Thoughts on guest speakers

I was really impressed with the way that Dr. Garcia presented "case studies" of individual health advocates who weren't necessarily doctors. I think our society would be much healthier if more people would adopt these individuals' perspectives that "health" is more than "health care." This perspective is certainly encouraging for us as we hope to influence health (even if its just a little bit) as college students without "official" medical training! Also, I think the medical profession could benefit a lot from Dr. Garcia's mindset of partnership with civic leaders, activists, patients, etc. For those of us thinking about one day becoming doctors, we should remember Dr. Garcia's example and be ready to learn from all people (not just the ones who have a white coat and an M.D. after their name).  Memorable quotes: "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."   Also, we need to investigate "the causes of the causes."

I was late for Dr. Wise's talk (boo chemistry), but of the time I was there I was really struck by his thoughts on having the courage to step outside of comfortable routine.  It's both an encouragement and a real challenge to us, I think.  I also really admire his dedication to "his" communities in Guatemala - I enjoyed hearing his stories about his involvement there.  I tend to think of "global health" a bit abstractly - I think of doctors traveling around the world to all sorts of communities and doing great work, but I don't often think on the individual, personal-relationship level.  It was cool to hear that perspective from Dr. Wise.  The relationships he has with patients despite distance and cultural divides is not only a testament to his own work but also to the great potential of healthcare to build up a worldwide community.