Shadowing: pediatric heart surgery in El Salvador

In September 2009, the year before the author began medical school, he accompanied a team of doctors, nurses, and technicians from the nonprofit organization Heart Care International (HCI) on a trip to El Salvador. Founded in 1994 by the heart surgeon Robert Michler, HCI strives to provide care to children with congenital heart disease in developing countries. In addition to El Salvador, HCI has worked in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, leaving behind lasting local programs and always looking to the future for new opportunities.