Learning Medicine in a Resource-Limited Setting: My Pre-PA Internship at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital

My experience with International Medical Aid was life-changing. All of the staff members were incredibly nice, accommodating, and helpful if problems arose. They were easy to reach and made me feel very safe both at the residence and on our trips. The residence was clean and our laundry being done for us was a perk I never would have expected. All of our meals were fresh and the cooking staff was open to suggestions for any foods that we wanted more/less of. That being said, one of my favorite parts was how dedicated IMA was to teaching us about the culture of Kenya. We went on multiple excursions/tours of Mombasa and other parts of Kenya and the tour guides were incredibly knowledgeable. There were also scheduled lectures regarding health care in Kenya, cultural ideas, and history of Kenya and it’s political system where I got to ask questions and learn more about the innerworkings of the country. The other aspect of this internship that I thoroughly enjoyed was the community outreach activities that we were able to participate in. I loved going to the local schools and talking and interacting with the kids during both the handwashing clinics and the menstrual hygiene clinics. Overall, I am forever grateful to IMA and the people of Kenya for allowing me to live out this amazing opportunity.