Global Health at Penn State College of Medicine

Education knows no limits! Our Global Health Scholars are about half way through their summers of exploration. Looking forward to hearing all of your stories upon your return :-)🌍✈️👩‍⚕️

Congratulations to Nitya Devireddy for being selected for the Fulbright Jamaica Award!

Congrats to our Global Health Case Competition Team Members!

Penn State places fourth out of 31 teams in global health competition Penn State places fourth out of 31 teams in global health competition; Competition offers students chance to use classroom knowledge to solve complex hypothetical public health crisis…

Exploring the vibrant tapestry of Dalat, Vietnam with our incredible 4th-year global health scholars alongside our esteemed partners at Lam D**g Medical College. Immersed in the heart of their culture, clinics, and medical practices, our journey is a testament to the power of cross-cultural exchange in shaping compassionate healthcare. 🌏

🌍✨ We are overjoyed to announce an incredible gift received from the Hershey Rotary Club! Their generous contribution of $22,000 will be instrumental in supporting our Global Health Center's initiatives in Ghana, including the procurement of medical equipment, the Helping Babies Breath Project, and medical student and surgical resident exchanges.

Thanks to the Hershey Rotary Club's unwavering support, we can continue making a meaningful impact in underserved communities, improving healthcare access and promoting wellness where it's needed most. This collaboration exemplifies the power of community partnerships in driving positive change globally.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Hershey Rotary Club for their dedication to humanitarian efforts and for recognizing the importance of investing in global health initiatives. Together, we are making a difference one step at a time. 🙏

Embracing the spirit of Ghana!
From visiting Black Star Square, to language and drum lessons, to spending time at local clinics, our amazing GHHEP students are soaking up the culture and making memories in Ghana!🌟

Global Health Connections!
Former GHSP graduate, Dr. Alyssa Brandt ('19), had a great meet up at the Academic Surgical Congress this week with the incredible Dr. John Oh and our esteemed affiliate, Dr. Forster Amponsah, all the way from Eastern regional Hospital in Koforidua, Ghana!

Braziliant times with for these fantastic four!
Our students are living their best life while making a positive impact on global health at our partner site in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Thrilled to welcome our 1st and 2nd year scholars at the GHHEP Welcome Dinner. A big thank you to Fred Gellert, Jim Gainer, and Paul & Maria Thompson for their inspiring talk on Rotary Club's work in global health. Here's to nurturing future leaders in global health and health equity!

This summer marks return of Global Health Exchange Program at Penn State College of Medicine The Global Health Exchange Program returned at Penn State College of Medicine this summer.

Dr. Jeffries was a founding board member for the Global Health Center in 2009 and an incredible friend to Global Health. He loved global health and greatly desired that every student who wanted to have an experience could get one. In the 1980s and 1990s he regularly took medical students on his international trips. More recently he established three different travel scholarships. He was so pleased with our unique program and would advocate successfully for global health with PSU-COM leadership. We will deeply miss Dr. Jeffries and our interactions. We are humbled that he sensed the value of our Global Health Scholars Program so early on and became an ardent supporter. It is true that we would not have our program today if it were not for Dr. Jeffries.

Inspiring Future Docs! 🩺✨ Jacob Miller and Devika Patel, our awesome 2nd year Med Students and Health Equity Harrisburg Scholars, took the stage at our STEM camp on June 26th, 2023. They wowed our high school students with a thoughtful and interactive discussion on social determinants of health, local health disparities, and their incredible journeys in medicine serving underserved communities. 🌍💙

It's all smiles and exciting collaborations with PSCOM's power couple, Kent and Sheila Vrana! 🌟🤝 Their visit to St. Catherine's Hospital in Zagreb alongside our amazing site partner, Dr. Dragan Primorac, not only strengthens our ties but also unlocks new possibilities. Get ready for some groundbreaking PGx projects on the horizon! 💪✨

Adventures in Nepal with the dynamic duo of global health, Gavin Shaeffer Hood and Dr. Sanjay Yadav! Together, they're bringing smiles, expertise, and positive exchanges to our wonderful site partners and communities of Nepal. 🌍✨

GHSP1 Ghana students are having a great learning experience in Koforidua, Ghana. Observing deliveries, surgeries, going on wards and spending time in the community learning about issues that relate to health. They are great ambassadors for PSU COM!

