Alexandra's Internship with VAW Global Health Alliance

Alexandra is a 2nd year Human Biology major and Global Health minor at Sixth College! She is very interested in providing accessible healthcare abroad. She intents to become a Global Health major to pursue my interests in medicine, environmental sustainability, and global partnerships. 

VAW Global Health Alliance is a global health and development organization committed to cultivating sustainable and equitable partnerships with local communities and professionals through support and capacity-building for essential and accessible health services. Their focus is to work hand-in-hand with local initiatives and leaders to provide communities with improved access to medical, dental, and veterinary treatment, medication, nutritional security, clean water, and health education.

As an intern, she worked in 4 different clinical areas which were Intake, Shadowing, Pharmacy, and Vitals. Over the course of 2 weeks she rotated around each station to practice taking vitals, working with patients and doctors through consultations, basic pharmacy, and gather patient information and medical history. She was taught how to take glucose, blood pressure, listen to lungs, take height and weight, temperature and blood oxygenation.

"Some challenges that my group and I faced were language barriers and climate disruptions. The areas that we visited in Guatemala were very secluded in the mountains. Many people only spoke Mayan or Spanish. I know Spanish but not Mayan. We faced this challenge by finding translators and slowing down our questions to help communicate better. The climate challenge was more unpredictable. We were able to adjust to it by being proactive and preparing for our clinical days in advance."

Her time in her FE taught her so many valuable lessons! She made so a lot of new friends and meaningful memories. She learned a lot about Guatemala’s culture and their medical system. She felt like it was genuinely life changing. During her free time she did so much! She explored the local towns, went cliff diving, swimming, zip lining, hiking, horseback riding, and even celebrated Guatemalan Independence Day!

When she is back at UCSD she will be working with the organization that took her on the trip (VAW) to plan and lead next year’s trip to Peru! It is a year long commitment that requires the whole year to plan and train. She definitely recommends this experience to other students!