Hello everyone! I am Tiffany (she/her), a senior biology major and neuro minor on the pre-med track! For Fall 2024, I went on a Non-Carleton OCS program called SIT IHP Health and Community. By the end of this program, I will have visited Delhi, Udaipur, and Jaipur in India, Cape Town and Zwelethemba in South Africa, and Buenos Aires in Argentina. Although traveling is a major plus of this program, I chose this program because I wanted to shift my perspective on how sociocultural, political, and economic factors shape health outcomes, healthcare accessibility, and public health policies in diverse global contexts. This perfectly aligns with my goal as a future physician by teaching me how to listen to stories that are not the dominant voice, and to engage with systems of care that are not only Western or biomedical!
Because I am originally from Minnesota, so this was my first time being “alone” with new people and environments. I learned what it means to make new acquaintances and to navigate a city by yourself. This has been extremely helpful as I navigate living in homestays and making meaningful connections especially as I hopefully transition into medical school someday! Beyond this, the most life-changing moment was talking to Pratapi Bai, a guni master (a traditional healer), and learning more about what she does and how she heals individuals. I learned about the practice of pulse reading, and how she can tell you symptoms or diagnosis based on your pulse! This completely shifted my Western perspective on how we use pulse readings. Overall, this program has been beneficial in teaching me to question who is the dominant voice, who is left out, and who to advocate for, which will be extremely helpful as my goal is to address disparities in medicine. Although my time in each place is short, the connections, the memories, and the experiences will always have a special place in my heart!
