General Impression
Overall Rating: / 10
I really enjoyed my time in Oaxaca. I had a very friendly host mom along with project leaders that made the transition smooth and helped with the language barrier. I was able to improve on my Spanish and also learn a lot about medicine along the way. I traveled to Oaxaca alone and was able to meet other volunteers who were just as enthusiastic about medicine. It was great to experience the beauty and culture of Oaxaca that contributed to a great internship.Country
Oaxaca was an amazing area of Mexico. I felt safe the entire duration of my trip. The people in Oaxaca were friendly and the food was delicious. It was a very cultural area full of cathedrals, museums and nearby archeological sites. Visiting Monte Alban was one of the most interesting sites I had the opportunity to experience. The city is full of markets and restaurants, along with close access to gyms, laundromats and grocery stores.
Project & Staff
The staff was very helpful throughout the trip. They were available for any questions that I had. The first week of my project was spent in a rural clinic. In this clinic, the doctors were very friendly and so were patients. Many patient's at this came for primary care services, such as management of diabetes of hypertension, evaluation of illnesses and certification for attending school. The second week was spent in one of the hospitals. Here, I was able to see specialties ranging from surgery to internal medicine to trauma. It was very interesting to see appendectomies and also trauma surgery to fix a man's stomach after being shot.
Tips
Many of the volunteers did not know what to wear on the trip. In the clinic, any attire is acceptable with a white lab coat over. In the hospital, all articles must be white, including shoes, pants, shirts etc. It is also important to bring scrubs if you plan on watching surgeries.