Tomorrow at 2pm, my plane will take off from Newark, New Jersey to Lima, Peru. That is what I will mark as the beginning of my journey.
As a freshman nursing student at Temple University, I was interested in getting hands on experience as soon as possible. Little did I know the experience would begin so soon!
Sometime in late September or early October, my friend Alex told me about a flyer that he and his girlfriend had seen advertising this trip and a new, soon-to-be student organization called MEDLIFE. MEDLIFE is a worldwide organization that has chapters at colleges across the United States, which Temple is now proudly a part of, as well as in Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Australia. These student run chapters allow college students to get involved whether or not they are pursuing a profession in the medical field. It allows these students to participate in fundraising activities or volunteer in the clinics that MEDLIFE runs in Peru, Ecuador, Tanzania, and India. MEDLIFE believes in assisting a community through the resources of medicine, education, and development. In fact, MEDLIFE stands for Medicine, Education and Development for Low Income Families Everywhere.
I support these same beliefs, and as a nursing major, I knew this experience would not only be an incredible one unlike anything I've ever been a part of, but I also knew it would be a valuable one. It is more than just a resumé booster; I finally have the chance to directly have an impact on people who need help. I will get a little taste of what I will be doing as a nurse with this new and exciting experience in my field. I will also be introduced to a lifestyle that is drastically different from my own, and I have every intention of gaining a new perspective on my own life and the world when I do so.
Though I will only be volunteering Monday through Friday, January 13th through the 17th, I am looking forward to seeing just what this MEDLIFE clinic can do. I am absolutely ecstatic to be making this venture with two of the closest friends that Temple has introduced me to as well, Alex and Sydney (who are dating and both pre-med students, but that's a different story).
This blog will be dedicated to everything I experience this week. The good, the bad, and everything in between. I know how excited I am, which is why I am putting up my first post at nearly 2am (almost 12 hours until take off!!), and I hope you are excited as well. Let's hope customs is a breeze because Peru, I'm coming for you!
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