From left to right: Himi Begum, Edna Bonsu, Kiera Murphy, Veenadhari Kollipara, Dr. Fredrick, Kayla Miranda, Katrina Olenwine, Jessica Santucci, Sahil Sardesi.

Beyond immersing themselves in the artistry, our talented GHSP Ghana students have also been visiting clinics, supporting healthcare professionals, and experiencing the warmth of Ghana's communities. Together, they're learning, sharing, and making lasting connections that go far beyond borders!

The GHSP explorers have arrived in Vietnam! Together, we'll forge bonds that transcend borders, share expertise, and ignite positive change in healthcare education. Let's rock this journey! 🌍✨ "

Touchdown in Zambia! When GHSP superheroes land in Zambia, the world becomes a brighter place! 🌟✈️ "

Cultural conversations with law students from MountCrest University College.

Check out the Domestic programs now available at the Global Health Center.

This just published article demonstrates that when medical students interested in internal medicine have global health experiences they have an almost 2x greater intention of practice in underserved areas in the United States compared with their peers who did not have global health experiences. (adjusted Odds Ratio of 1.75 [1.34-2.28], p < 0.001).
This article was coauthored by PSU-COM’s Dr. Inginia Genao.

https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-023-04392-0

Medical student intentions to practice internal medicine in underserved areas associated with debt, identity and extracurricular participation - BMC Medical Education Background Currently, Internal Medicine (IM) physicians do not reflect the ethno-racial diversity of the US population. Moreover, there is a shortage of IM physicians in Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) in the US. The purpose of this study was to determine factors that influence medical students.....

Dr. Fredrick was invited to speak at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, one of our international partners and sites for our Global Health Scholars Program. We look forward to our ongoing collaborations together.

Congrats Graduates! As they embark on the next phase of their journey, we have no doubt that these GHSP graduates will continue to be trailblazers, advocates, and leaders in the field of global health.

Global health competition provides hands-on learning experience | Penn State University Working together, Penn State students Deepa Kadidahl, Laraib Mazhar, Belle Peterson, Seth Wilkinson, Noah Yeagley and Andrew Yeich developed a potential strategy to reduce maternal deaths as part of the 2023 Emory Morningside Global Health Case Competition, which was held in Atlanta on March 18.

Please join us in congratulating this year's fabulous group of students from Penn State who competed in the Emory case competition this past weekend. Their solution, "Reimagining Obstetric Care: Improving Access to Maternity Waiting Homes and Expanding the Role of Matwons," was the perfect balance of creativity, feasibility, and use of existing resources to improve health outcomes for women in Haiti.

Participating students:
Deepa Kadidahl, MPH IUG program; Laraib Mazhar, DrPH program; Belle Peterson, Biobehavioral Health program; Seth Wilkinson, MPS in Homeland Security/Public Health Preparedness; Noah Yeagley, Law; Andrew Yeich, MD program

https://www.eventcreate.com/e/2023-emory-morningside-glob

A successful exploratory trip to Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina by three PSU-COM faculty and two medical students!! We plan to establish this as a Global Health Scholars site beginning in 2023-24 with student and faculty exchanges. We are pleased to collaborate with the U. of Split in Croatia and the University of Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina!

https://www.sum.ba/en/objave/novosti/one-of-the-largest-public-universities-in-the-united-states-of

One of the largest public universities in the United States of America visiting SUM Professors and students of the Pennsylvania State University, one of the largest public universities in the United States of America, visited the University of Mostar, i.e., the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Mostar, and then the Rector's Office, where a meeting was held with members of th...

Recently donated expired medical and surgical supplies were received by the University of Ghana Medical Center’s Simulation Center! We are delighted to partner with UGMC!

An inexpensive and easy-to-deliver intervention — a single dose of the antibiotic azithromycin — could sharply reduce the number of pregnant people in low- and middle-income countries who develop the life-threatening condition sepsis in childbirth, a study published Thursday reported.

https://www.statnews.com/2023/02/09/single-antibiotic-pill-slashed-sepsis-in-childbirth/

In large study, a single antibiotic dose slashed rate of sepsis in childbirth An inexpensive, generic drug is seen as a feasible way to lower the risk of maternal sepsis in low- and middle-income countries.

Congratulations to our new Global Health Scholars! Students will be traveling as groups to a variety of locations this summer 2023: Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana, Zambia, Vietnam, Nepal, Australia, and (new) Harrisburg!