Reflections from a 6-week Global Health Summer Elective at Weill Bugando School of Medicine

Two rising second year WeillCornell Medicine (WCM) medical students, Daniel Bolotin and Ezra Shimabenga, conducted their six week global health summer elective at Weill Bugando Medical Center in Mwanza, Tanzania. Their time at Weill Bugando was both personally and professionally transformative, they reflected “Weill Bugando has left an indelible mark on both of us — one that will shape our future practice as physicians. Beyond gaining insight into how medicine is practiced in resource-limited settings, we were challenged to reflect on our roles as future clinicians committed to bridging gaps in care across the globe.”

Over the course of their six weeks, they had the opportunity to assist in training residents and students on point-of-care ultrasound using the newly donated Butterfly device. They engaged in open and thoughtful conversations with peers and residents about the differences and commonalities between the Tanzanian and U.S healthcare systems.They described their time at Weill Bugando as deeply welcoming, reflecting, “whether on the wards in internal medicine and pediatrics, in the ICU, or at the ophthalmology clinic, we were consistently welcomed as colleagues and friends.”

Looking back on their experience, Daniel and Ezra hope that more WCM students will explore opportunities at Weill Bugando and described their greater appreciation for global health research, “We also gained a deeper appreciation for the complexity and importance of global health research. We hope that other current and future WCM students interested in global health will take part in similar experiences—and see firsthand how and why their impact can extend far beyond their home.”

WCM medical students, Ezra Shimabenga (L) and Daniel Bolotin (R), standing outside Weill Bugando School of Medicine in Mwanza, Tanzania.