Public Health & Infectious Diseases: The South African Experience
Honors Seminar with study component, fall 2014
The picture slideshow
The reflection
The fall of my sophomore year in undergrad, I participated in a class that focussed on HIV/AIDS, TB, and public health in South Africa. It was accompanied by a 2 week study abroad trip to Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Durban, South Africa. I studied and traveled with 15 other undergraduate students and two faculty members from the college of medicine. It is hard for me to put into words exactly what I learned from this experience-- about the course content, about public health, about the culture of South Africa, about the effect a country's social and political history can have on its health care system, about health care practicers both domestic and international, and about my goals for my career. There is so much that I experienced over the course of this class/trip and so much that I want to talk about, but that would lead to me writing a novel. Some of the best reflection on this experience is in the journal that I was required to keep while abroad, and I plan to share some excerpts here.
I chose to engage in this experience because, in short, I wanted to see if Infectious Disease (ID) was potentially a specialty that I could pursue in medicine. The study abroad portion of the experience only made it more appealing to me since traveling and studying are some of my top priorities while in undergrad. The experience exceeded my expectations in that I was continuously challenged on my knowledge, my ideas, my opinions, and my identity as a pre-medical student. I was constantly engaged in critical thought while in class and abroad-- I didn't have a single moment of mental stagnancy, and I couldn't be happier! This experience challenged me to reflect on my goals and my passions, and above all helped me bridge the gap between two of my interest areas: medicine and social justice.
One of my fondest memories from the study abroad portion of this class a conversation that I had with the two faculty members, Dr. Jason Blackard and Dr. Jack Rubinstein. We were talking about medical ethics, vulnerable populations in medicine, and the importance of patient identity/intersectionality in their health care. As a member of several groups that focus on social justice issues, I was very excited to be presented with a conversation that incorporated this thematic area into medicine. We talked for a good hour and a half, with each person bringing a new viewpoint to the conversation. Part of why this memory is so important to me is because it was the first time that I was able to speak about social justice issues outside of the campus groups I am a part of, the first time I was able to do so coherently and respectfully, and the first time that I was able to do so with people who are traditionally perceived as my "superiors" rather than fellow students. I had written in my journal that day: "This was the first environment outside of my WILL group where I felt safe expressing and debating on my opinions in this subject area... Seeing Jack and Jason interact so respectfully and academically towards each other and towards me in the face of differing opinions was quite literally a breath of fresh air."
It sounds cliche, but I know that this experience changed my life. It pointed me in a new direction for my career with my newfound interest in and love for public health. It provided me with a network of like-minded peers and professionals with whom I still maintain relationships, and with whom I hope to continue to learn and work with. An excerpt from my journal: "My experiences here have had such a large impact on me that I know these conversations and content areas will not just disappear from my life when I get back to the states. This trip has helped me realize many things about the world and about myself... I'm sad to leave, but I'm not all that worried. Something is telling me that I'll be back to South Africa in the future."
I chose to engage in this experience because, in short, I wanted to see if Infectious Disease (ID) was potentially a specialty that I could pursue in medicine. The study abroad portion of the experience only made it more appealing to me since traveling and studying are some of my top priorities while in undergrad. The experience exceeded my expectations in that I was continuously challenged on my knowledge, my ideas, my opinions, and my identity as a pre-medical student. I was constantly engaged in critical thought while in class and abroad-- I didn't have a single moment of mental stagnancy, and I couldn't be happier! This experience challenged me to reflect on my goals and my passions, and above all helped me bridge the gap between two of my interest areas: medicine and social justice.
One of my fondest memories from the study abroad portion of this class a conversation that I had with the two faculty members, Dr. Jason Blackard and Dr. Jack Rubinstein. We were talking about medical ethics, vulnerable populations in medicine, and the importance of patient identity/intersectionality in their health care. As a member of several groups that focus on social justice issues, I was very excited to be presented with a conversation that incorporated this thematic area into medicine. We talked for a good hour and a half, with each person bringing a new viewpoint to the conversation. Part of why this memory is so important to me is because it was the first time that I was able to speak about social justice issues outside of the campus groups I am a part of, the first time I was able to do so coherently and respectfully, and the first time that I was able to do so with people who are traditionally perceived as my "superiors" rather than fellow students. I had written in my journal that day: "This was the first environment outside of my WILL group where I felt safe expressing and debating on my opinions in this subject area... Seeing Jack and Jason interact so respectfully and academically towards each other and towards me in the face of differing opinions was quite literally a breath of fresh air."
It sounds cliche, but I know that this experience changed my life. It pointed me in a new direction for my career with my newfound interest in and love for public health. It provided me with a network of like-minded peers and professionals with whom I still maintain relationships, and with whom I hope to continue to learn and work with. An excerpt from my journal: "My experiences here have had such a large impact on me that I know these conversations and content areas will not just disappear from my life when I get back to the states. This trip has helped me realize many things about the world and about myself... I'm sad to leave, but I'm not all that worried. Something is telling me that I'll be back to South Africa in the future."