¡Bienvenidos amigos! I want to talk about one of my classes, Subjectivity in Health. I took this class because it aligned with everything I want to learn about the people aspect of healthcare. Before I tell you about the class, let me give you some background on myself. I’m a third year pre dental student majoring in Biological Sciences and double minoring in Medical Sociology and Food Science. I’ve always wanted to be a dentist since I was little, and I’ve been interested in Biology for a while, hence my major.
Living in Philly has taught me a lot about underprivileged communities’ access to medical care, especially dental care. When I worked as a dental assistant, I became aware of how expensive everything is and it can be nearly impossible for minority communities to afford treatments. I’ve always been interested in the people aspect of medicine, I think people often forget the sociological aspect of healthcare which is why I chose a minor in Medical Sociology. Honestly, I’m also minoring in Food Science because I want to own an ice cream shop and create cool flavors. (Yes I know I just said I want to be a dentist but I love ice cream, shhh.)
Back to this course. The class is taught by Congresswoman Andrea Alvarez. Yup, you read that right, CONGRESSWOMAN. This has been such a cool and unique experience because I get to learn about health as it relates to politics. This class has basically been a mesh of everything I’ve learned through my Medical Sociology minor. I’ve learned about the importance of social sciences in healthcare. At the end of the day, although we have medicine curing problems in healthcare, we need to understand people to understand why these problems even occur. Why do we act the way we do? What causes our behaviors? How are our health outcomes affected by socio-economic statuses rather than just genetics? I think it’s very important to bring humanity back to healthcare and remember that the system has treated everyone differently, leading to different health outcomes. I feel as though the patients’ perspectives are largely ignored at times, and this class has taught me about all those perspectives. I don’t think treating everyone equally is enough, we need to treat everyone with equity. Older populations have different needs than women and children and different minorities and so on. It’s important to acknowledge these differences and have empathy for all the different populations and their situations.
This class has also expanded my interests in how I can use my knowledge of medical subjectivity. I feel very grateful to learn from a congresswoman of Costa Rica because she has taught us about the interplay of health and politics. It is extremely difficult to create change politically sometimes, and it’s been so insightful to learn about the Costa Rican political system, how bills are passed and how she advocates for health equity in the political world. I’ve learned about public speaking and how to utilize my knowledge on health to persuade others to understand the importance of certain issues. Coming from a medical background, it can be difficult to see why the government doesn’t place a higher emphasis on health outcomes and ignores certain issues when there’s vast research showing the importance of these issues and why they should be addressed immediately. This class has shown me why this is the case and has helped me understand the government’s POV a lot better, especially in regards to why it takes so long to pass bills and create legislation for important health issues.
I’ve always wanted to focus on the people aspect of healthcare, and this class has taught me exactly what I’m so interested in learning. I wasn’t expecting to learn things from a political perspective, but I am glad I am, and I don’t think I would have had that opportunity in any other setting. If you’re studying in the Healthcare in Latin America: Costa Rica Winter Program, I highly, highly suggest you take this class!
Below are some pictures of my school life!
Us being sleepy bunny after our 7 AM class. We came home late from a weekend trip the night before, and were exhausted the next day.
Us at a field trip to a cafe during Spanish class!
Playing foosball at our university in between classes! These games get very intense. In fact, we’re having a foosball tournament soon!