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A blood pressure of 200 over 100. A patient who listens, then calmly says he’s fine and leaves. Moments like that force you to wrestle with the part of medicine no textbook can solve: culture, faith, autonomy, and what it really means to help. We sit down with Ava, a University of South Carolina grad on her gap year, to talk about how international service learning in Belize sharpened her clinical mindset and changed what she values in patient care. 

We start with the practical side of becoming a doctor: graduating a semester early, using AP credits strategically, and creating protected time for MCAT prep without burning out. Ava shares how pre-health community shaped her path, from Alpha Epsilon Delta to leading Women in Healthcare, and why being around motivated peers can open unexpected doors like jobs, service opportunities, and mentorship. 

Then we go to Belize for a vivid look at experiential medical education. Ava breaks down the structure of the trip with hospital rotations in Belmopan and a community clinic with vitals, short-term meds, prevention tips, and constant learning from local clinicians. She describes what it’s like to be mentored by fourth-year medical students, to work in a resource-limited healthcare system with minimal imaging, and to rely on listening, history-taking, and the physical exam. We close with details on the next gap year Belize trip she’ll be leading, including how to get more information. 

If you want more honest stories about global health, gap year growth, and becoming a more grounded future clinician, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What question would you ask before signing up for a service learning trip?

I also want to thank our listeners for joining us as it is our goal to "share the voices of international service" with you! 

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 students on international service-learning trips, I can easily attest to the fact that it is the hands-on experiential experiences that are most meaningful in life! I hope that by hearing these voices you too can become involved in service, whether it be locally, nationally, or internatioally. 

Feel free to check out our website at www.internationalservicelearning.org, follow us on Instagram @islmedical, or send me an email at                                      [email protected] if you wasnt to learn more about international opportunities for yourself, your school, your church, or any other cohort! 

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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 "share the voices of international service" with you! 

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 students on international service-learning trips, I can easily attest to the fact that it is the hands-on experiential experiences that are most meaningful in life! I hope that by hearing these voices you too can become involved in service, whether it be locally, nationally, or internatioally. 

Feel free to check out our website at www.internationalservicelearning.org, follow us on Instagram @islmedical, or send me an email at                                      [email protected] if you wasnt to learn more about international opportunities for yourself, your school, your church, or any other cohort! 

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You can learn the steps of medicine from a book, but you learn the weight of medicine when you sit across from a patient and have to earn trust fast. We’re joined by Gabby G, a fourth-year medical student at the University of South Carolina who just matched into general surgery, to talk about how international service learning helped shape her clinical confidence and her career path.

We trace Gabby’s journey through service learning medical mission trips to Guatemala, including the moment cultural humility became real: a women’s health case where a spiritual sauna tradition affected symptoms, and the care plan had to respect belief while still reducing risk. From there we zoom out to global health access, what rural communities face when hospitals are far away, and why community clinics can be the only practical point of care for many patients.

Then we get tactical about experiential medical education and leadership. Gabby helped build an inaugural med student and gap year student trip to Belize, recruited peers despite chaotic fourth-year schedules, and even created a “blue card” style skills checklist to make sure learners saw core clinical encounters across specialties. She also shares what it felt like mentoring gap year students, working in a rural hospital setting, and collaborating with Belizean medical students who grew more confident day by day.

If you’re pre-med, taking a gap year, or already in training, this conversation offers a clear look at what service learning can teach you about clinical skills, teamwork, and the kind of doctor you want to become. Subscribe for more stories from students and faculty, share this with someone considering a global health experience, and leave a review so more future clinicians can find the show.

I also want to thank our listeners for joining us as it is our goal to "share the voices of international service" with you! 

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 students on international service-learning trips, I can easily attest to the fact that it is the hands-on experiential experiences that are most meaningful in life! I hope that by hearing these voices you too can become involved in service, whether it be locally, nationally, or internatioally. 

Feel free to check out our website at www.internationalservicelearning.org, follow us on Instagram @islmedical, or send me an email at                                      [email protected] if you wasnt to learn more about international opportunities for yourself, your school, your church, or any other cohort! 

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The fastest way to understand dentistry isn’t another lecture, it’s sitting chairside in a real clinic where the tools are limited, the need is high, and you have to earn trust before you can help. We’re joined by Nikki, a University of South Carolina pre-dental student, as she reflects on international service learning across the Dominican Republic and Puerto Peñasco, Mexico and what changed when she returned as a student leader.

