Stepping into an unfamiliar environment often reveals the true depth of a person's purpose. For Leilani, taking the leap to participate in a service trip to East Africa wasn’t about pivoting her career path; it was about solidifying it. Her reflections on volunteering prove that a service trip doesn't have to be something that changes your ambitions, but rather can be tool to confirm what it is you want to do and in what capacity you want to do it. Check out what Leilani told us about her time in Tanzania:

A Purpose Reaffirmed

Many volunteers go on global service trips in a search for direction, but Leilani arrived with a clear sense of calling that only grew stronger during her time in the field.

MEDLIFE: "Did this experience shift the direction you see yourself going in?"

Leilani: "Being on this trip, didn't change the direction that I wanna go into but it did confirm it. I want to help with underprivileged communities for a nonprofit ministry, and being in a place like this just really confirmed that that's definitely the field that I wanna go into."

By taking the initiative to volunteer in Africa, Leilani gained an invaluable perspective on what it truly takes to serve resource-limited populations with compassion, humility, and dedication.

Eye-Opening Moments in the Field

Working alongside local healthcare providers allowed Leilani to witness the stark realities of the health disparities present in East Africa firsthand. These everyday encounters helped challenge her assumptions about patient care and highlighted the incredible resilience of the local community.

MEDLIFE: "What's one moment from this week that stayed with you?"

Leilani: "So one moment that stayed with me from this week was while we were doing triage at one of the clinics, the place that we were doing triage was actually at a kid's play table. It really just showed me how much of a different environment we are in than where we're used to. When I was listening during one of my shadowing appointments in the clinic, a lot of people were saying that this was their very first time seeing a doctor. And they were 60 plus years old and they had had several children. It made me realize how difficult and limited their resources are and how they've had to find other ways to make do with what they had. And that the best way to actually integrate into this community is to find things that they're able to utilize regularly."

Gaining Practical Experience

Leilani's deep reflections on volunteering are a perfect example of why immersive service learning is so vital for many future healthcare leaders. Beyond classroom lectures and textbooks, participating in international development projects gives pre-health students an authentic opportunity to gain practical experience in resourcefulness, active listening, and cross-cultural communication.

Ultimately, Leilani’s reflections on volunteering remind us that true service is a continuous journey of learning and adaptation. By listening to community needs and embracing the realities on the ground, passionate individuals can turn their desire to help into meaningful, lasting impact.

Interested in how you can assist people living in medically underserved areas in Latin America and Africa? Fill out the interest form below or download our brochure today to take the first step towards joining a MEDLIFE Service Learning Trip.