EcuaExperience: Pre-Medical and Volunteer Programs

This trip was the most rewarding and challenging experience of my life. I learned so much about Ecuador as a country, about medicine, and, most importantly, about myself through this month-long journey.

If I had to pick a favourite week, it would definitely be the volunteer site. Nothing compares to the looks on a family's face as they see their new homes come together. Even though we didn't speak the same language, we still were able to understand each other. It's incredible how close you can get with a community in a single week. The families receiving the homes work beside the volunteers every day, and it really gives perspective and meaning to your work.

In the touring sections, you were given the opportunity to discover the diversity of Ecuador. We travelled from the highlands, to the coast, to the jungle and back. Along the way, we hiked, surfed, tubed in the Amazon, and sat at the base of a volcano. You truly saw a bit of everything Ecuador has to offer. The guides were hilarious and really made these weeks worth-while. It was a lot of bus rides, but they flew by in a wave of dance parties and sing-alongs.

Med rotations were so unique and educational. On top of shadowing doctors in Quito hospitals, we were given access to bilingual tutors who answered all of our questions. We were able to see the ER/ICU, pediatrics, births, OR, radiology, and sports medicine. Nightly labs gave us the opportunity to learn stitches, and how to draw blood (from each other!!!).

Overall, this was the best month of my life, and I will miss the country and people every day. Everyone remotely interested in this program should go. You won't regret it.

I honestly don't know where to start... HLD Ecuaexperience has been an opportunity I won't soon forget. The people are remarkable, the things we see and people we meet are life changing, and the impact we make is heartwarming.

Help: The long and hard days at the volunteer site are worth every drop of sweat when you accomplish something as worthwhile as giving a family (especially 21 families) a home. The community is so appreciative, it really gives you a new perspective on life.

Learn: Thinking about medicine? The medical rotations are definitely an eye opening experience. During the long hours in the hospitals, you'll see anything from live births to a rhynoplasty, all while interacting with knowledgeable tutors and medical staff that really want to make your experience enjoyable.

Discover: Want to see sights that take your breath away? Ecuaexperience is not short on awe inspiring scenery. You haven't really hiked until you've hiked through the Amazon to one of the most breathtaking waterfalls.

All in all, this program is top notch and I would recommend it to anyone interested in making a difference. On top of it all, the friends you will make during this trip are ones that you will never want to let go. Trust me, this trip is more than worthwhile.

August 2013 HLD Participant

As I was in the Bio-premed group, I got the chance to visit the Galapagos Islands. We had days jam packed with activities and everything was easy to do. The medical rotations were so amazing, I got to see many surgeries, like a cholecystectomy and a tubal ligation. We also had the great experience of preparing a case presentation. The only difficulty that I had was that I needed warmer clothes. The leaders and guides were awesome, supportive and good friends too! Love you HLD!

Words cannot describe how incredible the HLD program really is. I went into it knowing very little about what it would be like, but quickly fell in love with the country and the people. My group started our journey at the volunteer site, where 21 homes were being built for 21 deserving families. The fact that we worked with members of the community and the families that would soon be living in the homes made the experience so much more meaningful. The children were always running around and the time we spent playing with them was so much fun. After volunteering for a while, we went to several different places in Ecuador.
Almost every single day of the trip we would say to one another that it was our favourite day yet.. only to find out that the next day was just as exciting, if not more exciting. There was never a dull moment. We did everything from repelling down a waterfall, tubing to our hotel in the jungle, swimming in hot springs (which were right outside our chalets) and the list goes on and on. I was in the Pre-Medical program which was so much better than I expected. We were right behind the surgeons watching surgeries and the things we saw were incredible. We also learned how to do stitches and draw blood. The highlight of my trip was probably the inauguration party, where the completed houses were given away to the families. They were so grateful and I was so happy for them. I decided to end my trip off with the Galapagos and it was by far the best decision I ever made (aside from going on the main part of the trip). It was absolutely amazing and the perfect way to end the best month of my entire life. The friends I made on this trip will honestly be lifelong friends. Those who didn't sign up for the Galapagos had the hardest goodbye because by the end of the trip we were like a little family and they weren't coming with us. If I can give you any advice, don't be the one who's going home while your new best friends are going to the Galapagos (or one of the other optional places).. you won't regret spending the extra money I GUARANTEE it. This program is one of a kind and I would recommend it to absolutely everyone!!!

Before coming to Ecuador, I never knew how hard it would be to leave this beautiful place. There are so many great things I can say about my experience with Ecuaexperience. I never had to worry because with great company, comes with great pleasure in this beautiful, mind-blowing country. I went on my trip not knowing a single soul and I came back with so many friends all around the world. Many activities were planned very well: waterfall rappels, tubbing down rivers, volunteering in local communities, bonfires next to the beach, bargaining in local markets, relaxing in hot springs, and eating ONLY the best food I have ever had. It was beyond my expectations; the accommodations made me speechless. No words can ever explain how much this trip has changed me personally. This trip has made me realize that my goal of studying medicine is set in stone. After getting exposed to the life in the hospital, it really motivates me to help others in need in the future. While learning about how to help others, it helped me find myself in the process. I am so glad that this program had offered me so much, and I can never be more thankful for the leaders, tutors, and our guides for making this trip a life time experience. A month was enough to fall in love with Ecuador.

There are no words I can say to express how amazing this trip was. It was a life changing experience. I learned so much, and not just about medicine (I was in the premed program) but about life, my goals and about myself. I got a whole new perspective abut what I want in life and had a blast in the process.

