Last Summer During My International Health Fellowship

The exact cause has not been distinguished yet. However, research shows that genetics, and environment as well as social factors are likely involved.

“The only real nation is humanity” (Farmer 123). This quote represents a huge message that is received in, Tracy Kidder’s, Mountains Beyond Mountains. This book argues that universal healthcare is a right and not a privilege. Kidder’s book also shows the audience that every individual, no matter what the circumstances, is entitled to receive quality health care. In the book Kidder represents, Paul Farmer, a man who spends his entire life determined to improve the health care of impoverished areas around the world, namely Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the world. By doing this the audience learns of the horrible circumstances, and the lack of quality health care that nations like Haiti

There is also a combination of the two above influences. The combination can be seen as genetic environmental correlations.

A truck with “Vision Mountain Mission Project” painted on the side slowed to a stop in a rural village in the Dominican Republic. I stepped off the truck into the sunny, humid weather. Instantly, I was embraced by the community’s residents with enthusiasm and optimism, despite their torn clothing, ragged flip flops, and tiny, rugged shacks. While organizing various stations at the clinical site for free medical services, I pre-examined a number of patients whom other medical personnel and I were expected to care for that day. Outside the tent, I was taken aback by the tremendous amount of people that were waiting at the entrance. Each of these patients was given the opportunity to receive health screenings, vital readings, medications, and

Over the years, the knowledge that genetic, environmental, and social factors interact as risk factors for

However, apart from genetic component we must not overlook other factors such as viruses, toxic or environmental agents, metals, electromagnetic fields,

In general, one’s environment cannot directly affect one’s genetics within their lifetime. Even evolution, an example of nurture changing nature, often

I get really passionate when talking about topics like this one because I’m an immigrant so sometimes I feel discriminated against and I feel the pressure of society upon me when I have to change some of my cultural patterns in order to fit in into this new society. To be honest, volunteering in general and doing service-learning projects like this one help me fulfill a lot of personal goals. I’m into social justice, in fact, I want my master’s in either social justice or human rights. Therefore, this project gave me more social understanding because people who suffer these types of diseases, consequently, suffer physical impairment. This project made me understand that they don’t suffer disability; rather, disability is a social construct.

During college, I also had an opportunity to shadow a group of medical professionals on a summer medical relief trip to Peru. On the trip, I realized life was so much bigger than my self-contained bubble of worries and concerns. Students from The University of Illinois’ Christian healthcare association aided a team composed of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and therapists to run free clinics in Peru. I experienced first-hand how powerful it was when different health professionals worked together towards a common goal. My initial wonderment of the mountainous landscape was quickly put aside overshadowed after I realized the team did not have the resources to meet the needs of the large mass of local Quechua people that had gathered at our clinic. It was heartbreaking to witness problems that were otherwise so easily treatable in America. As resources dwindled, I noticed a therapist who was teaching proper lifting techniques to prevent injuries. He noted the prevalence of lower back pain largely due to the heavy labor a majority of the local men did for a living. This was significant as the physical therapist not only treated the symptoms, but rather empowered the local people to better themselves daily. I witnessed people being inspired to care

The poor of Guaymas relied on this clinic for some of life’s essentials, and this clinic was willing and enthusiastic to help them. This relationship inspired me to learn more about Guaymas’s healthcare system and its willingness to assist the poor, leading me to volunteer in a free EMS service and a public hospital during future trips to my father’s hometown.

causes that go beyond genetics. In fact, as Moore quoted in his book, the Centers for Disease

Between my time volunteering at an organic produce farm, volunteering at an equine therapy program for children with disabilities, and traveling to the Dominican Republic to treat those in need, I have seen the value of investing in both the individual and the community. Those in healthcare so often forget that healing is not something done solely upon the body. Rather, healing extends from the patient into their homes and their environment.

It is a question that has been discussed for ages – nature versus nurture, genetics versus experiences, internal versus external forces. The comical meme about disease running in a family, and no one running in a family takes a snapshot of this debate. How much does an individual’s genetics play in aspects of their life such as health and disease, and how much does lifestyle contribute? A synonymous example is how much music comes from the musician compared to the instrument? The answer is in the evidence, from both sides, that piles high because the two factors work together indistinguishably. We should not be asking which affects the outcome more; we should simply see that the two influence each other to come to the resultant.

I’d fallen ill while visiting my grandparents in the northern part of Nigeria and was taken to a 2-room health facility where I witnessed an unfathomable scene. In the hallway, lying on a wooden bench, a pregnant woman moaned loudly, in labor. Tossing and turning, she flinched in pain as she reached around the rusted nails protruding from the bench while simultaneously following the midwife’s directions. For many weeks, I couldn’t get the image out of my head. I remember thinking, ‘Why was she giving birth on a wooden bench? Are there no beds?’ Of course, as I advanced in my education in the world of healthcare, I came to realize that those were deceptively simple questions that delved into issues of access to quality healthcare in low resource settings. This and other questions drove me to research and birthed my interest in public health.

My 2012 trip to Bangladesh fueled my passion in public health. It was extremely eye opening to all the health inequalities that humans suffer throughout the world. During my visit, I reconnected with my uncle, who was born blind. His acceptance of adversity with remarkable stoicism amazes me and as my first time seeing him as an adult, I realized how unprepared I was to help him. By admitting to my lack of knowledge to a life so different than mine, I asked him a series of questions to obtain a better understanding of the realities of his condition. “What causes you the most pain? What matters to you the most? What can I do to help you envision the world better?” Through this turning point in my life, I learned the importance of having