International Service Learning: Experiential Education

The intent of this podcast is to "share the voices of international service" by "hearing" from those that have stepped out of their comfort zones to make a difference internationally, while also dealing with the issues and challenges of such endeavors. Guests will include those that have participated in international service-learning trips; whether it be medical, faith-based, community engagement, disaster relief, education, etc.

Additionally, we will have guests that are industry leaders and professionals in healthcare, education, study abroad, spirituality, policy, and service as well as those living in the countries being served. By enabling the "voices of international service" to be "heard" we hope to motivate and inspire others to consider participating in an international service-learning trip ... and by doing so make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate.

I am Dr. Patrick Hickey (aka Dr. H as my students refer to me) and it is my honor to be the host of this podcast. I have done 20+ years of international service in a variety of roles. Most recently, as a university professor, I have taken many cohorts of healthcare focused students to developing countries to render healthcare as needed, and by doing so we made a huge difference in the lives of those in need. While rendering healthcare we often collaborated with other cohorts of non-medical groups also providing service; together we worked towards common goals of providing much needed care. Post trip I have seen the pictures and/or videos posted on social media by my students and those in other cohorts, and while they do a great job of showing our activities, I always felt that there was something missing ... the voices of those providing the service.

In November 2025 I started the podcast (International Service Learning: Experiential Education) in order to "share the voices of international service".

Podcasting since 2025 • 45 episodes

International Service Learning: Experiential Education

Latest Episodes

Service Starts With A Simple "Hello"

Serving the world can feel impossible when you’re short on time, money, or confidence, so we start somewhere smaller: a hello. Stephanie joins us to share how everyday kindness, real curiosity, and simple human connection can become a personal ...

October 12, 2026 • 36:57

Travel-Serve-Learn: Medical Service in the Dominican Republic

If you’ve ever wondered whether a short-term medical service trip can really matter, Kendra Ho brings the kind of detail that makes it real. Kendra is a University of South Carolina neuroscience major with a business minor on the pre-med track,...

October 05, 2026 • 46:08

The Missionary Heart of an ER MD: Always Ready to Serve

You can spend a lifetime in healthcare and still get shocked by what “no resources” really means. We talk with Dr. David Gray, an emergency physician and lifelong mentor, about the moments that shaped him: learning medicine the hard way in Guad...

September 28, 2026 • 58:17

Presence Is The Best Medicine: A Guatemalan MD Reflection on Healthcare

A short-term global health trip can feel like a drop in the ocean, until you hear what “no access” really means from someone who lives it. We sit down with Dr. Ciro Calderon, a Guatemalan physician in Antigua who runs his own clinic, collaborat...

September 21, 2026 • 53:30

Saving Lives in Garbage Dump Communities Worldwide

A garbage dump is not just a place where trash ends up. In many developing nations, it becomes a workplace, a food source, and the center of a community where families sort plastics and metal beside medical waste just to survive. That’s the wor...

September 14, 2026 • 44:50