This summer, the Department of Global Health at Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences piloted a new summer trip, “Critical Issues in Global and Public Health,” in Edinburgh, Scotland, with Queen Margaret University.
Ten DMU students participated in the program, including Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Students Natasha Andersen, Jessica Duffy, Sally Hazen, Hasmik Petrosyan, Nicholas Schany, Lexi Barp and Claire Loftus; Doctor of Podiatric Medicine student Guraustin Brar; and Master of Health Care Administration students Rebekah Slight and Amanda Sutton. Loftus is also pursuing an M.H.A. degree and Petrosyan is working toward a Master of Public Health in addition to their D.O. degrees.
“The focus of this trip was to help students better understand public health foundations, from past to present, and be able to compare and contrast between countries,” says Angela Johnson, adjunct assistant professor in global health and Edinburgh trip chaperone. “Students learned how public health connects to social determinants and how these social determinants are beyond a person’s control, ultimately affecting their access to health care.”
During the six-day trip, DMU students participated in classes led by QMU faculty. The topics included critical issues in global health, mental health, climate change, health care systems and refugee integration. When students weren’t in the classroom, they explored Edinburgh and participated in hands-on learning.
“This trip helped me think about the bigger picture of how health systems operate,” says Duffy, a second-year Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine student. “During a session, QMU professors spoke with us about considering current and ideal values of health systems and the concepts and roles that influence these systems in positive and negative ways. As a D.O. student, these concepts are extremely important to the health and future of our patients.”
All the scheduled tours and activities had a purpose relating to the overall topic of public health. From touring Mary King’s Close to a ghost tour, students learned how people of the past lived and dealt with health care access and issues.
“DMU’s deliberate effort to expose students to a variety of medical professions is crucial as we prepare for our transition into clinical practice,” says Hazen, a second-year student in the D.O. program. “Interacting with members from diverse health professions showed me the importance of recognizing shared goals while acknowledging the varied approaches each profession brings to the table.”
The Department of Global Health’s short-term trips provide service-learning opportunities to enhance students’ education. Studying health care in a different setting allows students to learn first-hand about the social detriments of health. Learn more about DMU’s Department of Global Health by visiting dmu.edu/globalhealth.
