Allison Stogsdill is a 2nd year student at the IU School of Medicine who spent the past summer in Eldoret, Kenya, as a Slemenda Scholar for the AMPATH Kenya partnership. While there she learned about various aspects of the program and worked with a faculty mentor on a research project in the medical ICU.
This past summer, I lived in Eldoret, Kenya, for 8 weeks working on a critical illness prevalence study as a Slemenda Scholar. During my time in Eldoret, I collected data, conducted interviews with healthcare providers, and shadowed at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. While those experiences were everything I could have hoped for and more, the most significant part about my time in Kenya were the unexpected, genuine connections I built; the self-reflective discussions I engaged in; and the personal growth that followed.
During my last night in Kenya, I found myself sitting in awe while looking at everyone around the dinner table. I realized I could have sat next to anyone at the table and delved into a fulfilling conversation. No one there was a stranger, but everyone came from different parts of the world. Although medicine was our common connection, it was not medicine that tied us together that night. Instead, it was friendship formed through shared values, passions and purpose. There were medical students from Kenya, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, all with different backgrounds and lived experiences, connecting with one another, laughing, and celebrating the community we had built over the summer.
At the closure of the night, one of the Kenyan medical students stood up and thanked the Slemenda Scholars for the experiences and time spent together throughout the summer. He ended the lighthearted speech by comparing the group of Slemenda Scholars to his sisters at home and gave us each a beaded headband and an embrace. We proudly wore the headbands later that night, overwhelmed with appreciation for those we met, the lessons we learned, and our summer spent in Kenya.
When people hear the phrase “cultural exchange”, they tend to think about identifying, recognizing and discussing the differences between the groups involved. While that may be one definition, that moment at the dinner table solidified what cultural exchange and cultural reciprocity means to me, which is to draw from interconnection, interrelation, and parallels among the groups involved to grow and learn together.
Before I came to Kenya, I had heard that the Slemenda Scholar experience is one that makes people itch to return. I now have a clear understanding of this sentiment. One summer experience is simply not enough. The environment at IU House and at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital was intellectually stimulating, enriching, and growth-provoking in ways I could not have anticipated.
Wednesday evening fireside chats always left me in a state of deep introspection, questioning and challenging my own biases, assumptions, privileges, and Western perspective. Shared meals with medical students, pharmacy students, physical therapy students, occupational therapy students, nursing students, journalism students, residents, fellows and attendings exposed me to new perspectives and led to insightful discussions about influences on health outcomes, combating low resources, and global initiatives to improve access to care. Every superior I encountered was eager to teach me, encouraged my questions, and pushed me to think critically about patient presentations and next steps through a resource-limited lens. While working in the Medical ICU, the medical officers welcomed me, allowing me to play a collaborative role during rounds rather than passively observing. In addition to providing understanding for my research project, discussing approaches to critical care with physicians I had come to know personally made for more in-depth and meaningful conversations.
What also became strikingly clear as the summer progressed was the shared passion that unites those involved in AMPATH. No matter the circumstance, there was a constant undercurrent of commitment to improve patient care and health outcomes in western Kenya. There were always ongoing discussions about how to strengthen systems and current practices in spite of resource constraints or staff shortages. The resilience, determination, and dedication to serving others I witnessed throughout the summer reinforced my commitment to rural and global medicine.
Throughout my first year of medical school, it was easy to become distracted by external pressures like salary, competition and prestige. Being immersed in AMPATH grounded me and reminded me about my initial reasons for pursuing medical school. I want to meet patients where they are, see patients as unique and distinct individuals, and work towards addressing needs or barriers. Seeing AMPATH in action broadened my understanding of what it means to practice medicine with purpose, intention and compassion. Throughout my short time there, I saw progress actively transpiring, which instilled a desire to work to be a contributing part of that progress in the future.
While I was there, I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Joe Mamlin, whose vision served as the catalyst that led to AMPATH as we now know it. One Wednesday evening, he made a remarkable statement that stuck with me. He said, “change can be started by one person if they care enough.” Through his devotion, partnerships developed, growth was amplified, and difference was made, which highlights the ripple effect one individual can have when guided by persistence. This summer left me with a deeper commitment to serve, advocate, and dismantle barriers to care.
