I was effective and helpful which was very rewarding and made me waking up on the work days very excited for what was to come...

My name is Christopher Murray, I am entering my 4th year of University in Canada hoping to become a doctor someday, and I have just finished a 12-week volunteer placement in the Medicine and Health Care Program. My intentions with this program were to get some clinical volunteering experience unique to a developing, rural setting as well as to spend some time outside of my comfort zone. After 12 weeks, I am very satisfied with my experience after achieving what I wanted and more.
When I originally decided to come here, I had 4 months to prepare for the trip. Being from Canada, I had almost no exposure to Spanish prior to my decision so that was a major insecurity for me. Coming here, there is a major shock of having to operate in a completely foreign language but that is quickly subdued when you see that the locals are some of the most welcoming, understanding, and patient people you can meet. Many of the shop owners know some level of conversational English so when they realize you are not exactly a tourist, they are more than happy to exchange some conversational tips and practice with you. All you have to do is ask. There are also Spanish classes at both beginner and intermediate levels that are offered and they are absolutely superb for training your ear and building your Spanish grammatical base.
Specific to my program, I felt very accommodated to which I am so grateful for. Dr. Flor and Manfred both made sure that I could function properly wherever I was assigned and most importantly, they reciprocated being available and open to any feedback and ideas I had. In that environment, I felt that I was effective and helpful which was very rewarding and made me waking up on the work days very excited for what was to come.
Living in Samana has been an absolutely wonderful experience. Experiencing Samana reminded me of my docile home town but with a Caribbean twist. As I have mentioned before, the locals are extremely welcoming and nice which quickly made me feel comfortable and welcome. During the weekends, there was always something to do whether it was an impromptu trip to one of the local beaches, dancing at an outside discotheques on the Malecon, or an adventure exploring the island. One of the best aspects about participating with this organization is having volunteers here from all around the world to share experiences with. I absolutely loved the cultural exchanges that took place within the organization and I will always remember the friendships I made here.