From GlobeMed to Med School
Bringing Global Health Learnings Back Home
Now a medical student, Sruthi Sundaram’s Grassroots Onsite Work (GROW) experience in Thailand gave her insight into addressing healthcare disparities in her own backyard.
When I look back on my Grassroots Onsite Work (GROW) internship, almost four years later, I feel nostalgic about the experience I was so blessed to have. GROW prepared me for my future global health roles since then and informed many of my long-term goals.
My journey toward becoming a GROW intern began when I was a freshman in college. I discovered GlobeMed at the University of Cincinnati amid hundreds of other organizations at a “Welcome Weekend” event in August 2012. Despite having signed up to join about 20 organizations that day, GlobeMed was one of the few meetings I actually attended the following week. GlobeMed at the University of Cincinnati was in its third year, and I was fortunate enough to join the organization at a time when the chapter founders were still leading as co-presidents. I immediately became very interested in global health, which correlated well with my career goals in medicine. I participated in a globalhealthU, GlobeMed’s signature global health and leadership curriculum, with interest in educating my community and myself. After two years of learning as much as I could about our partner organization and community, I was fortunate enough to be one of five members of my chapter to be selected for the GROW internship in Thailand during the summer of 2014.
GlobeMed at the University of Cincinnati is partnered with Social Action for Women (SAW), located in Mae Sot, a small town on the Thai-Myanmar border, and a center of commerce and trade. Due to the political instability in Myanmar, the clash between civil and military governments, and the diversity of ethnicities native to Myanmar, Mae Sot is a popular destination for many migrant workers. People leave for a variety of reasons, including the pursuit of a more stable life, better job opportunities, or to avoid the war and violence that erupts from ethnic cleansing and the political struggles of their home country. Unfortunately, many migrant workers — especially women and children — are exploited in Thailand due to their lack of legal documentation. SAW is dedicated to improving the lives of migrant workers in Mae Sot and the surrounding villages in Phop Phra, as well as rescuing women who are victims of sex trafficking, and children who often are in similar circumstances due to abandonment or separation from their parents and frequent deportation of Burmese migrants that takes place in the region.
SAW is a multi-faceted organization that until recently was led by Dr. Htin Zaw, a physician originally from Myanmar. Dr. Htin Zaw was a prominent activist in the National League of Democracy in Myanmar and as a result was a prisoner of war for several years. He completed his medical education in the United Kingdom and at Johns Hopkins University. After his time abroad, he returned to his motherland to provide a better life for the people of Myanmar . Dr. Htin Zaw inspired me immensely. I am so fortunate that I was able to work with and learn from him in Thailand, and later at the GlobeMed Summit and at a chapter meeting in 2016. Witnessing Dr. Htin Zaw in different contexts — as a leader at SAW and as a medical doctor delivering much-needed primary care services — was illuminating for my own future. I could see myself contributing to global health as a physician. SAW’s organizational strategies, clearly defined goals, and measurable outcomes taught me about the importance of understanding the community one works with.
When I applied for the GROW grant, which provides financial assistance for GlobeMed students on GROW, I was not expecting to receive it. I was preparing myself for other options to make this experience possible. The Global Health Fellows Program-II (GHFP-II) facilitates international experiences like GROW for students who are underrepresented in global health. GHFP-II’s partnership with GlobeMed has allowed hundreds of students like me to travel abroad and work hand-in-hand with our partners, in their local communities across three continents. The cumulative impact of connecting university students with the world cannot be overstated. We are entering an era where one’s global citizenry is just as important, if not more so, than their nationality. I truly believe in breaking the geographical barriers that keep us apart. The more exposure we have to the presence of difference, the more empathy we will develop, and the more informed we will be when we make decisions that impact others’ lives.
GlobeMed flips the traditional “partnership” model wherein power lies in the hands of the group with the money — a key reason why so many foreign aid efforts fail. GlobeMed’s partnership model is truly that — a partnership. The grassroots partner organization defines the goals. They identify the priorities, because they know the communities they serve best. The GlobeMed chapter is there to support and facilitate. This is so important to establish a sustainable relationship. These are lessons that can only be learned through experience.
After returning from the GROW internship, I spent my last two years as a member of GlobeMed at the University of Cincinnati on the partnerships committee, mentoring future GROW interns, maintaining weekly contact with our partner, disseminating the work of SAW to my chapter in real-time, and sharing my experience through video recordings, photographs, and personal anecdotes. After graduating, I pursued my Master’s in Public Health, where I studied the barriers of access to primary care and childhood vaccinations in Cincinnati. I also worked closely with the Hamilton County Public Health Department to analyze and document specific health inequities that exist in this community. Wanting to gain more invaluable international experience, I travelled to Chennai, India, where I worked with a nonprofit focusing on the prevention of HIV in underserved communities. I assisted colleagues in the development of a mobile app to help inform the local community about transmission modes of HIV, risky sexual behaviors, and barrier protection. I began my medical education at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, where I am currently pursuing my MD.
GlobeMed was the first experience I had that really fostered my love of global health. This experience has informed every career choice I have made since. I am so eternally grateful to GlobeMed at University of Cincinnati, the Global Health Fellows Program, and the GROW internship for teaching me about partnership, service, and global health.
Originally published at https://www.globemed.org on July 18, 2018.
