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Belize looks like paradise until you step into a clinic where “limited resources” isn’t a concept, it’s the daily operating reality. Dr. Patrick Hickey sits down with Lauren, a recent University of South Carolina grad on the pre-med track, to unpack what she learned on a 10-day international service learning trip that blended global health, hands-on experiential medical education, and honest reflection.

We talk through what her days actually looked like: splitting into clinic teams, hospital shadowing, observing surgeries, and ending each night with group debriefs and conversations that kept the learning going. Lauren shares what surprised her most, including how few specialty doctors and major hospitals serve the country, and how that scarcity forces hard choices that many U.S. students never see up close. She also describes the strength of local healthcare professionals, the role of bilingual communication, and how culture shows up in everything from the hospital environment to the rhythm of community life.

The conversation turns personal as Lauren explains how the trip reshaped her view of healthcare disparities, pushed her to “meet patients where they are,” and even expanded her curiosity about specialties after seeing her first C-section. We also cover her gap year plans, medical assistant work, MCAT lessons, and her new role coordinating ISL social media so future teams can better highlight service, not just sightseeing. If you care about global health, pre-med development, and service learning done with humility, this one is for you. Subscribe, share with a friend considering a service trip, and leave a review with the biggest takeaway you want more students to hear.

I also want to thank our listeners for joining us as it is our goal to not only share with you our guest’s introduction to international healthcare, but also to share with you how that exposure to international healthcare has shaped their future path in healthcare. As true patient advocates, we should all aspire to be as well rounded as possible in order to meet the needs of our diverse patient populations.

As a 50+ year nurse that has worked in quite a variety of clinical roles in our healthcare system, taught healthcare courses for the past 20 years at the university level, and has traveled extensively with my students on international service-learning trips, I can easily attest to the fact that healthcare focused students need, and greatly benefit from the opportunity to have hands-on experiential healthcare experiences in an international setting! I have seen the growth of students post travel as their self-confidence in their newly acquired skillsets, both clinical and cultural, facilitates their ability to take advantage of opportunities that previously may not have been available to them. By rendering care internationally, and stepping outside one's comfort zone, many more doors of opportunity will be opened.

Feel free to check out our website at www.islonline.org, follow us on Instagram @ islmedical, and reach out to me @ DrH@islonline.org