Written by Kaelan Smyser, WUSTL undergraduate and member of the Global Health Center Student Advisory Committee
On Friday, March 11, trainees, faculty, and staff from Washington University in St. Louis and beyond, gathered to meet with global health experts including Ana María Arbeláez, MD, division chief of pediatric endocrinology, at the School of Medicine; Jessica Backman-Levy, PhD, MPH, associate professor of practice at the Brown School; and, Christopher Smyser, MD, professor of neurology and neonatal neurologist, also at the School of Medicine.
Throughout the pandemic, it has been challenging for students to engage with experts to learn about potential career paths and make connections. This event overcame these obstacles and enabled students to learn important lessons about global health. We learned about Professors Arbeláez and Smyser creating an international community of scientists and professionals who bring MRI imaging to remote parts of the world with the objective of furthering research and health care. Professor Levy discussed the nonprofit that she started in her 20s, her passion for women’s health care and important lessons on how to be respectful of different beliefs.
Mix-n-Mingle participants were of all ages and located around the world, but we all came away with a greater understanding of what it means to be a part of the global health community, as well as a better sense of how we want to move toward a better tomorrow. The Global Health Center’s Global Health Student Advisory Committee looks forward to continuing to provide safe and collaborative spaces for students to learn about global health.