Paper Crane and a Purpose: What My Internship in Kenya Taught Me About Becoming a Doctor

Where to begin. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for interning in Mombasa through IMA! This program is filled with incredible mentors and resident workers, making my experience unforgettable! From the moment my journey to Mombasa began, the mentors kept track of my flight experience and were waiting with a sign as I exited my flight! They were so thoughtful and welcoming! The residence was absolutely gorgeous and made interns feel very safe due to being in a secluded neighborhood, surrounded by two gates and having very sweet guards who keep track of your whereabouts. Personally, I felt so safe and at home while in Mombasa due to the people making you feel like a part of their family! The food was so good, especially the chapati!! I could eat that for days! Shout out to Grace and Erastus, who made my experience at the residence so peaceful and enjoyable! I miss them so much! I can’t even begin to tell you how amazed I was at the opportunities we were given at the hospital! As someone who is interested in surgery, I was able to see a myriad of cases from start to finish! The majority of doctors at Coast General are more than willing to answer your endless questions and love teaching you new things! We were also given incredible opportunities to participate in cultural treks, seeing giraffes, crocodiles, ostriches, and more! My favorite part of my internship was teaching during the hygiene and menstrual cycle clinics. It’s very cool being able to directly go to schools and teach students about such important topics while distributing hygienic materials to them. All in all, I loved this experience and will be telling other pre-meds about it!