Zara Siddiqui is a 4th year majoring in Psychology and pursuing a career in medicine. She is the President of Women in Medicine Initiatives (WIMI) and has special interest in women's health issues, mental health, and health disparities around the world.
Her advice for pre-health students:
Remember there are many different paths to get to where you want to be! Not everyone takes the same route and it's okay if your journey is different from someone else's.
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What is MEDLIFE?
MEDLIFE is an organization with a mission to provide healthcare and health education to people in areas with low access to resources. MEDLIFE goes beyond physical health care to also provide age and gender specific health education, which is crucial for sustaining positive change in any community. They recruit undergraduate and graduate university student volunteers to staff mobile clinics in Tanzania, Peru, Nicaragua, and Ecuador. According to the MEDLIFE website and World Health Organization, there are less than two doctors for 1,000 people in Latin America because about a quarter of the population live in rural areas that are isolated and don't have the transportation to seek medical care.
How did you learn about MEDLIFE?
My cousin went on a trip to Lima, Peru and told me about her experience there, and how much it taught her about global health and health disparities. She also had a fantastic time exploring Lima's sand dunes and making new friends. As she was trying to get into dental school, she volunteered in the dental clinic, which helped her learn about dentistry and get hands-on clinical experience. Since I want to go to medical school, I decided it would be a great opportunity to get exposure to healthcare outside the U.S., so I checked out the trips on the MEDLIFE website and signed up for one in Cusco, Peru. I originally didn't know UVA has a MEDLIFE chapter until I actually got there and met one other UVA student! If you ever decide to go on a MEDLIFE trip, check to see if UVA is going as a group so you don't have to travel alone.
What did your experience in this position consist of? Can you describe a typical day?
Day 1: Travel
Day 2: Arrive in Cusco and travel to our hostel, Inka Sol, which is full of gorgeous greenery, cacti, flowers, beautiful tile flooring, and a parrot! Cusco is at a much higher elevation than VA, so it was easy to get out of breath climbing up the stairs. Most of us were taking altitude sickness medication because our bodies weren't used to the change. I met my roommates and we went out to explore and eat at the Plaza de Armas, a bustling square full of shops, restaurants, and a massive cathedral. I had to exchange my American dollars for Peruvian Sols. Everywhere you look there are massive green mountains!
Day 3: Walking Tour all around the city - our guide taught us all about the history of the city and its culture. Turns out, Cusco is the most beautiful city I've ever seen. We then had some free time to explore, so we got some lunch (guinea pig is a Peruvian staple!), ate ice cream, listened to a street band, and explored the cathedral all while taking in the gorgeous sights.
Day 4: Our first excursion was the "reality tour." We all got on a bus to explore the whole city led by MC, who gave us plenty of history lessons. One of our stops was a hospital in Pisac. It wasn't as staffed and as big of a hospital you would see in America, and all the one ambulance had was a stretcher -- no oxygen or medical supplies. If a woman wanted to come to the hospital to give birth, she would have to travel several weeks before her due date and stay in a special living area (made by MEDLIFE) with the family.
Day 5: Clinic Day 1. On our first clinic day, I was on the dental shift and medical shirt where I got to shadow, learn from, and help the physicians. We saw hundreds of patients and the police would bring kids by the truckload to the clinic from school to get checked up. They even put on a show for the kids and made the whole day like a fun festival to encourage families to come.
Day 6:
Clinic Day 2. My favorite part of this hot day was working with an OBGYN. It was hard not knowing Spanish, but one of my friends was able to translate everything the doctor said. She had us help her make pap smears and showed us how to do breast exams. The resources were pretty scarce - there was only one sheet covering the examining table that each patient had to use and the only source of light was from the window, but the doctor did her best to provide the best care possible.
Day 7: Community Project. We traveled about an hour to a small rural village called Yuncaypata. The homes didn't have proper floors, ventilation, or electricity. We had the opportunity to help the inhabitants build fireplaces but bricks that we made using naturally found materials like mud, manure, hair, and straw. We learned that the improper ventilation in the houses caused problems like asthma.
Day 8: Clinic Day 3. This was the most crowded and hectic day! There was an enormous amount of people but we managed to implement a system to keep everyone organized. For the more urgent patients, like one man who stumbled over with a huge bleeding gash on his head, they would go straight to the doctor without waiting. Sometimes patients had to wait a while, but we got to see hundreds of patients, which was amazing.
Day 9: Full day excursion at Machu Picchu - a truly unforgettable and breathtaking experience.
Day 10: Travel
Why do you recommend this opportunity for other UVA grads?
This is a wonderful experience for anyone seeking clinical / patient contact experience or who wants to shadow physicians abroad. It increased my passion for women's health and gave me a greater perspective on the diversity of healthcare systems. You get to experience a new culture, explore a new country, and meet amazing people. Although not necessary for applying to medical school, I would encourage applicants to participate in a program like MEDLIFE or another activity to get exposure to healthcare that's different from what we're accustomed to in America.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
MEDLIFE has trips during breaks during the semester as well as internships -- check out the website for more information at medlifemovement.org. If you have any questions or want to know more, contact me at zhs5de@virginia.edu.
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Pre-Health Advising supports students sharing their clinical experiences; but does not endorse specific organizations that sponsor clinical service trips abroad. We recommend all students carefully review organizations prior to enrolling in an international service trip to fully understand the legal, ethical, and safety concerns participants may face when engaging in health-related activities.
