Medical Brigade Honduras 2020

Safiye Amina Rafehi Start Date: Dec 24, 2019 - End Date: Jun 23, 2020
  • Honduras

My Travel Story

by: Safiye Amina Rafehi Start Date: Dec 24, 2019 - End Date: Jun 23, 2020
By pursuing a research career in the field of pharmacogenomics, I can achieve my aim of improving drug therapies through personalising medication and dosage as well as to promote its implementation within the public healthcare system and in developing areas. In this regard, I believe that I can learn a lot from the locals on the Medical Brigade in Honduras, as in my opinion, open dialogue with the concerned parties can lead to significant change. This dream developed from having visited my best friend, who suffers from sickle cell anaemia, in hospital over the past 12 years, as my feeling of helplessness, grew into a desire to act, and I began reading about the disorder. In my research, it was the article 'Hydroxyurea Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease' by Jeremie Estepp, which inspired me to question our current therapeutic schemes. The emphasis on the "right dose of hydroxyurea" led me to realise the possible adverse impact of standardisation of contemporary medication, given the notable differences in drug metabolism between humans. My dream career thus constitutes of working at a hospital, teaching, and doing research, all of which require skills that I am taught throughout this brigade. The holding of workshops on health education, for example, challenges me to understand, process, and communicate information to the locals in Honduras. Science communication is a crucial skill for teaching; it is vital to be able to make complex information understandable to someone that is not an expert in that field. As clinical pharmacologist and therapeutics, working in a hospital involves the provision of specialist advice to patients to improve the outcomes and experiences for patients by advising about the correct medicines and dosages. Given this unique opportunity of working closely with patients in communities, I will be able to practice speaking to concerned patients that may be suspicious of certain medicines they are given. Understanding which is the correct medicines and dosages will be taught to me by a local pharmacist when I fill medications at a pharmacy. From these experiences, I will learn what side-effects are most prominent in patients, which drugs are accessible, and know what to focus on when conducting future research. I intend to speak to the patients and learn from them, what they need, and how they imagine being treated. I am aware of the challenges affiliated with this project; however, I am looking forward to these challenges, as only through them, one can thrive. Thus, my motivation to become a global ambassador for change relies on the experiences, new perspectives, insights and acquaintances I seek to gain and, most importantly, the change I can make to an area that is beyond my vicinity.
  • Honduras