A New Kind of Doctor
Volunteer: Umair Uddin
Age: 22
From: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Pre-Med Student
CCS Program Site: Salvador, Brazil
Have you traveled in the past? How?
I had never traveled outside of the country before. I thought CCS does great things, and I’m just happy to be a small part of it. I’d gone from someone who never left the country to someone who was comfortable traveling 7,000 miles away from home by myself. I never filed for a visa before, but the CCS program managers helped me step-by-step on how to do that process. The program information was fantastic, from the information about the area to getting a plane ticket. I felt completely prepared.
How is volunteering abroad different than other traveling?
Traveling abroad doing volunteer work is different because you’re traveling with more of an open mind. You’re going there and coming back knowing that you did something positive and changed someone’s life. So many people just think about how you don’t make any money doing this, but I always say volunteers aren’t paid not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless. You come back and know that you really achieved something.
Describe your overall experience.
It was a wonderful experience. It was overwhelming—one of the best trips I ever had in my life. I've traveled across the states, I’ve run marathons, I teach kick-boxing and present at conferences, and I’m also a speaker on health and nutrition and nothing topped it other than this trip to Brazil. I came back a stronger person, more mature. Even though it’s only two weeks, it’s a wonderful experience.
How important were the other volunteers to your experience overall?
Very important, and I say that because when we all came back to the Home-Base we all explained our experiences and I mean, only five out of 16 people came from the states— everyone else came from across the world. The youngest was 19, the oldest was 74. It was such a wide range, and just talking to them, I became more mature – you kind of learn from their experiences and their thoughts on the world.
Has the CCS experience affected your future plans in anyway? What are your future plans?
Absolutely, CCS gave me a wonderful outlook on a third world country and it’s definitely impacted my future plans. I still want to become a surgeon and go to med school and everything, but I originally saw myself doing the regular nine to five. Now I want to become a humanitarian surgeon—travel the world and perform surgeries on people who need it, thanks to CCS. I’m currently in the application process for medical school, getting ready for the MCATs. I’m planning on applying around August and I’m aiming to attend in fall 2010.
