My summer medical internship at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital was simply amazing. With the help of Gabby, a very helpful member of the Connect-123 staff, I was able to find an internship as part of the largest tuberculosis diagnostic study ever conducted. Workdays typically involved seeing patients alongside my supervisor and aiding with the collection of sputum and blood samples from patients that were suspected of having tuberculosis. I travelled between two different hospitals throughout the week and was able to learn about measles, HIV/AIDS, and drug-resistant tuberculosis by actually seeing patients with these diseases. By merely asking questions about how to get more involved and taking advantage of every opportunity, my single internship evolved into three as I began to spend three days each week at Red Cross, one day at a Doctors Without Borders clinic in a nearby township called Khayelitsha, and one day at diagnostic microbiology lab at Groote Schuur Hospital.
In addition to my internship, Connect-123 did an incredible job of organizing large group activities on weekends, and I especially liked the Wacky Wine Festival in June. Most other students were also very motivated to plan weekend trips, so shark cage diving, safaris, bungee jumping, wine tasting tours, and trips to nearby suburbs were all possibilities as each weekend approached. Cape Town also has such a vibrant nightlife that any night of the week can be exciting, and like many others, I took full advantage of this during my stay. The Connect-123 staff was also knowledgeable enough to help me and were very comforting when I came to ask for help after failing to make my flight home on time. All in all, I enjoyed my Cape Town experience so much and met so many friendly and passionate people while there that I am hoping to return next summer to find medically-related work for a year before entering medical school. This was truly a life-changing experience and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great alternative to a traditional study abroad while also enjoying every moment of being in one of the world’s most beautiful and multicultural cities
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Connect 123 Testimonial
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