Varshitha Bojanapati
My Public Health Training
My Diagnosis
The Advanced Medical & Public Health Internship diagnosis is the first-ever program of its kind. I not only got to work with the top medical professionals from around the world, but I had the unique opportunity to learn about and practice patient examination, evaluation, and diagnosis.
Through virtual reality technology, I was connected with a clinic and maternity ward in Bauchi State, Nigeria where I was able to interact with my patients in real-time. Supervised by a doctor in Nigeria, I examined & diagnosed my patient using my diagnostic training on the top 4 leading causes of death in Nigeria; malaria, typhoid fever, nutritional anemia, & acute respiratory infections (ARI).
These patients were locals from Bauchi State that were all ill and would normally not be able to afford medical treatment as they earn $1.25 a day or less. In return for working with our participants, all of their treatments were funded by Leadership Initiatives.
In 2023, Leadership Initiatives was able to fund the treatment of all patients participating in this program.
My Public Health
Campaign
I learned about four of the most pertinent diseases in the developing world from medical professionals including Dr. Aisha Garba-Aliyu, medical doctor and public health expert in Nigeria.
With their guidance, I gained a better understanding of the signs and symptoms correlated with different stages and severities of malaria, typhoid fever, acute respiratory infections (ARIs), and nutritional anemia. I also developed cultural competencies and a global perspective to assess the structural and social determinants of health that underlie these diseases.
With the help of collaborating directly with development and public health experts to develop an impactful educational public health campaign. The campaign is specifically tailored to address the needs of underserved communities in Bauchi, aiming to raise awareness aboutTyphoidand promote positive behavioral changes. Throughout the internship, I immersed myself in rigorous research and analysis to ensure the campaign’s effectiveness and relevance to the local population.
The process of creating the public health campaign was both challenging and rewarding. I conducted in-depth research on prevalent health concerns in the targeted communities, identifying key areas where intervention and awareness were essential for improving public health outcomes. Collaborating with mentors and fellow interns, I formulated innovative strategies to engage the community, ensuring the campaign’s messages would resonate with the intended audience.
Leadership Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is committed to fostering the growth of future leaders worldwide by providing experiential learning opportunities.
Our ultimate goal was to empower individuals to make informed decisions about their health and well-being, fostering lasting improvements in community health.
As the internship concluded, I had the opportunity to showcase the culmination of my work and research. Presenting my research proposal aboutTyphoidto a panel of esteemed judges allowed me to demonstrate the depth of my understanding and commitment to the cause. The experience not only bolstered my presentation and communication skills but also reaffirmed my passion for public health and the potential positive impact such initiatives can have on communities around the world.
Internship Highlights
- Experts & Mentors
- Diagnostic Training
- Nigerian Medicine
- Suturing & Triage
I heard from top medical professionals in a variety of fields and specialties including surgery, emergency medicine, and medical research.
Mitchell Kannry, Fire Marshal at DC. Fire and EMS, spoke to us about careers in emergency response and how field medicine is done when trauma is involved.
Dr. Rachel Selekmen, a pediatric urologist and telehealth specialist., also spoke to us about her career trajectory, her studies, and a day in her life as a surgeon at Children’s National Hospital in DC.
Additionally, I had the unique opportunity to speak to leading public health experts and researchers at the National Institute of Health. Their knowledge helped guide me to determine the focus of my public health campaign.
By working with experts, I gained a better understanding of the responsibilities associated with each medical specialty and how to go about pursuing those particular careers.
Dr. Garba-Aliyu taught a series of workshops that demonstrated the proper way to interview a patient and explained various techniques to investigate disease.
Throughout the internship, I developed skills in the collection, interpretation, and critical analysis of patient data.
With Dr. Garba-Aliyu’s guidance, I was able to improve my ability to synthesize and evaluate information, which is essential in the diagnostic process.
These exercises helped me advance my communication skills to appropriately evaluate patients and best understand their symptoms.
Through interactive educational seminars, I got an insight into the history of medical practices in Nigeria.
Dr. Garba-Aliyu provided me with the current practices in Nigerian medicine and a rich understanding of the growing mistrust of Western biomedical medicine in the region.
By meeting with actual patients, I gained insight into the lives of people living in Nigeria.
Understanding the lived experiences of these individuals allowed me to gain a critical perspective of what practices I could implement into my campaign to reduce the spread of infectious disease.
In one of the leading interactive activities of the internship, I learned and practiced multiple suturing techniques on a human-skin model.
While working on suturing, I employed instruction from medical professionals on the varying techniques and forms of suturing.
This activity provided insight into the primary tasks required of doctors and nurses, while also learning about some of the more intricate parts of medicine.
Along with suturing, I also practiced making plaster casts and other medical procedures. All of these activities helped prepare me for a career in medicine and strengthened my interest in the field.