What organization did you intern with? What was your role?
I completed my internship with a nonprofit called Centre Valbio. as a medical assistant for its mobile health team.
Where was your internship located?
Ranomafana, Madagascar.
What is your career goal?
To eventually become a doctor while continuing my work with global and community health.
What was your internship funding source?
Downs Fellowship.
What were your duties/responsibilities during your internship?
During my internship, I joined a mobile health team in Madagascar, servicing rural villages within dense forests, far removed from any health infrastructure. I worked with local health administrators to create a project studying water quality and sanitation indicators within these communities. This included a survey focused on people's interactions with water and an analytic comparison of bacterial contamination in different water sources. In addition, I assisted the general practitioners with taking vitals and performing diagnostic tests, creating reports representing the health team's work to stakeholders, and preparing medications for clinic visits.
What did you take away from your experience as an intern? What was the value of the internship to you?
While I originally entered this experience with the intention of studying water, I left with a strong appreciation for educating, and involving communities in understanding and monitoring, their own health. When I began to explain how my research worked, people developed a genuine interest in the science and evidence behind our health recommendations. I am continuing to collaborate with local administrators to establish an education program that can motivate and empower individuals in rural Madagascar to engage with personal preventive health.
What was the most rewarding aspect of your internship? What was the most challenging aspect? The most surprising aspect?
During my expeditions with the health team, I was most touched by the genuine warmth with which the villagers welcomed me into their homes. Despite being a foreign researcher who spoke little Malagasy, I felt very comfortable in their presence. It was wonderful to watch their curiosity spark as I shared with them how my analysis worked. The most challenging aspect of this internship was having to face the barriers to rural health as a provider. There were many instances where people were not able to receive the care they needed in time due to a lack of infrastructure. This was difficult to watch. I was surprised by how similar this environment was to where my family is from in India. The way people interact with each other, structure their lives, and perceive life and death is shockingly similar to the way I grew up.
How has YSPH prepared you for this internship?
My classes in global health have stressed the importance of creating sustainable solutions, communicating respectfully, and building long-lasting partnerships. With this in mind, I was able to structure my project in a way that would empower local community members to continue my work while developing meaningful connections with the health providers and the communities I worked with.
What would you say to a student who’s considering a similar internship?
It's important to ethically structure a global health project that is relevant to the community you are working with, and speaking to the right people is a crucial step in achieving this. This includes both the institution you are at and the institutions you will be partnering with. I would recommend searching for mentors who understand your vision and will lead you in the right direction to reach your professional and personal goals.