One of my seniors on campus invited me to participate in a social service in the form of medical services. At that time I was still in the 2nd semester at the Faculty of Medicine, Tarumanagara University. Then I thought, what can I do? What can I do to help? Considering the road to becoming a doctor is still long. The senior’s invitation introduced me to doctorSHARE, a non-profit organization engaged in the humanitarian field, especially health.

When I received the invitation to join as a volunteer, I was very excited to join. Then what about the question I asked myself earlier? It turns out that there are many things I can do during medical services! As a student at that time, I could help during registration, taking blood pressure, distributing medicine, and providing counseling to the community. I participated in doctorSHARE’s social activities during my studies until I finished my medical education. It has been eight years since I joined doctorSHARE as a volunteer.

I have participated in various doctorSHARE medical services, ranging from western to eastern Indonesia. Every time I go to an area for medical services, of course, I have a memorable experience. Each place of service also gave me a different story. An unforgettable experience with doctorSHARE was when I provided medical services for the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Central Sulawesi recently.

I was with a team of volunteers in the most affected areas of Palu, Donggala and Sigi. There I witnessed firsthand how the post-disaster situation of the earthquake and tsunami. Some people told me their stories and the conditions when the disaster occurred in a short time. It was a heartwarming story because people lost their loved ones, homes, jobs, and other possessions in an instant. Not a few people also felt that they had lost hope in life because of the deep trauma caused by the disaster.

The doctorSHARE volunteer team conducted services by exploring locations in need. Not infrequently at a number of points we found difficult access because the road was damaged and cut off. This situation did not stop the team from serving the community. The community did not hesitate to open access for the team such as making emergency bridges with logs. As a result, the travel time becomes longer than usual. The community complained about the difficulty in accessing aid such as logistics and medical supplies.

Health facilities were badly damaged, and many local medical personnel were victims. This situation prevents the community from receiving health services. The community was very happy with our presence, and so were we. The fatigue of traveling paid off when we could help the community. In addition to medical services, the doctorSHARE team also provided assistance for psychological trauma. Trauma healing sessions were held simultaneously with medical services in each location.

The enthusiasm shown by the community in the locations we visited. It made me learn more and more to be grateful and learn a lot about happiness is simple. These valuable experiences always make me miss doctorSHARE’s medical services. I always remember a quote from doctorSHARE Founder’s mother, Dr. Lie Dharmawan who said “If you want to be a doctor, don’t blackmail the poor. They will pay but they will cry because when they go home they have no money to buy rice.”

That sentence keeps reminding me of my initial goal of becoming a doctor. Papi, my nickname for Dr. Lie, became a real inspiration for me to be able to serve with love in all conditions. A handful of valuable experiences with doctorSHARE also made me always miss and be called back to serve. After earning my medical degree and completing my internship program, an offer to become a permanent doctor at doctorSHARE came from Dr. Lie.

Without having to think long, I immediately accepted the offer. I realized that I should not only think about how much I earn but also how much I can give to others. I am very grateful to be able to join doctorSHARE. One of the values gained is the team that is very solid and thick with family principles. doctorSHARE consists of professional backgrounds that are not only medical matters, all of them melt into one and have a sincere heart to serve. It is an honor to be a part of doctorSHARE that truly reaches out to serve the people of Indonesia.