UCLA MEDLIFE
"Want a hands-on medical and community service experience? Want to bring health care to the people who need it most? Want a once in a lifetime experience? Travel to Tanzania, India, Ecuador, Panama, or Peru with fellow UCLA students, medical students, and health professionals while learning about medicine, public health, dentistry, pharmacy, and health education! We also partake in community service projects here in Los Angeles. Students can get hands on medical and volunteer experience both abroad and locally, and ALL majors interested in international health initiatives are welcome!"
1st Year
I went to Tijuana, Mexico to assist at a mobile clinic run by the Refugee Health Alliance. This was a day trip, where we assisted physicians in taking vitals and shadowed the physicians as they administered care. We also received the prescriptions and provided medication to the patients. Additionally, I have done fundraising for the organization as well as community service, including beach cleanups and work at the food bank.
2nd Year
Along with the usual community service, a highlight of this year with the organization was definitely the week-long Service Learning Trip to Cusco, Peru with MEDLIFE. During this trip, I learned so much about the reality of healthcare in rural areas and areas of lower income. Having heard the stories of the patients we treated there, I understood how hard it was to maintain a living and how health outcomes were decreased due to various constraints when it came to receiving healthcare. We conducted mobile clinics for the whole week, and took one day as our service day to help construct a greenhouse. Our combined efforts resulted in over 40 greenhouses being built, which we hope makes quite the difference in these communities.
3rd Year
I went to Skid Row in Los Angeles to help out at the mobile clinics there, in addition to the same kind of community service and professional development meetings.
