Key Insights and Coursework

Foundations of Global and Community Health combined the natural and social scientific perspectives of health to provide students with a historical background of public health and the multitude of factors that intersect to form our healthcare system and our own individual experiences with medicine. I learned about the complex barriers that contribute to healthcare discrepancies across borders, and the political and financial decisions that must be made to best allocate resources. Global and Community Health Communications has guided and honed my interests as a future practitioner and introduced to me to the inner workings of medical environments, a prime example being the implementation of ever-advancing technology in the medical field of the 21st century. 

Medical Spanish was pivotal in my academic journey in that it acted both as my first medical terminology course and also a bridge that allows me to interact with a broader range of patients. On top of learning relevant medical vocabulary words, I debated the ethics of certain healthcare practices, conversed with my peers about our own experiences with the medical field, and practiced physician-patient interactions, which improved my Spanish syntactical capabilities and improved my medical vernacular when communicating with Spanish-speaking patients. 

Statistics has been of utmost relevance and significance, especially in terms of my journey as a researcher. Learning about statistical methods has helped me understand laboratory data analysis and how to yield appropriate and accurate results, and what constitutes significance. It has also better prepared me for my post-graduate plans, as I am interested in obtaining my Master's Degree in Public Health, which requires a firm understanding of statistical analyses. 

This research-driven course provided me with a basic overview of the research conduction process as well as a comprehensive framework to reading published scientific works. As an undergraduate student participating in a research lab, this course has been extremely beneficial in allowing me to work alongside graduate students and understanding the methodologies utilized in their projects. Honing this ability has led me to apply for my own research grant, the Undergraduate Research in Science and Technology (URST) award, for an ongoing project in my lab that studies the effects of maternal preconception exposure to tobacco products in future generations.

This course places an emphasis on students' ability to comprehend and discuss social, cultural, and historical issues across a range of Spanish-speaking countries. Though not directly related to medicine, this course has touched on medical and economic disparities that exist globally and how they penetrate the overall wellbeing of its patrons. In addition to broadening my cultural competency, I have strengthened my Spanish language skills, especially in terms of engaging in conversation related to policy and social justice.