International Portfolio
Peace Corps Prep
Being a part of the Peace Corps Prep program has shown me the international perspective of healthcare. Healthcare is a subjective topic, where it can mean many different things depending on the culture. This program highlighted the cultural differences in health, along with the inequalities associated with healthcare.
Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic
While volunteering at the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic in Ft Myers, I was introduced to a number of different cultures, religions, and ethnicities. One of my patients was a woman from the Middle East who did not understand English. Part of my responsibility was to communicate with the patient about what the Doctor was going to do. Using my international background, I gestured and used items to communicate the procedure. Many of the items were unknown to her, so I demonstrated on myself to show what the device would be doing. Through all of this, my goal was to make her more comfortable. Being in a place where you can't understand is incredibly difficult, and making sure she knew what was going on was important to me.
Global Health and Culture
One of the classes I had the opportunity of taking for Peace Corps Prep was Global Health and Culture. This class was an introductory class on Medical Anthropology. It highlighted cultural differences in medicine and how healthcare was used internationally. One of the most important things I took away from this class was to never assume something about a culture. The instructor of the course worked at a maternity clinic in Tanzania, Africa. She highlighted the differences in maternal healthcare in Africa. Many of the women were shamed if they went to the doctor, as they were expected to live as normal when pregnant. While we want individuals to have the safest pregnancy as possible, some of the women were against going to the hospital as well, even if something was wrong. As a professional, our goal must be to explain the science behind an issue and respect the patient's decisions. If they refused healthcare, we must honor their decisions instead of looking down on them. Cultural differences in healthcare are vital for any professional to know in the industry. When working abroad, we should never assume that individuals will act in the same manner as they do in our home country. Instead, we should treat every culture individually, and work with their preferences and norms.