Before embarking on my elective with the Vine Trust, I was excited but unsure of exactly what to expect. I had hoped for a valuable learning experience and the opportunity to contribute to healthcare in a low-resource setting—but what I actually experienced far exceeded all expectations. I never imagined I would be given the responsibility of running my own clinic, independently seeing and managing patients with a translator. It was my first time independently requesting for tests and prescribing medications and the first time I truly felt like a doctor. The confidence and clinical insight I gained from this role will stay with me throughout my career.

The scale and impact of the expedition were also beyond what I had imagined. I was blown away by the number of patients we saw and helped each day, many of whom had very limited or no access to healthcare outside of the ship’s visits. The experience gave me first hand insight into rural healthcare and tropical diseases such as malaria, amoebiasis, and helminth infections - conditions I had only read about before, as they are rarely seen in the UK. It was an intense, immersive, and hugely rewarding couple of weeks.

Each day, following a long day of work at the clinic, we were given the opportunity to go for a run or a walk to explore the beautiful islands we were visiting. These adventures were some of my highlights of the trip as they allowed me to understand more about the culture and daily life of the island residents, explore the amazing environments and landscapes, as well as bond with the other members of our team, and offered a meaningful balance to our clinical work. The sense of camaraderie among the ship's team, the gratitude of the patients, and the unique environments we were visiting made this one of the best experiences of my life.

I would 100% recommend a Vine Trust expedition to any medical student considering it. I’ve already spoken to several students in the year below me at my university about the opportunity and encouraged them to apply. The combination of clinical responsibility, cultural immersion, and the chance to make a tangible difference in underserved communities makes this elective opportunity truly unique.

Receiving the Dr Julia McLean Grant Fund made this entire experience possible for me. It allowed me to focus on my final exams and elective preparation without the added stress of needing to take on part-time work to fund the trip. I’m extremely grateful to the family of Dr Julia McLean for establishing this grant, which enabled me to take part in an experience that has shaped me both personally and professionally.

Overall, my elective in Tanzania was an incredibly rewarding experience that I have learnt a lot from. It gave me the chance to explore the challenges and opportunities in healthcare delivery in low-resource settings. The skills I developed, the patients I treated, the people I worked with, and the unique cultural insights I gained have had a huge effect on my personal and professional growth. This experience reinforced my commitment to working in global health and deepened my understanding of the complexities of healthcare systems worldwide.