Help: we work super hard and fundraise as much as possible before we leave on this trip and we get to see where every penny we raised goes. We also get to get our hands dirty when we spend time at the volunteer site building the houses we fundraised for. The best part is meeting the people of the community. Which ever community HLD chooses to help, you can bet on it being a great one. The people are so welcoming and friendly and also so willing to help. Meeting the people who live in Camarones was the best part of my trip and I'll never forget them! I had so much fun playing with the kids and the community organized some special events for us to get to know them. We had two soccer games in which we volunteers played, and two community parties where we all got together danced and had snacks! You know when you're there that you've made a difference in these people's lives and they appreciate it.

Learn: I was in the premed program so I did rotations in the hospitals. I got to see so much in fields such as orthopedics, obstetrics, and geriatrics. I got to see lots of surgeries and interact with the patients. You learn a lot about the different fields of health care and can maybe even start to narrow down which ones you're the most interested in. The tutors HLD arranges to take you around on these rotations are invaluable. You will learn more from them in a day than you do in any class in your undergrad and this knowledge will help you to achieve your goals. They are the coolest people too so you can feel free to ask them any questions and just have a good time when you're with them! I can't thank my tutors enough for the time and effort they put into us.

Discover: HLD will show you all the best of Ecuador! I can't even choose a favorite site because I loved them all, everywhere I went I'd say this is perfect! They plan so many activities ranging from hikes, to waterfall repelling to surfing. One of my favorite parts of the trip was the Amazing Race. I wasn't that excited for it because I wasn't too sure what to expect but it turned out to be so much funner than I'd imagined. The best part about where they take you in Ecuador is that they show you what Ecuador is so you're not in all the touristy areas doing touristy things. You get to know the country and it's people and you will fall in love! I certainly did.

I had no idea what to expect when I signed up for this trip and I got way more than I could've hoped for. The things I got to do and see helped me grow as a person while having the best time of my life. If I could do it all over again (and I probably will) I wouldn't change anything! Except maybe stay longer than 35 days!

Thank you HLD for everything this was the trip of a lifetime!

This trip was absolutely amazing in every aspect. Everyday we were seeing or learning something new. We got to participate in Med rotations which consisted of very long days, but well worth it. I saw many surgeries which opened my eyes to what the real medical field would be like. Leaders and tour guides were upbeat, fun people who encouraged us to live the trip to the fullest. They will all be lifetime friends for sure. We got to help build houses by putting up walls and other jobs. It was an incredible experience. As we helped build we developed friendships with the locals and the families who would later be living in the houses. One of my favourite memories is when we played soccer with all the locals. The girls actually got to throw on jerseys and play on the communities women's team. We travelled a lot on this trip, allowing us to get a good feel for all of Ecuador and the amazing things it has to offer. And of course, we also got to party and enjoy the beach. This trip was the perfect balance of learning, seeing, and doing. A few of the activities you may look forward to on this trip are: hiking, waterfall rappelling, surfing, paragliding, and much more. I definitely recommend this trip to everyone.
One last thing... As someone who has been to other countries with other organizations, I can honestly say HLD is a great one. It is extremely well organized, safe and aims to give you the best experience possible.

This trip to Ecuador was definitely one of the most incredible things I’ve ever done. From the people I met to the experiences we shared to how many things I actually learned, my experience with Help, Learn, Discover far exceeded what I ever thought it would be like coming into this trip. The unique part about HLD is how they offer such a multifaceted way of experiencing the beauty of Ecuador as it allows you to gain so much more out of it than you can ever imagine. The activities are really well planned and you don’t have to worry about the accommodations and food, which leaves you free to enjoy it to the fullest without having to stress over those little, yet incredibly important details.

For the Learn part of the trip you get to spend a week in Quito shadowing doctors by visiting different wards and watching surgeries while actually standing right there inside the operating rooms! It’s an experience unlike any other, especially for aspiring doctors. The Help portion was definitely my favorite part, as you’re in the village building houses for the local people who cannot afford proper housing themselves. It is sometimes hard, physical work as we did things like mixing concrete with only shovels, digging for the foundation of the house, etc. but I finished each day with the most rewarding feeling that we’re actually physically making a difference in other people’s lives. To see the result of our work at the end of the day, and to know that all of our fundraised money is going directly toward people who truly need it is amazing. And because we work alongside the locals and play with the children, we quickly built strong, lasting bonds with them, making it very hard to say goodbye when we had to leave. But the Discover part of the trip, which is scattered throughout the whole month, quickly helped take our minds off of missing the village too much, as we travelled to some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen and got to do some pretty exciting things. From Amazon hikes to waterfall rappelling to surfing to tubing down a river through the rainforest for a couple hours, this month was utterly packed with so many exciting things that I look back and wonder how we managed to fit all of it into only four weeks. But what really made this trip for me was getting to do all these incredible things with some of the best people I’ve ever met. You come into the group meeting so many new strangers, but you leave with some of the greatest friends.

I would also definitely recommend going on one of the extra weeks if possible. I went to Peru after finishing the month in Ecuador and I was really skeptical of how this next week could even meet the level of the rest of the trip, but once again, Peru far surpassed all expectations. It was different from Ecuador as there was a lot more sightseeing, but doing things such as spending time in the beautiful city of Cusco, watching the sunrise at Machu Picchu, and going paragliding off the cliffs of Lima on the Pacific coast were the perfect conclusion to what I already knew was one of the best months of my life.