Ruth Collins

For my first spring break in college I decided to go on a service learning trip through one of the student orgs I am in. When I first signed up for this trip, I was thinking about how cool it would be to go on a trip to Peru, with a bonus of some clinic hours for my resume. However, I found that my actual experience there provided me with much more than that.

When we first arrived in Peru, I was struck by the reality of the communities that we would be working in. While we got to stay in a very beautiful area in Lima, the places where we did clinics were up high mountains, sometimes lacking things like running water or plumbing.

While I did get to experience a wonderful vacation in Peru after clinical work, the real takeaway I had from that trip was much more. First of all, I realized how lucky I am to have the life I do. Second of all, it cemented my desire to become a doctor, and also showed me what kind of doctor I want to be. My goal is to not only help abroad, but to volunteer locally, and eventually work as a doctor in a rural community.

Since that time, I have registered to volunteer at Remonte Access Medical, a similar program to what I did in Peru. I have also begun working as a Medical Assistant in Athens, and I love interacting with patients and helping them get the help they need. I can't wait to continue learning more about medicine, and how I can help more people receive medical care!