Photo of & Story by Ahmed Saleh, YES '09

On June 28th, I traveled to Mwanza, the second largest city in Tanzania, following my first year of medical school. I was privileged to be a part of Weill Cornell’s summer global health program in Mwanza, which lasted for 8 weeks. I worked at Bugando Medical Center and Sekotoure Hospital along with other medical centers around the city. My great interest in global health was what drove me to this experience. The program was a great learning opportunity, as I was exposed to a health system where resources are limited, even at the major hospitals in the region. I never anticipated that I would gain so much knowledge and experience about global health in such little time.

The hospitals I worked at were in very bad shape. As a result, patients relied heavily on traditional healers and did not seek medical care until their health deteriorated to a point of concern. Meanwhile, this was my first time working in an area where patients didn’t speak English or Arabic. Not knowing much Swahili or any of the local languages was a major barrier that inhibited my interaction with my patients, which limited the care that I could provide. I relied on my fellow English speaking Tanzanians to help in translating and overcoming such challenges, which taught me a lot about the importance of being part of a team.

I was also part of a research project on infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS. Being in a place where you see many tropical diseases that you don’t usually see back home – along with other infectious diseases that have been eradicated from many countries around the world – was quite a remarkable experience. However, the best part of my journey was being in such an exciting and engaging work atmosphere.

The Tanzanians I met were very welcoming, cooperative, and willing to provide all that they could in order to ensure I gained the best out of this experience. I feel so fortunate to have worked with many great individuals who have such diverse backgrounds but all share a common passion for global health. I learned a lot during my stay, and I see that there is much more to be done. My interest in global health has grown; I feel that spreading awareness and educating everyone about the challenges people face in developing countries with regards to health matters is my duty as a future physician.