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Michelle S (2019)
Michelle Su, second year medical student, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public health (Class of 2022); B.S, Biology (major) and Global Health (minor), University of California , Los Angeles
MIF Mission and Shapiro Research 2019 Field Report
by Michelle S., medical student, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public health; B.S, Biology (major) and Global Health (minor), University of California , Los Angeles
I started going on annual mission trips to Cambodia when I was a sophomore at UCLA. Since then, I have fallen in love with the spirit and community of service that medical missions embody. Traveling this summer to Nigeria with Mezu International Foundation for research was an experience that I was greatly looking forward to; I was excited to be immersed in the spirit of service again, but this time, with a new purpose and within a different cultural environment. (more…)
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Adaure N. (2019)
2nd year medical student, University of Michigan Medical School (Class of 2022); M.S, Biotechnology, Johns Hopkins; B.S, Neuroscience and Psychology, Princeton University
Trip Report – MIF 2019 Summer Interns
Nigeria Trip Summary
by Adaure N., University of Michigan Medical School; M.S, Biotechnology, Johns Hopkins; B.S, Neuroscience and Psychology, Princeton University.
Being part of this year’s 2019 medical mission was both a privilege and an eye-opening experience as to the behind the scenes efforts required for a fully functioning clinic to meet the ever-evolving needs of its community. Returning to the compound on the mission morning, I was filled with anticipation, excitement, and a sense of thrill to see all the new changes that had been made in my 2 years absence. (more…)
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GINIKA N. (2015)
Sophomore, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
Reflections:
As a fifteen year old girl, I never imagined that I could actually do something that could change peoples’ lives. Never did I think that anything that I do could possibly make a difference. In school, service hours, I can volunteer at an animal shelter, or drop off food and clothes for donation but how would I know that what I am doing is actually helping someone. But, this year, all of that changed when I witnessed with my own eyes the type of difference I could make in peoples’ lives. I have always dreamed of being that drop in the ocean that makes a ripple that turns into a wave; I have always wanted to make a dent in the earth, and this summer I began that journey with the MI Foundation. (more…)
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KEVIN R. (2015)
2nd year, Doctor of Medicine program, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Reflections:
“Stepping off of the plane in Abuja, I truly did not know what to expect of the country and experience I had committed to for three weeks. Performing literature reviews for my Shapiro project equipped me with general knowledge about the country (e.g. its infrastructure, economic character, etc) but in no way prepared me for the feeling of Nigeria – and no amount of reading could. That is the point of traveling and immersing into another place and culture: to feel and understand the way of life in that place, even if for a very brief period of time. (more…)
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AMANDA N. (2015)
2nd year, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee, double major in Medicine, Health & Society and in Classics.
Reflections:
In one word, I could describe this trip as “fulfilling”. In this one trip, I learned, accomplished, and experienced more than I ever have before.
“ …Inside the clinic building it was hot, loud, and energetic. I was very excited about the scrubs however. The patients received point of care (vitals, which I had the honor of supervising), an eye exam, a physical examination, and then received the prescribed medications at the pharmacy. …the patients never failed to show their gratitude upon receiving their medications at the pharmacy table. Even when I was walking around, countless people said to me, “God bless you” and “thank you” and those moments made me remember why MIF’s motto was indeed: “Bringing hope where there is need”. During the mission there were volunteers coming from the line, people who had arrived to receive medical care for themselves, joining us in our mission to make that care available to their fellow neighbors. (more…)
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Sean B. (2015)
2nd year, Doctor of Medicine program, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Reflections:
“…The unique aspect of my time with MIF was interacting with a group of people who were both a part of the community and also had a hand in creating sustainable change. Medical missions can be a slippery slope of people dropping in for a bit, providing some care, and then leaving nothing behind. The reason I agreed to be a part of the MIF mission was because of that sustainable change that could occur they were on the ground and integrated into the community.” (more…)