The Global Health Academic Concentration
Follow UC San Diego School of Medicine's GHAC students around the world.
I'm spending the summer in Maputo, Mozambique doing research on peripheral neuropathy in patients with HIV at Maputo Central Hospital. Although much of my time is spent doing research in the Internal Medicine Wards at Maputo Central Hospital, I have had a lot of free time to explore Maputo and engage with locals in their … Continue reading A Foodie’s Guide to Maputo: Local and Fusion
Hello, my name is Nene, and I'm spending the summer in Maputo, Mozambique doing research on peripheral neuropathy in patients with HIV at Maputo Central Hospital. Working in the internal medicine wards at Maputo Central Hospital has been an incredible learning experience. Every day I'm surrounded by so many brilliant medical students, residents, and attendings. … Continue reading Experiencing Healthcare in Maputo: A Medical Student’s Journey
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
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
Olá! Tudo Bem. Hello from Maputo, Moçambique! A country home to some of the friendliest people in the world. Sunrise View from the UCSD Apartment I spend most of my week at Maputo Central Hospital, the largest public hospital in all of Moçambique. My research is in Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) diagnosis in the inpatient … Continue reading Olá! Tudo Bem. Hello from Maputo, Moçambique!
When I joined the GHAC program, I knew that I wanted to travel to Sub-Saharan Africa. I was eager to understand more about the region, and to have an opportunity to learn from physicians, fellow students, and patients there. Fortunately, I found a project working with American physicians Dr. Sierra Washington and Christy Zachek, and … Continue reading Mapping maputo
I am just finishing up my 6th week (and 400th chart, hooray!) collecting data on post-partum hemorrhaging at Maputo Central Hospital (MCH). To start, Maputo is the capital of Mozambique and is a large city. It has approximately 2 million people spread out over 130 square miles. MCH is the main public hospital serving all of … Continue reading Post Partum Hemorrhaging at Maputo Central Hospital
Força! A professor enthusiastically told me after I described the project our team was working on, and I thought to myself: force? What did he mean? Força is a term of encouragement offering energy and motivation to keep doing what you are doing. Everyone here has been very supportive, enthusiastic, and dedicated to the research … Continue reading Força
First impressions, gut instincts, and intuition are interesting things. We are taught, whether blatantly or subconsciously, to trust these feelings—It’s necessary. They help make rapid decision-making possible. The ER doctor in the middle of running a code, the police officer responding to a call, the solo female traveler walking down an unknown street, they all … Continue reading First Impressions
My experience trying to do research in Mozambique was first and foremost a lesson in patience. I think any time people from different cultures, experiences, or training levels are working together, patience and openness are the key to that relationship. Mozambique certainly presents a culture that is much slower pace and significantly more patient than … Continue reading Lessons in Patience and Resilience