The Global Health Academic Concentration
Follow UC San Diego School of Medicine's GHAC students around the world.
I was born in Guatemala and raised in Southern California. Growing up, I remember my mom always telling me, “En la casa hablamos Español, en la escuela puede habalr Ingles,” which translates to, “At home we speak Spanish, at school you can speak English.” In my early childhood, I remember struggling with both languages. There … Continue reading Found in translation
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
The city of Stockholm has a silence to it. Created by quiet streets frequented primarily by pedestrians, ancient buildings that seem to absorb sound into their storied bones, and a light breeze that ruffles the numerous green trees and carries excess sound away over the Baltic Sea. A peaceful place to call home, especially during … Continue reading Endless days of summer
I spent this summer studying maternal death at Hospital Central de Maputo. The project is centered around maternal death, with a particular focus on postpartum hemorrhaging (PPH) and the introduction of cryoprecipitate therapy at Hospital Central de Maputo (HCM) in Maputo, Mozambique. After working with Dr. Von Drygalsi and Michael Glazier to create data collection … Continue reading A Study of Maternal Death
The ESPINA project was established in 2008 with the aim of assessing the effects of pesticide exposure in the development of children living in agricultural settings. Over the past few weeks, I have had the pleasure of working with the team at the Cimas Foundation, helping with data collection for the 14-year follow-up of participants. … Continue reading Ecuador research
In Amman the buildings are dense, piled on top of each other, no spaces in between - evidence of a city that grew out of necessity. During the day the sight can be overwhelming, but at sunset the repetitive architecture reflects back a pink light that captures the city and you can feel a collective … Continue reading learning & Surveying compassion in Jordan
Nick Rice and one of the health screening teams in the shelter’s vaccine clinic Beginning my undergraduate medical education in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic made much of what I was learning about the practice of medicine seem abstract. Unlike other years where first-year medical students began their ambulatory care apprenticeships (ACAs) in … Continue reading Vaccine Hesitancy in San Diego Asylum Seekers
This summer, I have been working under the guidance of Dr. Sarah Averbach and Dr. Anita Raj of UCSD’s Center on Gender Equity and Health to study measures of contraceptive decision-making and their associations with contraceptive communication and use in rural India. I was both excited and nervous to take on a project within my … Continue reading Making Connections
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
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