We talk through the real mechanics of a dental mission trip: how the team sets daily goals, rotates through patient intake, vitals, assisting dentists, and charting, and how students with little dental experience learn instruments and procedures on the fly. Nikki shares what surprised her most in Mexico, including oral hygiene patterns like low floss awareness, the challenge of deep decay you can’t fully treat in a short-term clinic, and system differences such as dentists often working without assistants.

Some of the most powerful moments have nothing to do with fillings. Nikki describes calming scared pediatric patients when language gets in the way, why communication “without words” becomes a clinical skill, and how a visit to a men’s rehabilitation center left a lasting impression. We also dig into a protocol many US clinics don’t use: required glucose checks before treatment, and how that changed the team’s view of safety, prevention, and access to care.

If you’re exploring global health, dental volunteering, or experiential medical education, this conversation offers honest context and practical insight. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend considering service learning, and leave a review with your biggest question about providing care across cultures.

I also want to thank our listeners for joining us as it is our goal to "share the voices of international service" with you! 

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 students on international service-learning trips, I can easily attest to the fact that it is the hands-on experiential experiences that are most meaningful in life! I hope that by hearing these voices you too can become involved in service, whether it be locally, nationally, or internatioally. 

Feel free to check out our website at www.internationalservicelearning.org, follow us on Instagram @islmedical, or send me an email at                                      [email protected] if you wasnt to learn more about international opportunities for yourself, your school, your church, or any other cohort! 

Send us Fan Mail

You can prepare for the clinical work, pack the supplies, and review the protocols and still feel completely unprepared for what poverty looks like up close. That’s what makes Camila’s story stick. She’s an ICU bedside nurse and case manager in Texas, originally from São Paulo, Brazil, who became a nurse at 40 after learning English as an adult. She joins us to talk about a Kenya medical mission trip with 410 Bridge that becomes one of the most meaningful experiences of her nursing career.

We walk through what international service learning actually looks like on the ground: setting up clinics across rural villages and schools, working alongside teachers and mental health professionals, and leaning hard on health education when resources are limited. Camila shares the most common conditions her team sees, including dehydration during months without rain, upper respiratory infections, dental decay, pneumonia, and severe eye disease like cataracts and glaucoma. We also talk about why oral hygiene supplies and simple training can create long-term impact when medications and dressings run out.

The conversation goes deeper than logistics. Camila describes the emotional weight of identifying serious problems you can’t fully fix, the surprise of encountering genuine joy in communities facing extreme scarcity, and the way faith and human connection help her stay steady. Coming home triggers guilt and a new awareness of healthcare waste in the United States, plus a renewed commitment to nursing as a calling that reaches far beyond hospital walls. If you care about global health, cultural competence, medical missions, and the real-world ethics of service, this one will challenge you in the best way.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation, share this with a nurse or student who’s on the fence about serving abroad, and leave a review with the one insight you’re taking into your own practice.

I also want to thank our listeners for joining us as it is our goal to "share the voices of international service" with you! 

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 students on international service-learning trips, I can easily attest to the fact that it is the hands-on experiential experiences that are most meaningful in life! I hope that by hearing these voices you too can become involved in service, whether it be locally, nationally, or internatioally. 

Feel free to check out our website at www.internationalservicelearning.org, follow us on Instagram @islmedical, or send me an email at                                      [email protected] if you wasnt to learn more about international opportunities for yourself, your school, your church, or any other cohort! 

Send us Fan Mail

A stranger’s LinkedIn message turned into a story we can’t stop thinking about. Anna, a 23-year-old medical sales representatives, packed her bags for Honduras and traded the OR sidelines for a week of hard, heart-forward work—turning a church into a clinic, running a pop-up pharmacy, and watching passion beat limited resources at every turn.

We walk through the anatomy of a responsible short-term mission: iPad intake that keeps patient data organized, a pharmacy line that never stops moving, and clear protocols that make 100 to 200-plus daily visits safe and humane. Anna also spends time in a public hospital with only two operating rooms, observing pelvic floor repairs made possible by donated slings and mesh from Caldera Medical. The gear matters, but the mindset matters more: respect for sterile fields, concise guidance when asked, and deep humility in someone else’s workspace.

What lingers most isn’t a procedure—it’s a small hand. A five-year-old with an eye infection needs her drops delivered and explained at home. The walk there, the hug that won’t let go, and the reality of a family doing the best they can with very little reframes what “impact” looks like. Back in the U.S., Anna sees both our strengths and our blind spots. We have resources and training; we need more pathways to serve—locally and globally—for surgeons, nurses, students, and yes, medical sales  representatives who can bring knowledge and logistics where they’re scarce.

