The Global Health Academic Concentration
Follow UC San Diego School of Medicine's GHAC students around the world.
Greetings from Mumbai, India! I am writing as I sip on a masala chai inside a local café, escaping the downpour outside. As I wrap up my fifth week in Mumbai, I have come to appreciate the rains that come and go as they please. It is monsoon season here, providing a stark contrast to … Continue reading My Mumbai Summer: Medicine and Monsoons
In September 2017, the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda was hit by Category 5 Hurricane Irma. The eye of the storm passed directly over Barbuda, leaving a path of destruction in its wake and forcing the evacuation of the entire island. Nearly a decade later, Irma continues to cast a long shadow, shaping the … Continue reading What the Land Provides: Disaster, Development, and Disease in Barbuda
I traveled to Seoul, South Korea to be physically present at the intersection of healthcare data collection, infectious disease management, and public health initiatives within a universal healthcare system setting. More specifically, in my several weeks in Seoul, I shadowed Dr. Min, a renowned pulmonologist and public health specialist at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The … Continue reading Lessons from Seoul: AI in Infectious Disease Management
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
Migori is a lush, vibrant county in western Kenya, nestled near Lake Victoria and the Tanzanian border. I just finished my first year of medical school at UC San Diego and then began my summer global health journey through GHAC. My first stop was a weekend in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya where I stayed … Continue reading Hello (or Habari) from Migori, Kenya!
Introduction In addition to primary care and community mental health, I spent part of my summer at specialty clinics in BrasÃlia. These experiences deepened my understanding of infectious disease care, highlighted systemic inequities, and clarified my own calling toward psychiatry. HIV and PrEP Clinics – Conversations Through Medicine At the Hospital Universitário de BrasÃlia (HUB), … Continue reading Lessons from HIV Clinics, Research and Psychiatry in BrasÃlia
Introduction This summer, I spent sixty hours shadowing physicians and healthcare workers in BrasÃlia. What stood out to me most was how Brazil’s unified health system (SUS) brings together public health, social work, and medical care to meet the needs of communities—often in ways that contrasted sharply with my experiences in the United States. The … Continue reading Community Care and Mental Health in BrasÃlia
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