The Global Health Academic Concentration
Follow UC San Diego School of Medicine's GHAC students around the world.
Training with UCSD research team on campus to learn blood and sputum processing techniques so I can successfully collect samples in TJ This summer, I am conducting a clinical study at Tijuana (TJ) General Hospital’s Clinica de Tuberculosis in TJ, Mexico to improve the accuracy and usability of a prototype assay which was designed to … Continue reading Teamwork in Tijuana
My name is Dhruv Puri and I am a rising second year medical student. A little about myself: I was born in Stockholm, Sweden and raised in Austin, TX. My mom was born and raised in Sweden as well, and my dad is from India. I studied Molecular and Cellular Biology at UC Berkeley and … Continue reading My mentors in Mozambique
A year ago, research to me was synonymous with pipettes, microscopes, and long days on my feet. A year ago, I was checking my email frequently to make sure my GHAC acceptance wasn’t an accident or mistake. A year ago, I had no idea what I was capable of doing or what was ultimately possible … Continue reading Who run the world? Girls
This summer, I planned to do a retrospective analysis on self-managed abortion in India. Self-managed abortion occurs when a person performs their own abortion without clinical supervision. It is sometimes also referred to as self-induced abortion or even DIY abortion. Various methods of abortion fall within this quite broad categorization, including herbal remedies, blunt force, … Continue reading A Remote Analysis of Self-Managed Abortion in India
We are approaching the end of summer break! The end of my first year of medical school was bittersweet because of the pandemic, but the entire year was absolutely amazing! I did not get to celebrate properly with my classmates, but I am very lucky and excited that a lot of my friends stayed at … Continue reading Surfing, hiking and research
I first became interested in the idea of psychological resilience while assisting with clothing distribution at a refugee camp in Greece as I saw camp residents demonstrate drastically different responses to the collective trauma that they had suffered in the Syrian Civil War and the long journey through Turkey and across the Mediterranean. While some … Continue reading Roots of Resilience in San Diego’s Somali Community
Hi! My name is Ana Skomal and I’m a rising MS2, currently in the summer of my MS1. A little background about myself: I was born and raised in south San Diego near Chula Vista. I’m a Mexican-American woman and a native Spanish speaker. My mom immigrated from Mexico when she was in her 30’s … Continue reading The Ecuadorian Andes from my Computer
By Edna Bissoon While in Guatemala I was able to visit some of the most awe-inspiring parts of the country including Lake Atitlán with its magnificent volcanoes and beautiful indigenous culture. Lake Atitlán means "between the waters" in the indigenous Nahuatl language. The lake basin is volcanic in origin, filling an enormous caldera formed by … Continue reading La Belleza Natural de Guatemala
by Jordan Anderson Well here I am at the end of a life changing summer. Sitting in Dubai’s airport on my way back to San Francisco, I can’t help but think how different life is here versus where I came from. I am surrounded by gold necklaces for sale at outrageous prices, yet I drove … Continue reading From the Depths of Africa to its Peak
By Edna Bissoon I spent the Summer of 2019 in Jalapa, Guatemala a small rural city about 2 hours from the capital. As soon as I arrived I felt at ease because Jalapa has a bustling city center surrounded by untouched forestry, beautiful rolling hills and horses dotting the pastures. However, it took me a … Continue reading Eat, Sleep, and Breathe Guatemala