Experience of a Lifetime

When I initially signed up for this program I didn't really understand what kind of amazing trip I was about to go on, and what incredible people I would meet. It started with the group meetings with other Vancouverites who were going on the trip. The fundraising we did and coordination at times was difficult, and with little fundraising experience I wasn't entirely sure what I was doing, but there was so much more gratification knowing that all the funds raised were raised by us. The leaders in Vancouver were also useful sources of information about the trip and fundraising, and helped us every step of the way.

When I landed in Ecuador, it was then that I realized I was going to experience a unique, culturally rich and beautiful country. And our tour around Ecuador really solidified this idea, from the coastal and sunny town of Canoa, to the Amazon Rainforest, to the Cotopaxi (one of the world's highest active volcanoes). But the two most rewarding portions of the trip for me was the volunteering in Pujili, and the medical rotations in Quito. During the volunteering, we worked alongside the community and formed bonds with the children, even taking them to a movie, something novel for the majority of them. The work was hard and dirty, but seeing where our fundraised money was going and what we were doing for this people, the new lives we were helping give them, made it all worth it. In the medical rotations, we toured various wards of the hospitals with medical tutors (5th and 6th year medical students in Quito) and shadowed doctors in the OR. The tutors were extremely knowledgeable about each subject and were easy and friendly to talk to. We learned a whirl wind of information, from both inside and outside rotation learning, but I feel that I came away with a much better understanding of what it means to be a doctor and what it means to work in different wards of the hospital.

All together this trip was life changing. The people I met, the friends I made, and everything I learned are things I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I am very thankful I was able to go on this trip.