My Chance to Volunteer Abroad

Many of my closest family members have experienced incredibly limited lifestyles largely due to monetary issues. In the modern world it is widely known that a lack of money often means a lack of proper education and perhaps even a lack of adequate medical attention. My own grandmother, living in a poor, uneducated neighborhood was purposely misdiagnosed by a local doctor with an illness that was not actually present within her body. She trusted him of course. After all, why shouldn’t a person specializing in medicine know what they are talking about? Unfortunately, this occurs much too often in underprivileged communities. People, whether they are lied to by doctors or simply do not have easy access to hospitals, are not receiving the medical attention that they need and are entitled to. I see myself making a change to this in the future. My intentions have always been to help those in need, to help those who do not have the opportunities that I have had. It is because of these desires that I know my place lies in the medical field.  

For some time now, I have been searching for medical programs that will guide me to my ultimate goal of becoming a doctor.  Through extensive research, I came across a program called Gap Medics, which gives students around the world a chance to shadow doctors in hospitals abroad.  The excitement I felt after finding such a program was uncontainable. Perhaps this is because I know that a medical student seeking to become a doctor will find no better mentor than a doctor himself (or herself). Up to this point, becoming a doctor and working in a hospital has just been one of my deepest desires. The Gap Medics program will allow me to make this dream into a reality, by introducing me to the environment a typical doctor works in on a daily basis.

The two-week internship will take place over the summer of 2018 in Poland.  My parents are looking forward to the experience almost as much as I am, and have thus agreed to pay for half of the trip’s expenses. I will have to do my part; however, and pay for the other half. It would be greatly appreciated if you help me raise the money that I need to take advantage of this incredible opportunity and ultimately help me reach a position that will allow me to give back to the community in the future.