clear to see that we were making a difference in the lives of others. The amount of different places and activites we were able do on this trip was amazing and I can not say enough good things about my ecuaexperience!! All I can say is, if you are thinking of doing HLD, DO IT!!

I was first pretty skeptical about spending thousands of dollars to spend a month of my summer with strangers in a foreign country but I can honestly say it was the best decision I made and easily the best month of my life! The activities I have done here just isnt possible to do in Canada, and the opportunities are a once in a lifetime experience.

Help: We went to Pujili, Ecuador to help build 20 homes for families in need, truly an amazing eye-opening experience! Spending time with the community helping them build their own homes was a really rewarding experience and im glad I got the opportunity to make a difference in the children's lives and their futures. Overall It really put things into perspective

Learn: This was the first year HLD launched the pre-dentistry program and it was super interesting because the pre-dent students got to clean eachothers teeth, learn how to take moulds, look for cavitieis as well as go to the hospital and learn about surgerys, radiology, ER, internal medicine, and stiches! It was great for someone who might possibly be interested in both fields. This was an incredible portion of the trip as we had the opportunity to participate in med rotations by shadowing doctors and dentists in the OR/ER - something that just isnt possible to do in Canada.

Discover: This part of the trip consisted of visiting different parts of Ecuador and participating in various different activities. Trying to do all the activities HLD lined up for us in the same time frame would have been hard if I visited Ecuador alone but having Jose and Juan take care of you making sure you see all you need to see in the month is just super convenient. I have met the best people and had the best time in all the activities planned.