The Global Health Academic Concentration
Follow UC San Diego School of Medicine's GHAC students around the world.
On my first morning in Quito, I stepped onto the third-story balcony of my host family’s home and was met with a quiet, beautiful surprise—a bright rainbow stretching across the misty sky. I had arrived the day before on a red-eye flight and, still adjusting to the altitude, had gone straight to bed. Waking up … Continue reading Inside Ecuador’s Healthcare System: My Time at a Centro de Salud- Quito, Ecuador
If someone had told me a few years ago that I’d finish medical school standing in an operating room in Mozambique—scrubbed in for a C-section or vaginal hysterectomy after just helping deliver twins and triaging a gynecologic emergency—I might have smiled and said, “That sounds like the dream.” And it absolutely was. Returning to Hospital … Continue reading A Beautiful Return: GHAC Rotation Reflection – Hospital Central de Maputo, Maputo, Mozambique, 2025
Bahiana Escola De MedicinaIt was an honor to spend my final clinical rotation of medical school in Salvador, the vibrant coastal capital of Bahia, Brazil. Throughout the month, I worked in outpatient clinics affiliated with the Bahia Escola de Medicina, rotating through cardiology, gastroenterology, and rheumatology. Each day, I joined final-year medical students for patient … Continue reading Experiencing Brazil’s Public Healthcare in Salvador, Bahia
Hola from Huanchaco! The infamous Huanchaco red bus that runs between Trujillo (the neighboring city) and Huanchaco. I am writing from Huanchaco, Peru, a small beach town in the northern part of the country, where a fellow medical student and I are participating in a clinical rotation as part of the GHAC curriculum. Our rotation … Continue reading Clinical Rotations and Community Health in Peru
My time at the National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi was transformative. Days started early with a quick walk through the bustling hospital grounds, past vendors selling sticky rice and pho. By 8 AM, we were in scrubs reviewing the OR schedule. I worked closely with Dr. Quang, a pediatric urologist whose surgical precision was matched … Continue reading Clinical Insights from a Pediatric Urology Rotation in Vietnam
One thing I don’t think we talk about enough as medical students, especially as it becomes more central in our education and important for residency applications, is research. In my experience, bringing a research project through to fruition is as exciting as it is challenging, will push you to ask questions, learn new skills, get … Continue reading A Summer of Research: Enhancing Patient Care Insights
I write to you from Phuket: my last weekend in Thailand, spent in the bluest waters I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes. Imagine my gratitude when I saw my first coral reef, a 30-minute snorkeling session I lazily floated through while mulling over the state of the world. Would these reefs be here … Continue reading Lessons Learned from my Research Journey in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Hello, everyone! As I prepare to head back to the United States later this week, I find myself reflecting on my time here in Gaborone with a mix of gratitude, accomplishment, and a hint of longing for home. These past six weeks have been a whirlwind of research, cultural immersion, and exploration, pushing me outside … Continue reading Reflecting on My Time in Gaborone: A Journey of Growth and Discovery
Sunset over Maputo Hello again! My final weeks in Maputo have been quite eventful and educational, although they went by far too quickly. Our research has been growing, and more departments are aware that we are looking to identify and help diagnose Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). There are many challenges faced within Maputo Central Hospital … Continue reading Exploring Maputo: Culture, Healthcare, and Community
My week in Mae Sot was short-lived and well-filled. Mae Sot is a resilient transient-dense town on the Thai side of the Thailand-Myanmar borderline. It was my first time seeing an open border, identical houses on either side of a shallow river that I would have mistaken as different neighborhoods of the same town--if not … Continue reading A Week in Mae Sot, Thailand