I landed at La Aurora, the Guatemala City airport at around noon on a Saturday in late June, excited for my summer doing research in Santiago Atitlán. It was my first time in Guatemala, and I didn't know exactly what to expect. Now that I'm nearing the end of my summer, I can certainly say that I've learned so much, about the process of doing global health research, about the role that Hospitalito Atitlán plays in the health of people living in and around Santiago, and so much more about Guatemalan culture and myself as a learner, researcher and future doctor.
In my time so far working at Hospitalito Atitlán, I've worked on creating an antibiogram, a quality improvement report using the results of culture data obtained from Hospitalito patients, to summarize the susceptibility of local microorganisms to a list of various antibiotics, as antimicrobial resistance is really high in Guatemala.
Once we collected all the culture data for the antibiogram, we decided that there was so much more to be learned about bacterial infections in Santiago, and that what we learned could be applied more broadly to rural Guatemala and to low- and middle-income countries around the world. Dr. Siddiqui and I then started to develop ideas for research studies, starting with a descriptive study of bacterial infections in Santiago, and conducting a chart review to see how they are treated with antibiotics.
This involved gaining direct experience in the IRB process at Penn, from the beginning brainstorming and drafting steps, to final approval. Due to the global health aspect, and the fact that the research study is being conducted in Guatemala, we also submitted our study protocol for approval with the government of Guatemala and a local university. I definitely learned a lot about the process international and global health research. Navigating the logistics of IRB approval across two countries was a challenge, but also an incredible learning opportunity. It helped me understand the importance of collaboration with the local community when conducting research in different settings.
Beyond the research itself, I’ve learned the most from the staff at the Hospitalito and from my host family, where I’ve gained a much deeper appreciation for what life is like in Santiago and other rural communities in Guatemala, as well as the challenges to providing medical care in places that have less resources than many of the top-tier institutions in the United States, like Penn. Living in Santiago gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in Guatemalan culture, even learning a few words in Tz’utujil, helping me connect to the place, the people, and put the research into context.
At the end of my almost two months here, I am so grateful for everything I’ve learned, every experience I’ve had, and everyone who has had the patience to teach me. As I return to my second year of medical school, I know I’ve learned so much and grown as a person and student, committed to a future in global health, working with communities, not just in them.