Starting off as a pre-medical student, Global Brigades offered me the opportunity to gain clinical experience in a way that I would never able to get in my local community. My first two years I was able to work alongside doctors, communicating with patients in a free clinic in rural Honduras. This experience sprouted a passion for global health and international medicine that has continued to foster since its initiation. The more I saw, however, the more I realized that treating patients is only half of the battle. To actually make improvements and have a lasting impression on the communities with which I was working, my efforts would be better spent attacking the source. This year I am leading a Public Health Brigade with Central Michigan students. Over the course of a week we will be work on home improvement projects that will improve the quality of life for an individual family and keep them from needing consistent treatments that are preventable under the right conditions.
As my involvement with GB has changed, so have my passions grown for not only global health, but preventative health through sustainable systems and education. I plan to pursue a career in public health where I will have the opportunity to make long-term impacts on local communities using the same skills and knowledge I have gained from the GB family.