Nepal with IVHQ: The experience of a lifetime.

To start off with I am a third year medical student who went into medicine to help out as much as I can and I have been wanting to volunteer for quite a long time. Finally I made my mind up and booked a two week medical program with IVHQ for Nepal. When we arrived we were made to feel so welcome already and this helped make us feel comfortable in a place so far away from home. After the two day orientation all the volunteers went on their seperate paths and I was placed for a few days in health camps in Kathmandu which was amazing to say the least. We were taken to a school and to a women's health centre where we took their vitals and this includes blood pressure monitoring, blood glucose monitoring, checking for any signs of ill health etc. This was not only a learning experience for me personally but it also hopefully helped some locals become more aware of certain common diseases that can be prevented. Then my second week was in Pokhara, in Gandaki hospital to be exact. I chose to be placed in the emergency department which was such an eye opening experience especially given that I have not yet had the emergency placement back home. The doctors were very helpful and the language barrier did not stop me from learning as I always managed to find a doctor or two who would explain what was happening. This week was made up of observation more than doing but this is to be expected given I am still a medical student and it would be dangerous for me to carry out procedures but this was still an amazing learning experience. When it comes to the organisation I cannot thank them enough. Transport was always waiting on us. They planned and took us to visit local sites and were always there when we needed something. This was an experience of a lifetime and I would recommend it to whoever asks me! Apart from the experience itself, Nepal is a must visit country so stop thinking about whether you should or shouldn't do it and just go for it before life gets in the way!