The global health elective in San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala, was incredibly meaningful because it allowed me to return to global health, a space that initially pulled me into medicine, with new clinical skills and a greater appreciation for my role as an educator.
Working with students at different levels strengthened my ability to teach and provide feedback and reinforced my desire to pursue academic medicine. It was such an enjoyable part of the trip to get to share my experience in the ED with early learners, particularly teaching them basic ultrasound skills.
Practicing in a resource-limited setting also challenged me to think differently about clinical risk stratification, resource allocation, and the limitations of available diagnostics and referrals.
These experiences pushed me to be more deliberate in my clinical decision-making and broadened my perspective beyond the acute care focus of emergency medicine, and is definitely a skill set I will be returning to the United States with.
Most importantly, the experience in San Lucas Tolimán reminded me why I initially chose medicine in the first place: to use the skills I have gained to give back to communities that may not otherwise have access to care.
This experience working alongside other global health-minded physicians reinforced my desire to build a career that extends beyond individual patient encounters through sustainable education, systems development, and meaningful global health partnerships. It also left me excited for future opportunities to contribute to the development of sustainable health systems abroad while bringing those lessons back to improve care in the communities I serve at home.
Alana Moore, MD, MPH, is a resident physician in the University of Wisconsin Emergency Medicine Residency Program. Her professional interests include medical education, ultrasound and social emergency medicine, with a focus on improving access to and delivery of high-quality emergency and critical care. She earned her medical degree and Master of Public Health from the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.