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Temitope Omoladun, M4
Global Health Scholar Temitope Omoladun is collaborating with MedCare Clinic in Ogbomosho by incorporating health education initiatives with a project centered on Maternal Health Care for pregnant women. This project service initiative provides labor and delivery supplies to soon-to-be mothers and educating them on prenatal, antenatal, and postnatal care.
Why MedCare Clinic? This clinic is a patient-centered clinic that seeks to identify and address individuals' unmet health and healthcare needs within the community. Their mission and focus are straightforward: inclusivity, trust, and confidentiality. This clinic is unique compared to many others in the Ogbomosho region due to its emphasis on treating each patient with the utmost respect and dignity, fostering a trusting and confidential relationship between healthcare personnel and patients, and serving individuals where the need is greatest.
What was the most memorable thing that happened during your global health experience? The most memorable thing that happened during this virtual global health experience was the reactions of our respondents. Many of our participants felt that they were “heard” and “listened to.”
What insights and/or personal benefits did you gain through the experience? How do you “make sense of” your experience? Some personal benefits I gained were being able to translate an idea into something tangible and beneficial for community members in need. I loved that our team was very diligent and meticulous about purchasing and delivering our Labor and Delivery Supplies to suitable sources. I learned to believe in myself and not be discouraged when one encounters challenges along the way. It has also been a humbling experience and a reminder that it is a privilege to “offer help” to those who need it.
How did the global health experience affect you as a health professional student? How do you think this experience changed the way you practice, or changed the direction of your medical career? This global health experience has positively impacted my growth as a medical student/public health advocate. It has offered me the impetus to pursue projects like Project Excellence in the future. It has also shown me that they are diverse ways of implementing project ideas and initiatives and that it doesn’t have to be done through a conventional approach.
Has your worldview changed as a result of your experience? In what way(s)? As a result of this experience, I have learned that the world is truly within our reach. There are many opportunities and ways in which people can positively impact the lives of others, and one should take advantage of them whenever possible. I have also learned how to best work with personalities on a team and be more patient/considerate of other people’s opinions and views on some issues.
Ethical Considerations: One of our committee members expressed that our participants did not want their faces to be shown in the videos taken as evidence that such an event (Healthy Mums Initiative) took place and we had to respect their cultural views.
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SAVE THE DATE - Our Global Health Partner The Luke Commission is coming to campus! GHI is hosting a "Lunch & Learn" on Wednesday, April 27th from 12pm to 1:30pm in White Hall. More information to follow. All are welcome!
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Global Health Partner Profile
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Harry VanderWal, MD – Class of 2002
One of our Global Health Scholars alumnus is also our Global Health Partner. When Dr. VanderWal was studying to be a doctor and his wife Echo was studying to be a physician’s assistant, they both wanted to offer medical assistance to others with their faith as their motivation and guiding light.
When the VanderWals traveled to Swaziland (now the country of Eswatini) in 2004, they noticed the high level of inadequate resources and lack of available health care services between the cities and rural areas. They founded The Luke Commission (TLC) in 2005, a provider of comprehensive mobile health outreach in Eswatini with an initial focus on HIV testing and prevention.
After Dr. VanderWal completed his residency in 2006, they moved to Eswatini with a goal to form a foundation built on trust with local communities. As Echo explained, “relationships are the currency of Africa. If you don’t build relationships, you will not have a real impact.”
Speaking of building relationships, WSU BSOM and The Luke Commission have built and maintained friendships that promote goodwill and intellectual exchanges with international focus between students and faculty. Our Global Scholars have the privilege of traveling to Africa to work with Dr. VanderWal, Echo, and their team. Engaging in global service learning exponentially increases the educational value of student experiences during an international medical elective. The students thoroughly enjoyed their experiences.
Today, the Luke Commission has grown to a staff of more than 650 (98% Emaswati). TLC works with a diversified group of partners, including the Eswatini Ministry of Health and US governmental organizations, to innovate and implement best practices for comprehensive healthcare. Click here to learn more about their miracle campus, compassionate medicine, and more.
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COVID Conway Communications
I have the privilege of welcoming aboard additional team members to this publication and a renewed sense of purpose and passion for spreading GOOD information! Not only do we as an academic community need to keep ourselves well informed, we also need to be able to engage our community of family, friends, and patients on these topics in a way that invites meaningful dialogue and compassionate connection.
Current and archived editions of CCC can be viewed HERE.
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By Samantha Lomnicki, MS4
With everything going on in Ukraine right now, I wanted to find ways to get involved and support organizations that work closely with Ukraine. At this point, more than 2.4 million Ukrainians have fled to Poland, and with my parents being from Poland and majority of my family still living in Poland, I felt compelled to contribute to the humanitarian aid efforts. Ultimately, I decided to have a Pierogi sale and donate 100% of proceeds to a charitable foundation called Rozom for Ukraine, which is an organization focused on delivering tactical medicine items, hospital supplies, and tech enabled emergency response supplies to field hospitals and military camps in Ukraine.
With the help of a few classmates, we successfully raised $400 for Razom for Ukraine! |
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The Global Health Scholars Program is about to graduate 34 students that will receive their Global Health certificate! These Global Scholars will become the next GH alumni. We look forward to highlighting these scholars in the future.
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Join local organization Ebenezer Healthcare Access to be equipped with greater comprehension on the struggles of local refugees and immigrants and to find out how you can support efforts to address health-related gaps they experience.
Monday, April 25th from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST
Location: Virtual event hosted on Zoom
Click here to register for this event.
Sponsored by: Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County
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GHI CORNER
GLOBAL HEALTH INITIATIVE
MEDICAL STUDENT TRIP FUNDRAISER
Students involved in the Global Health Scholars Program participate in global travel twice during their medical school career. Travel costs can be upwards of $3,000 and many students require extra financial aid to make this possible.
Your donation helps our students pursue their passion as global leaders.
By donating to the Global Health Initiative Fund, donors provide funds to sponsor students in completing their international travel requirements. Please visit our website to learn more about our amazing students, stellar programs, and how to donate online! |
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