We share practical takeaways: how to prepare for a mission, why simple systems outperform flashy tools, the Spanish phrases that matter for safe dosing, and how companies can turn humanitarian promises into real patient outcomes. If you’ve been waiting for a nudge to step outside your comfort zone and put your skills to work for people who rarely get seen, this conversation is it. Subscribe, share with a colleague who needs the push, and leave a review to help more listeners find stories that spark action.

I also want to thank our listeners for joining us as it is our goal to "share the voices of international service" with you! 

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 students on international service-learning trips, I can easily attest to the fact that it is the hands-on experiential experiences that are most meaningful in life! I hope that by hearing these voices you too can become involved in service, whether it be locally, nationally, or internatioally. 

Feel free to check out our website at www.internationalservicelearning.org, follow us on Instagram @islmedical, or send me an email at                                      [email protected] if you wasnt to learn more about international opportunities for yourself, your school, your church, or any other cohort! 

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Curiosity is a muscle, and global learning is the workout. We sit down with Emory University’s Associate Director of Global Engagement, Natalie Cruz, to explore how students, faculty, and institutions can move beyond stamp-collecting travel toward programs that are ethical, safe, and genuinely transformative. From free passport initiatives and data-driven global maps to research partnerships and virtual exchanges, we trace practical ways to open doors for first-time travelers and deepen impact for seasoned globetrotters.

Natalie unpacks what makes a program “high-impact” in the real world: community-led projects, thoughtful pre-departure training, and structured reflection that turns experience into growth. We examine how to avoid voluntourism by centering local needs and consent, why homestays can be powerful when done with training and safeguards, and how universities are professionalizing risk management with dedicated safety roles and clear protocols. For students traveling without a faculty leader, we map out a prep blueprint—country research, language basics, ethical case studies, and early connection with on-the-ground coordinators.

We also tackle the big system shifts: diversification of international student mobility, the rise of hybrid and online models, and the need for U.S. institutions to build consistent, partnership-driven strategies. Measuring cultural competence isn’t simple, but tools like the Global Perspectives Inventory and long-term follow-ups reveal the deeper story of skill-building, empathy, and changed trajectories. Funding remains the sticking point, so we share concrete paths—from community groups and alumni campaigns to fee waivers and targeted scholarships—that make global opportunities possible.

If you’re on the fence about studying or serving abroad, consider this your nudge. Do the prep, choose partners carefully, and step outside your comfort zone. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a push to go global, and leave a review with the question you want us to tackle next.

Book Recommendations:

1. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver

I also want to thank our listeners for joining us as it is our goal to "share the voices of international service" with you! 

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 students on international service-learning trips, I can easily attest to the fact that it is the hands-on experiential experiences that are most meaningful in life! I hope that by hearing these voices you too can become involved in service, whether it be locally, nationally, or internatioally. 

Feel free to check out our website at www.internationalservicelearning.org, follow us on Instagram @islmedical, or send me an email at                                      [email protected] if you wasnt to learn more about international opportunities for yourself, your school, your church, or any other cohort! 

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This is a unique podcast as I have interviewed a student prior to her first service-learning trip ... and at 22:30 the interview continues 5 weeks later post-trip!

Curiosity meets courage when a sophomore pre-dental student takes her skills abroad and finds out what care means without the usual comforts. We sit down with Sydney from the University of South Carolina to capture her mindset before a week in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, and the lessons she brings home after assisting in a free dental clinic focused on quality over quantity.

You’ll step inside a real clinic flow: morning equipment checks, Spanish-language triage, rotating roles between greeting, chairside assistance, and sterilization, and procedures ranging from cleanings and fillings to extractions. Sydney explains how working with local dentists—often without assistants or x-rays—reshaped her respect for clinical judgment and durable results. She shares the practical Spanish that bridged gaps and the moments when education mattered most: introducing floss, proper brushing techniques, and simple post-op care that patients can sustain long after supplies run out.

Beyond the operatory, the cultural immersion lands deeply. A bilingual church service, family-style meals, and a powerful conversation with a patient at a rehabilitation center reveal resilience and hope in a setting marked by visible poverty. Sydney’s gratitude grows alongside her conviction that teaching is the lasting gift of short-term service, and that a future practice should welcome patients in both English and Spanish while expanding access to affordable dental care.

If you’re weighing a service trip, worried about language, or unsure what real impact looks like, this story offers a clear, grounded view from someone who rotated through every station and left more certain about her calling. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s on the pre-health path, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway or question—we’d love to hear what surprised you most.

I also want to thank our listeners for joining us as it is our goal to "share the voices of international service" with you! 

