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What if the most powerful thing you bring to clinic isn’t a medication but a moment of calm and a clear explanation? That question runs through our conversation with Maddie Huff, a recent public health graduate and future physician whose path was forged in service—from repairing ramps in Appalachia to leading medical mission cohorts in rural Guatemala.

We unpack the early sparks that made service feel inevitable, then trace how COVID forced a reset that ultimately deepened focus. Maddie explains how joining a pre‑medical fraternity created mentorship and momentum, and how taking on trip leadership taught logistics, cultural humility, and the art of building trust. Inside clinic days, she walks through a simple, repeatable model—three students per patient, clear roles, case presentations to local physicians, and a pharmacy loop—that turns learning into care. Then we sit with the moment a patient named Sarah asked for her racing mind to stop, and how ten minutes of shared breath gave her a tool she could carry long after the team left.

Through a public health lens, we examine social determinants of health, access barriers, and why education may be the strongest medicine in low‑resource settings. Maddie contrasts a UTI treated in an afternoon in the U.S. with months‑long symptoms abroad caused by distance, lost wages, and limited clinics, and makes the case for prevention, self‑management, and local partnerships. We also get honest about emotion: nightly reflection circles, walls coming down, and why tears aren’t weakness—they’re evidence of connection and growth outside our comfort zones.

If you care about global health, medical education, or how service can shape a career with purpose, you’ll find practical insights and human stories here. Listen, reflect, and share it with someone who needs a reminder that dignity, education, and presence travel with us wherever we practice. If this resonated, follow the show, leave a quick review, and tell us the one small tool you think every clinic should teach.

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 45+ 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