Foundations in Global Health Volunteering with FIMRC

This volunteer program was truly an amazing experience! The program's virtual aspect made it highly accessible despite travel restrictions due to COVID and also allowed me to connect directly with FIMRC members and volunteers from project sites located around the world, providing insight about global health in numerous different countries. The breadth of virtual shadowing opportunities was impressive ranging from primary care and chronic disease observations to psychology consultations to pharmacy sessions. The staff were always so enthusiastic and happy to answer any questions from volunteers and to share their knowledge and experiences making it a wonderful learning opportunity. In particular, the case study discussions as well as the pharmacy live observation sessions where virtual volunteers were able to get a taste of what volunteering in person might look like, lent themselves to creating an interactive and engaging experience. I had started out only enrolled in a single session, but it quickly became a second and then a third because of how much I enjoyed the program and everything it had to offer.

Ahh! My three-month journey with FIMRC was just awesome!! At first, I only enrolled for one month and later got it extended to two and then three months. My area of focus was Asia and Africa and I engaged deep in a particular healthcare and associated topic each week. By the end of twelve weeks, I covered all the eimportant topics such as chronic diseases, maternal and child health, environmental health, etc. I also took up the book ‘Mountains beyond mountains’ by Tracy Kidder as a part of my fellowship and it was a great read. We had case studies by discussions particularly about the management of various acute and chronic illnesses in low resource settings. My volunteer project was ‘Health promoter program for FIMRC Kodaikanal, India’.

For me, Sessions on environmental health were very interesting. I am particularly inclined to climate change and health. We could expect more climate related catastrophes and associated challenges in the healthcare system. I believe in tailoring our entire health system to meet these challenges. My biggest takeaway from FIMRC is the lively discussions and the new things I learned from the FIRMC team. Also, I loved the way FIRMC handles projects all over the globe, including India. The experience changed me a lot as FIMRC is the second international organization I work with. I got to learn new things, met new people, had many interesting talks about almost everything in the world. All of these will stay with me, molding as a sweet memory.

They had shadowing opportunities which really gave a taste of what telemedicine is like and would help future practitioners get used to the changes in the delivery of healthcare. The shadowing also enabled me to see how doctors treat patients in low-resource settings (by minimising the usage of medicine and emphasising on a nutrition plan specific to the disease instead.) The case studies was also really interesting and allowed you to see the various types of illnesses commonly present in underserved regions.

The Virtual Global Health Fellowship introduced me to global health and inspired me to volunteer in medicine globally. Through the live discussions and site overviews, I was able to connect with FIMRC staff and other volunteers. I also gained clinical experience through the shadowing and case study discussions. The program being virtual did not take away from the learning experience. It was so well developed that it felt like learning in person. Not only did I learn about global health and FIMRC's goals but I also learned about the culture of Latin America through the fun activities. I am so thankful that FIMRC provides these wonderful opportunities to learn. I am excited to apply what I learned to my future endeavors in medicine.

I loved my time with FIMRC! This virtual fellowship allowed me to learn about public health, health disparities in communities, international medicine, and so much more. As a student, it helped me figure out what I want to pursue as a career as well as the problems I want to help solve. The Virtual Global Health Fellowship opened my eyes to the different problems and situations occurring around our globe and I will be sure to apply the lessons I learned in the future. Overall, I highly recommend this program!

I LOVED my experience with FIMRC. Not only the passionate and devoted staff but also I love that I learned so much. I got knowledge on global health, international medicine and so much more that I never even heard about before this experience. The Virtual Global Health Fellowship really helped me to open my eyes on the world surrounding me and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity. I know for a fact that all the information I have learned will not only be helpful for my future studies and career, but also in order to be more aware of the situations and differences of different peoples all around the globe.