I traveled to Peru with a group of my classmates from MSUCOM with the mission of providing medical care to underserved communities. The experience was filled with learning, new friendships, and exploring new cultures and nature. I was able to both learn and practice medicine during our clinic days which was new for me because we have not yet rotated in the hospital. I loved the autonomy we had as medical students because we were able to interview and perform physical exams on our patients before presenting their cases to our attendings. I was also able to practice and increase my competency in medical Spanish, which is a goal of mine as a future physician so that I am able to treat a diverse patient population.

The culture of Peru was warm and welcoming. We visited many villages during our program, and one even had a party for us! During the party we learned how they tie up fruits and other treats to a large “tree” and then ceremoniously cut it down, enjoying the fruits together as a community. We tasted many different fruits with them afterwards which was my favorite part. My favorite fruit was something they called a guava, although it was completely different to what we call guava. It was a sweet white fruit that is found inside large bean pods, and I could not stop eating them.

During our program, we also had the opportunity to learn from a local Shaman, and he taught us about many of the plants they use as remedies in the amazon. This was a full circle moment for me because during our clinics, I had many patients tell me about how they use things like dragon's blood and cat's claw for their ailments. Learning about these remedies, where they come from, and what they are used for made me feel more connected to the culture of the people we treated. Visiting Peru was an amazing experience, and it helped me grow as a medical student.

Name: Aria Trager
Status: Graduate
Major: Osteopathic Medicine
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Program: Global Health: Peru - Clinical Immersion