Becoming an Advocate

I completed my 5-week global health minor fieldwork experience in Senegal this past summer. My small group consisted of 4 students from the global health minor program here at Penn State. Throughout our 5-week fieldwork we shadowed the physicians, nurses, and public health workers at Grand M’bour hospital extensively. We also traveled to remote areas surrounding M’bour with the organization Weer Africa, whose founder was our site supervisor for the entirety of the experience. Weer Africa provides funds and emotional support for many families in Senegal, but this summer we learned most about their work with the Diabetes Association. We attended cultural immersion events and activities throughout our fieldwork, which further supported our global health studies, and allowed us to expand upon our cultural competency and global citizenship.

This experience was extremely beneficial to me as both a student preparing to enter the medical field, and as an individual passionate about advocating for young and old from all walks of life. Penn State has given me the opportunity to find a purpose in my studies, and in helping my community at large. While in Senegal, we were granted the unique opportunity to travel with Weer Africa to more remote areas of the country to carry out free health screenings. These screenings would not have been possible without the amazing medical staff and public health professionals whom are so invested in Weer Africa and their mission. I have seen the amazing effects that an organization such as Weer Africa can have on entire communities, and it was a true gift to have been given the chance to observe this work first hand.

Throughout my undergraduate studies at Penn State, I have taken a variety of classes centered on the biological sciences and the biosocial aspects of healthcare. I have also learned about the vast challenges encompassing the field of global health, and how many global health issues are found both at home and abroad. With the help of my fieldwork experience, I was given the opportunity to make this connection first hand while observing healthcare in Senegal. Additionally, the learning process continues long after returning from a rewarding experience abroad. My fieldwork will continue to influence the goals I set for myself as a future medical professional, and also as an active citizen in my community.

Throughout my fieldwork this past summer, I gained further exposure to healthcare globally and both the challenges and benefits of working in clinical medicine. I strive to further my studies of medicine and global health in medical school. My goal is to emerge not only a patient care provider, but also an advocate for all those in my community and in health crises abroad. I feel that in further developing a cultural competency and global citizenship, I am now prepared to move forward as an active member of my community here at Penn State, and enter the healthcare field fully prepared to tackle any challenges and triumphs I may encounter.