By Marena Keci and Naomi Gitlin  

When applying to Stritch School of Medicine, Nina Patel (MD ‘26), knew she wanted to join the Community and Global Health (CGH) Honors Program. For Patel (MS, MPhil) global health work was not just about serving; it was also about learning from the communities she engaged with along the way. 

As a 26-year-old, first-generation Indian Zambian American, she saw immense potential in connecting with diverse communities through her global health work. Her unique upbringing and multinational background made global health a compelling pathway that allowed her to honor her roots and learn more about the world around her.     

"Global health encompasses initiatives found in our own backyard and halfway across the world. I see it as not only an opportunity to provide support to other communities, but to also learn first-hand from the communities I work with.” 

Growing up, Patel always had a passion for global health and humanitarian aid. Her journey towards medical school was less linear, but included these same themes, earning her BA in Global Health and Human Rights at Arizona State University. She continued her work in global health, health policy, and capacity building while obtaining a master's degree at the University of Cambridge in the UK. Here, she worked alongside a team of Dutch gynecologists to provide healthcare on a ship in resource-constrained settings including Guatemala, Mexico, and Morocco.  Witnessing the positive health impacts that resulted from this direct healthcare initiative made Patel realize that she wanted to dedicate her career to the intersection of medicine and humanitarian work. 

When applying to medical schools, she sought an institution that reflected her own professional and personal interests. She found this seamless alignment at Stritch, with its commitment to bioethics, human rights, and global health, all included within its mission statement. Her Stritch interview experience was eye-opening; she met faculty and students engaged in impactful projects both locally and around the world. The school’s strong sense of community and proven commitment to minimizing health inequities made Stritch a natural fit for her.    

Patel’s experience in the CGH program proved instrumental to her academic and personal growth, and she attributes this to having an empowering mentor. Her mentor, Amy Blair, MD, a Stritch alumna and Assistant Dean for Health Advocacy, Medical Education, Associate Professor in Family Medicine, has been an invaluable coach. “I am honored to be able to learn from Dr. Blair’s immense experience in the field and am grateful for her encouragement and continued support throughout the years.” In the summer after her M1 year, Patel collaborated with a World Health Organization team to develop a policy to aid Ukrainians at a refugee camp outside Warsaw, Poland. Early implementation of the policy and documented patient stories both revealed a significant need for surgical care to help young women and children suffering from blast-related injuries. "This experience has inspired me to leverage the power of research and written commentary to better understand the global burden of disease and identify the barriers preventing access to health care,” says Patel. The program has been supportive by offering travel grants, funding, direct mentorship, and supplemental lectures which allowed her to continue her involvement in global health projects. 

For Patel, the most rewarding aspects of the honors program include expert mentorship, and exposure to a breadth of topics covering both local and global perspectives. The program includes a scholarly project where students highlight their work with CCGH, sharing it with colleagues and attendees at a project showcase at the end of the fourth year. This project helps broaden the participants' understanding of global health issues and provides an opportunity to reflect upon experiences, highlighting data or knowledge gained.     

The CGH Honors Program has helped Patel build a network of connections, including faculty, mentors, community members, and fellow students that are also dedicated to global health initiatives. Now looking forward to residency, she intends to find a program that supports her global health interests as she continues to make it a priority in her education and career.  

Outside of her CGH program involvement, she is taking a research year between her M3 and M4 years to participate in the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Prendergast Clinical Research Fellowship, where she will continue her clinical research in otolaryngology and global health research initiatives.    

“The Prendergast Clinical Research Fellowship at UCSF gives me the chance to work on research alongside leaders in head and neck cancer surgery, and I am grateful for this opportunity to learn from them,” she says. “I am humbled and deeply appreciative of the mentors who have supported me and helped me to reach this point in my career.”  

For M1s interested in joining the CGH Honors Program, Patel’s advice is clear: "This program has been a fantastic experience for me. I've made priceless connections, learned from inspiring leaders in this space, and am truly grateful for being able to participate in this unique opportunity. These experiences have opened doors that I had not walked through prior, taught me to stay curious about the world, and introduced me to new global perspectives. I highly recommend this journey!"  

Interested in joining the CGH Honors Program? Learn more here.  

August 2024