Dr. Marc-David Munk discusses some themes from his new book, URGENT CALLS FROM DISTANT PLACES: An Emergency Doctor’s Notes About Life and Death on the Frontiers of East Africa.

Guest Bio: MARC-DAVID MUNK a Canadian/American, has emerged as a prominent figure in healthcare, driving change in emergency medicine and healthcare management across the U.S. and internationally. His career began as an emergency medicine professor and as the medical director of Qatar’s national ambulance service. Advancing to executive roles, he served as Chief Medical Officer for elite physician groups and as the regional President for an international division of a leading American healthcare system. Raised in Switzerland and Canada, Dr. Munk’s educational path led him to earn a BA in philosophy and religion from Colgate University. He then attained an MPH in international health from Boston University. His medical training was completed at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, followed by an emergency medicine residency and an international health fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. He also holds a Diploma in Tropical Medicine from Peru’s Gorgas Program and a master’s in healthcare management from Harvard University. Dr. Munk lives outside Boston with his wife and two children.

Links to Dr. Munk and his book:
https://www.mdmunk.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mxmunk
Amazon book/ebook: https://a.co/d/gxDop0j

Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason.
Intro/Outro Music by Westin Wong

Finding a great Global Health partner in your efforts to serve and make an impact is incredibly important. In this episode, I talk about the benefits of partnering up as well as what to look for in a global health partner.

Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason.
Intro/Outro Music by Westin Wong

The need for interpretation is common and critical in global medicine. Student doctor Michael Johnson joins the podcast to discuss the nuances of the vital service that helps deliver quality care to our patients.

Co-Host/Guest Information:
Michael Johnson is an osteopathic medical student at Rocky Vista University in Southern Utah and hails the University of Utah as his alma mater. He has a bachelor’s degree in biomedical physics with double minors in Spanish and Chemistry. He served an ecclesiastic mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Bogotá, Colombia and surrounding cities from 2014 to 2016. With that basis of Spanish, he volunteered as a medical interpreter at the University of Utah Hospital and later certified as a Medical Interpreter through Bridging the Gap. He has thousands of hours of medical interpreting experience and has interpreted at most major hospitals in the state of Utah. His most recent experience was at St. George Regional Medical Center while employed for IH (formerly IHC). His favorite aspect of interpreting is getting to know people from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, his favorite cases to interpret were those that he knew would make a substantial difference and for which he could not be replaced by a digital interpreter, typically fast paced emergencies.

Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason.
Intro/Outro Music by Westin Wong

Have you heard of Deep Ecology? On this episode, student doctors Jess Vergara and Nicole Blekhter dive into the connection between our environment and our health.

Co-Host/Guest Information:
Nicole Blekhter is a first-generation American from Moldova and Lithuania and currently an Osteopathic Medical Student at Rocky Vista University. She has known she has wanted to become a physician for as long as she can remember, eager to serve and care for patients locally and globally. Nicole completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Villanova University and continued to pursue her master’s degree in Physiology & Biophysics at Georgetown University. Any free time she can get is spent in the outdoors, whether it be skiing, climbing, canyoneering, running or hiking.

Jess Vergara is a Hawaiian-born first-generation American of Filipino heritage. She is an Osteopathic Medical Student at Rocky Vista University. After completing her Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sport Science with a minor in chemistry at the University of Utah, she earned her Master's degree in Biomedical Sciences at RVU. She is deeply passionate about public health, social justice, environmental protection, and providing healthcare services to underserved and indigenous communities. In between outdoor adventures and studying at the library, she enjoys indulging in podcasts, embarking on road trips, and expressing her culinary creativity in the kitchen.

For additional information on this topic, as well as to reference the items discussed, check out:
https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/default.htm
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health
https://indigenousclimatehub.ca/
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/geh/climatechange/index.cfm
https://www.treehugger.com/what-is-deep-ecology-philosophy-principles-and-criticism-5191550
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/climatechange/index.cfm
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/air-pollution/index.cfm
https://grassrootsonline.org/who-we-are/
https://ijhpr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2045-4015-2-23

Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason.
Intro/Outro Music by Westin Wong

As part of our Reflection Series, Student Doctor Antonella Lozano shares some of her thoughts and lessons learned through her personal experiences in Global Medicine.

Co-Host/Guest Information:
Antonella Lozano is a medical student passionate about women's health and pediatrics. Growing up as a minority, raised by a single mother, and not having health insurance, she understands how uncomfortable a medical experience can be. As a physician she would like to change that narrative and engage with patients in a caring and meaningful way that will provide them with a welcoming and safe environment. She would like to change medicine by changing patients perspective on what medicine can be. She wants to be an advocate for women, children, and underrepresented minority groups so that they feel seen at their doctor's office.
To learn more about Antonella, visit: https://63ed68700ba82.site123.me/

Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason.
Intro/Outro Music by Westin Wong

Student Doctor Brogan Crockett walks us through Dracunculiasis: Guinea Worm Disease. Dracunculiasis: Hard to say...hard to eradicate...but we are making progress!

Co-Host/Guest Information:

Brogan Crockett OMS, MS, MHA, NR-P is a medical student at Rocky Vista University and first-generation graduate student. A Utah native, he is an alumnus of The University of Utah and Dixie State University. Brogan has been actively working in healthcare over the last decade in various settings with his primary position being a paramedic. He is passionate about improving access to healthcare, standard of care improvements, global health, emergency services, and infectious disease. In his spare time, he enjoys serving where he can, enjoying the outdoors climbing or mountain biking, and hanging out with his soon to be wife.

For additional information on Dracunculiasis (GWD) check out:
WHO: https://www.who.int/health-topics/dracunculiasis#tab=tab_1
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/guineaworm/index.html
The Carter Center: https://www.cartercenter.org/health/guinea_worm/index.html

Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason.
Intro/Outro Music by Westin Wong

Happy Earth Day! I thought reviewing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals would be a great way to celebrate Earth Day with you all! This info can be found in more detail on the official website: https://sdgs.un.org/goals
You can also download their SDGs in Action app for more tips and connections: https://sdgsinaction.com/

Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason.
Intro/Outro Music by Westin Wong

Student Doctors Mia Panlilio and Maison Evensen-Martinez guide us through a discussion on what Podoconiosis is and what is being done about it.

Co-Host/Guest Information:
Mia Panlilio is a second year medical student originally from Walnut Creek, California. She did her undergrad at San Diego State University and then completed a post-bacc program at UC San Diego prior to starting at RVU, and in her free time she loves traveling, teaching yoga, cooking, and going to concerts.

Maison Evensen-Martinez is a second-year medical student at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his undergraduate in Spanish at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and enjoys traveling and reading. As a future physician, he plans to work with underserved communities both nationally and internationally.

For more information on Podoconiosis, check out the following resources:

https://podo.org
https://www.who.int/teams/control-of-neglected-tropical-diseases/lymphatic-filariasis/podoconiosis-endemic-non-filarial-elephantiasis

Disclaimer intro by Claire Eliason.
Intro/Outro Music by Westin Wong