Globally Minded Medicine

Have you heard of Deep Ecology? On this episode, student doctors Jess Vergara and Nicole Blekhter dive into the connection between our environment and our health.
Co-Host/Guest Information:
Nicole Blekhter is a first-generation American from Moldova and Lithuania and currently an Osteopathic Medical Student at Rocky Vista University. She has known she has wanted to become a physician for as long as she can remember, eager to serve and care for patients locally and globally. Nicole completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Villanova University and continued to pursue her master’s degree in Physiology & Biophysics at Georgetown University. Any free time she can get is spent in the outdoors, whether it be skiing, climbing, canyoneering, running or hiking.
Jess Vergara is a Hawaiian-born first-generation American of Filipino heritage. She is an Osteopathic Medical Student at Rocky Vista University. After completing her Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sport Science with a minor in chemistry at the University of Utah, she earned her Master's degree in Biomedical Sciences at RVU. She is deeply passionate about public health, social justice, environmental protection, and providing healthcare services to underserved and indigenous communities. In between outdoor adventures and studying at the library, she enjoys indulging in podcasts, embarking on road trips, and expressing her culinary creativity in the kitchen.
For additional information on this topic, as well as to reference the items discussed, check out:
https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/default.htm
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health
https://indigenousclimatehub.ca/
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/geh/climatechange/index.cfm
https://www.treehugger.com/what-is-deep-ecology-philosophy-principles-and-criticism-5191550
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/climatechange/index.cfm
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/air-pollution/index.cfm
https://grassrootsonline.org/who-we-are/
https://ijhpr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2045-4015-2-23

Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason.
Intro/Outro Music by Westin Wong

Finding a great Global Health partner in your efforts to serve and make an impact is incredibly important. In this episode, I talk about the benefits of partnering up as well as what to look for in a global health partner.

Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason.
Intro/Outro Music by Westin Wong

Dr. Mark, welcomes back Student Doctors Walker & Walker to discuss the World Mosquito Program's Wolbachia Method and its efforts to control Dengue and other mosquito borne illnesses.
Co-Host/Guest Information:
Ellison Barlow Walker is currently an OMS-III at Rocky Vista University. She is passionate about global outreach and women's health and hopes to be the best physician possible. She currently lives in sunny St. George Utah with her husband and fellow classmate Stephen Walker. Any free time she can get is spent outside hiking, biking, playing pickleball or exploring new hobbies, and cooking new recipes with her husband.
Stephen Walker is a second-year medical student at Rocky Vista University. He has been passionate about medicine since he was eight years old. He is currently working towards a career as an anesthesiologist. His passion for medicine has created a great desire and drive to serve the lives of others both locally and globally. He has provided humanitarian aid in several countries including The Dominican Republic, Mexico, and several refugee camps in Jordan. In any free time he enjoys being outside biking, hiking, playing basketball or golf, but most of all spending time with his wife.
For more information on Dengue, check out the following resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/Dengue/
https://www.who.int/health-topics/dengue-and-severe-dengue#tab=tab_1
https://www.worldmosquitoprogram.org/en/work/wolbachia-method

Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason.
Intro/Outro Music by Westin Wong

Dr. Nicholas Comninellis, President and CEO of INMED, takes us through an overview of the shifting needs of displaced populations. He also discusses how he got involved in Refugee Health and how we can get involved too!
To learn more about Dr. Comninellis and the Institute of International Medicine, visit: https://www.inmed.us/

Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason.
Intro/Outro Music by Westin Wong

The need for interpretation is common and critical in global medicine. Student doctor Michael Johnson joins the podcast to discuss the nuances of the vital service that helps deliver quality care to our patients.
Co-Host/Guest Information:
Michael Johnson is an osteopathic medical student at Rocky Vista University in Southern Utah and hails the University of Utah as his alma mater. He has a bachelor’s degree in biomedical physics with double minors in Spanish and Chemistry. He served an ecclesiastic mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Bogotá, Colombia and surrounding cities from 2014 to 2016. With that basis of Spanish, he volunteered as a medical interpreter at the University of Utah Hospital and later certified as a Medical Interpreter through Bridging the Gap. He has thousands of hours of medical interpreting experience and has interpreted at most major hospitals in the state of Utah. His most recent experience was at St. George Regional Medical Center while employed for IH (formerly IHC). His favorite aspect of interpreting is getting to know people from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, his favorite cases to interpret were those that he knew would make a substantial difference and for which he could not be replaced by a digital interpreter, typically fast paced emergencies.

Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason.
Intro/Outro Music by Westin Wong