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 students on international service-learning trips, I can easily attest to the fact that it is the hands-on experiential experiences that are most meaningful in life! I hope that by hearing these voices you too can become involved in service, whether it be locally, nationally, or internatioally. 

Feel free to check out our website at www.internationalservicelearning.org, follow us on Instagram @islmedical, or send me an email at                                      [email protected] if you wasnt to learn more about international opportunities for yourself, your school, your church, or any other cohort! 

Send us Fan Mail

A fast-track pharmacy degree, night shifts in critical care, and a formative service trip to Costa Rica—Helen Knoche's story is a blueprint for purpose-driven practice. We sit down to trace how a love of chemistry evolved into a role where timing, teamwork, and clear communication decide outcomes, and how a week in La Carpio taught lessons that still save time and suffering in a North Carolina ICU.

Helen opens up about the realities of pharmacy school—heavy on medicinal chemistry and practical math—and the less obvious skills that matter most: trust, negotiation, and the courage to suggest changes as a non-prescribing clinician. She walks us through a near-miss stroke case and shows how most medication errors come from communication gaps rather than bad intentions, and how pharmacists build safer systems by closing loops and owning the small details that prevent big harm.

We unpack the wide world of pharmacy careers: community and independent practice for accessible counseling, inpatient specialties like ICU and infectious disease, ambulatory care for chronic disease coaching, and industry roles shaping how drugs are made and delivered. Helen’s take is clear and useful—shadow, ask questions, and find the rhythm that fits your strengths.

The conversation returns to service learning with practical clarity. Working through translators to counsel patients, leading with empathy, and prioritizing education over short-term fixes transformed how Helen thinks about access and equity. Those skills carry home to rural patients who arrive in crisis because primary care is out of reach. Along the way, we share everyday tips, including why talking to your pharmacist beats guessing in the cold aisle and when the medication behind the counter matters.

Subscribe for more grounded stories from healthcare students and clinicians who are building skill, compassion, and resilience. If today’s conversation sparked a question or a memory, share it with a friend and leave a review—what part of pharmacy would you explore first?

Recommended Book:

1. Everything is Tuberculosis - John Green

I also want to thank our listeners for joining us as it is our goal to "share the voices of international service" with you! 

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 students on international service-learning trips, I can easily attest to the fact that it is the hands-on experiential experiences that are most meaningful in life! I hope that by hearing these voices you too can become involved in service, whether it be locally, nationally, or internatioally. 

Feel free to check out our website at www.internationalservicelearning.org, follow us on Instagram @islmedical, or send me an email at                                      [email protected] if you wasnt to learn more about international opportunities for yourself, your school, your church, or any other cohort! 

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What if the most important tool you carry into a community isn’t a stethoscope or a syllabus, but a few words in the local language and a willingness to listen? That question threads through our conversation with Chrissie Faupel—Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) and Director of International Affairs at the University of Minnesota Duluth—who shares a candid, field-tested view of international service learning and study abroad.

Chrissie takes us inside her two years in Senegal, where a new clinic introduced Western medicine to a village that greeted it with understandable caution. She explains how learning Malinke, attending life events, and co-leading cervical cancer education with the head nurse built trust one conversation at a time. You’ll hear why education outlasts supplies, how traditional healing and clinic care can coexist, and what it really means to serve at the invitation of a host community.

We also get practical. Christy demystifies Peace Corps Prep and why it strengthens your application rather than “teaching you the Peace Corps.” She shares timely guidance on scholarships—especially the Gilman for Pell recipients—and urges students to look beyond the usual destinations. On safety, she’s direct: preparation matters, alcohol is a top incident driver, and university-approved affiliates and providers exist for a reason. We unpack how to vet programs, manage risk using State Department advisories with nuance, and choose between faculty-led, exchange, and third-party models without getting lost in options.

If you’re a student, educator, or curious global citizen, this conversation offers a clear path from curiosity to impact: learn the language, respect the culture, build relationships, and let education be the gift that remains after you leave. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who’s considering study abroad, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show. Where will your service begin?

Recommended Podcast:

1. Changing Lives Through Education Abroad

I also want to thank our listeners for joining us as it is our goal to "share the voices of international service" with you! 

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 students on international service-learning trips, I can easily attest to the fact that it is the hands-on experiential experiences that are most meaningful in life! I hope that by hearing these voices you too can become involved in service, whether it be locally, nationally, or internatioally. 

Feel free to check out our website at www.internationalservicelearning.org, follow us on Instagram @islmedical, or send me an email at                                      [email protected] if you wasnt to learn more about international opportunities for yourself, your school, your church, or any other cohort!