Happy 10th Anniversary to the Botswana-UPenn Partnership!

As I mentioned in my first post, I spent this summer in Botswana working on a study looking at viral contributors to vulvar cancer. The head of the study is Dr. Carrie Kovarik, a Penn dermatologist and all-around superstar at life. I won’t blather on too much about my incredible summer (my other blog: hayleyinbotswana.blogspot.com has enough blathering to last a lifetime) but I will say that it was amazing and that it furthered my determination to make global health a part of my medical career.

Dr. Kovarik speaking about
telemedicine in Botswana

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Botswana-UPenn partnership: a collaboration between the government of Botswana and the university that has allowed students like me to spend time learning about research and health care in a developing country. In order to celebrate the past 10 years, Penn hosted a Ten Year Anniversary Symposium.

Needless to say, I was incredibly excited for this week’s events. I attended a grand rounds on viral contributors to cervical cancer, a presentation on research in Botswana, a seminar on ICT4D (Information and Communication technologies for development... this is actually an ongoing seminar series) and also a general symposium. While it was cool to hear more about what is going on in Bots, I was even more excited to see some familiar faces: doctors and friends who had flown all the way from Botswana to attend the events!

I also got to attend a meeting about telementoring which is something that I am very interested in. My mentor, the aforementioned Dr. Kovarik, is head of telemedicine for Botswana. While I was in Botswana I got involved with some amazing projects that fall under this umbrella:

• There is a robotic microscope that we would load our dermatology tissue slides into and, via the internet, Dr. Kovarik could control its movements and read the slides from Philadelphia!



We celebrated Cynthia's first
trip to the US with some Philly
Cheesesteak!

• Many speciality services like dermatology, dentistry (and oral pathology in general) and radiology are using mobile phones to take pictures of lesions or X-rays and get expert opinions from all over the world.
• Smartphones are also starting to be used for telementoring: letting residents and doctors have access to medical “apps” that connect them to medical information and to each other.

I am currently helping with a study that deals with the last project and it was amazing to have the opportunity to meet with our Botswana-based constituents: Ryan Littman Quinn (photojournalist extrordinaire/Mobile Telemedicine Programs Manager in Botswana as well as a friend) and the newest member- Cynthia Antwi. The work that they are doing for telemedicine in Botswana is really exciting and I hope to be able to continue my involvement.

Given that we are currently in our renal block (fabled to be one of the hardest parts of the pre-clinical curriculum)... my brain is currently full of ions. I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to be able to stop thinking about potassium transporters and think about how to improve access to healthcare!

Back to School

Hello all!

I would like to take this first post to quickly introduce myself but also to wish the new first-years a warm welcome. I couldn’t be happier that you are all here-now we are no longer the lowest on the totem pole. Kidding, of course. I hope and trust that you’ll like Penn as much as I have. I think that you start orientation soon which is actually awesome (and believe me, I went into it with a lot of eye rolling) so have fun and we can’t wait to meet you!

And of course welcome back to my fellow 2014ers, I hope all of your summers have been amazing. From the Facebook posts and emails I’ve been getting I think that’s the case: surfing in Nicaragua, planning a wedding, volunteering at a clinic, learning acupuncture in China, working with refugees in Philly, working with an oncologist in NYC-and that’s just my learning team. To the 2013/2012ers, I don’t need to welcome you back as you’ve been working your butts off whilst we young-uns have been gallivanting around enjoying the last bits of freedom before we delve into the abyss that is cardio/renal etc.

Using VisualDx Mobile with some pediatric residents in derm clinic

OK! Now on to more important things-me :) Who am I? My name is Hayley and I am just starting my second year at the Perelman School of Medicine. I am originally from Boston, went to Brown, graduated on 2009, took a year off and worked in Malawi before heading to Philly for med school. I will be blogging my way through the year in order to give everyone a glimpse of what life is like for one PSOM-er.

I am currently writing this post from Botswana where I spent the summer (you can check out my adventures at hayleyinbotswana.blogspot.com) doing dermatology work at Princess Marina Hospital. Penn has a fantastic partnership with Botswana and I have had the most amazing summer. As I wrap up my time in Bots and prepare to head back to school I thought I’d end my first post by letting you know what I am looking forward to this year and what I am dreading:

• Absolutely dreading heading back to my apartment because I know that in my haste to leave, I dumped all my (clean) laundry on my bed without folding it. What a welcome home present for myself. Ugh.
• Can’t wait to get some Yogorino on Rittenhouse Square and watch all the cute puppies.
• Not excited about trading this perfect Botswana weather for the heat wave I’ve heard about in Philly.
• Pumped about planning some events for the Elizabeth Blackwell Society (for female medical students) as well as visiting Covenant House (teenage homeless shelter in Germantown, PA where I volunteer with a few other med students).
• Very very scared to begin our cardiology block: it has a reputation of being extremely tough. I know that I will be fine once I start but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous.
• Happy to re-start Pilates classes. Africa and exercise didn’t mix as much as I’d hoped.
• Mainly I am so excited about seeing all of my friends and hearing about their summers. As I mentioned above, I have been blown away with the updates I’ve been getting via the interwebs so I’m eager to hear about it in person.

Signing off for now!