7 Weeks at 3,399 Meters = Best Decision of My Life

I worked as a medical intern with Maximo Nivel in Cusco, Peru over the summer (2017) for 7 weeks. I was looking for a program in which I would get hands-on experience while also improving my Spanish-speaking abilities and experiencing another culture first hand. I gained exactly that and even more!

During the week, I worked 4-6 hours in the morning at a clinic in Cusco, assisting with a variety of tasks ranging from taking weight, height, and blood pressure measurements, completing paperwork, cleaning, managing patients, visiting local schools, measuring hemoglobin, etc. I was able to learn a lot and develop relationships with the staff at the clinic. I felt I was doing very appropriate tasks for my skill set, having only completed one year of undergraduate pre-med education. One of the most memorable experiences I had was parading with the clinic staff and all medical employees in Cusco just prior to the big festival of Inti Raymi.

In addition to working, I took an hour-long private Spanish lesson every day through Maximo. My teacher was phenomenal and helped me with a range of Spanish techniques, vocabulary, common usages as well as with understanding the Peruvian culture.

I lived with the most amazing family about 20 minutes (walk) from Maximo's office. Three other students also lived with me there. Getting to know my family and celebrating the holidays with them were probably some of the best experiences I had!

And of course, the weekends and occasional weekday holidays were excellent opportunities to travel! Maximo Nivel provides excellent resources to make travel plans, so you truly can go anywhere and do anything. We went to Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Puno (Lake Titicaca), Tres Cruces, and more!