MEDLIFE SLT

MEDLIFE's mission is to build a worldwide movement empowering the poor in their fight for equal access to healthcare, education, and a safe home. Like MEDLIFE, I too envision a world free from the constraints of poverty. MEDLIFE operates under four key pillars: service, environment, education, and life-changing experiences. During service-learning trips, students directly help bring accessible medical care, health education, and safer living conditions to marginalized communities. MEDLIFE emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical, political, and economic factors that shape the realities faced by families.

 During my service-learning trip to Peru with MEDLIFE, I assisted local physicians, pharmacists, and dentists in setting up mobile clinics in rural communities with limited healthcare access. I took vitals, organized patient intake forms, and helped distribute medications under supervision. While shadowing medical professionals, I observed the effects of language barriers, supply shortages, and transportation challenges on continuity of care. One moment that stood out was comforting a young girl terrified of the dental chair by offering her a translated picture book to ease her anxiety. Though I couldn’t fix her toothache, I could ease her fear. This experience reminded me that trust is just as important as treatment. It solidified my passion for medicine as a tool for equity—one that must be practiced with cultural humility, adaptability, and respect for local knowledge.

 In Lima, my team and I also had the opportunity to work on an environmentally focused project: planting trees and building stairs for a mountainous community that had recently suffered a tragic loss. Through this eye-opening experience and the meaningful connections I formed, this service-learning trip renewed my commitment to building a world free from the constraints of poverty.