EcuaExperience: Pre-Medical and Volunteer Programs

One of the best decisions of my life was to decide to travel to Ecuador with HLD. It opened my eyes to so many new things and different cultures. It not only made a difference in people's lives, but gave me a greater sense of the medical field, and allowed me to have a ridiculous amount of fun at the same time. I met some people that I can confidently say I will be friends with forever! If anyone is contemplating taking this trip, there's nothing to contemplate! You won't only change other people's lives but it will also change yours.

This was a trip I went on about two years ago, just randomly, after being referred to the program by a friend. I had little to no expectation on the program when I went into the program, however, the program taught me so much more and exposed me to so many great experiences with the community and the medical field. I personally grew so much and learned more about myself than anything. I think I realized how sheltered I was, but experiencing and putting myself out there with a completely foreign culture, it allowed me to realize more things. The staff was great, helpful and always made me feel safe throughout the whole trip. The medical rotations allowed me to really get a feel for what doctors and nurses go through. The different rotations allowed me to open my options for what I would like to do in the future. It has also helped me broaden my vision in my goals.

This trip has honestly been one of the most amazing experiences in my entire life. I learned so much! I learned a lot about the culture in Ecuador and South America in general. I learned about how to make a lasting impact in a community. I learned so much about myself.

This was such a great trip because there was so much balance! We worked hard but we also had tons of fun :) I'm so grateful for the fact that I can look back fondly at building homes from scratch and knowing that its made a positive change for so many families. Best of all, some of my best friends today are from this wonderful experience.

Going through all the medical rotations definitely helped me narrow down my career choice and helped me establish what I want to do and what I really don't want to do. This opportunity really wouldn't have been possible at home. If you're not sure which aspect of medicine/health care you want to be involved with, this program will definitely be an eye opener.

Going on this trip was definitely the best and most rewarding thing I have ever done. I had considered doing other volunteer trips before but Help, Learn, Discover stood out from the rest and I'm so glad I chose them.

I felt like I was really able to make a difference in the lives of others. The interaction with the community you're helping is remarkable. These people have barely anything, but they welcome you with open arms and treat you like family. I will never forget seeing one of the homes we were replacing, no one should ever have to live like that. This program is truly making a difference!

They take you to crazy places and have these amazing activities for you to do. You get to experience Ecuador like a local would experience it. Going to the Galapagos Islands was a dream come true for me, without HLD I may have never been able to experience it.

If you are looking for something meaningful, life changing and so so so much fun, look no further than Help, Learn, Discover!

This program is one amazingly unique program, it is meticulously planned. From the medical rotations, tours, construction of the houses, and everything in between. It all starts with Juan and Jose, these guys are unbelievable and will make an everlasting impression on you. They construct a team full of wonderful students to lead you through an astounding journey. Beginning with the fundraisers until you arrive safely back home.

Building houses for Pallatanga was one of the most rewarding experiences in life. After touring their town, you'll feel vibe of something special going on. Being able to touch so many lives by donating your time is just remarkable. As far as the medical rotations go, you'll learn much more than what you were expecting. For someone looking into the medical field, these rotations will help you gain a different perspective. The tutors can answer any kind of question you may come across. They're very knowledgeable and advice they give is definitely worth jotting down.

The tours are breathtaking experiences. Being at the top of Machu Picchu made me feel like I was king of the world. Sharing the entire experience with a diverse group of people is phenomenal. Also, these are the same people who are on the same path as you. By surrounding yourself with motivated individuals similar to yourself, will only help you succeed in life.

After participating in this program, you'll honestly learn more than just helping others, you'll gain valuable life lessons as well. Hands down, the best 5 weeks of my life! You'll definitely come back with more than a handful of stories, I know I did.

Overall the most amazing experience I have had to date, a very memorable trip with amazing people. Building houses in Pallatanga was a very special week and I would never have gotten an experience like it without going on this trip. Seeing how happy and grateful the community was for our presence was a truly life altering experience and knowing that our group has made an impact in their lives is a great feeling, because they have made a huge impact on my life. Of course the traveling was fun also, hard to believe all the cool things we got to do, in such a short period of time, but it was all worth it. Be prepared to be 100% all the time, this is an experience of a lifetime I would recommend to anyone looking for an experience to get them out of their comfort zone, to meet amazing people and to do things they might never do again.

Help, Learn and Discover was an amazing experience. I decided to go on this trip, despite the high price, because it seemed to be the perfect combination of my interests. After my experience I can say that it was everything I expected and more and it was worth every penny. In short, it was the perfect mix of helping others, a unique educational experience, amazing sites, fun activities and topping it off with a group of the most unbelievable people I have ever met.
The staff bend over backwards to accommodate the students. I would wholeheartedly recommend this trip to anyone.

As corny as it sounds, this trip truly changed my life and my outlook on life. I'll break it down into the three sections

1. HELP: This was amazing. While we were there, we had great accommodations in Pallatanga (we had a good place to sleep in and had hot water). What I really liked about this was that we had a lot of chances to interact with the community. They were there with us while we were building, they had a welcome and farewell party for us and we had chances to play soccer with them too. This was the part that changed my outlook on life because these people were so generous and loving even with what little they had in material things. I wish we could have spent more time in the community!

2. LEARN: The med rotations were cool because it's an experience you're unlikely to have anywhere else. You don't have to have any previous training or medical experience/knowledge at all. Some cool things my group saw included a surgery and a birth. It was also cool to spend time with the med student mentors, learn CPR and stitching.

3. DISCOVER: Touring Ecuador was great! We saw lots of waterfalls and different towns. We had a chance to surf too which was a lot of fun.

If you have the chance, do an extra week trip. I really regret not going to Peru!