Program Abroad:
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Global Research & Internship Program: Penn's South Asia Center "Kandy: Politics, Society, and Culture" in Sri Lanka
Ask me about...
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Designing an independent research study abroad
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Living in a country where you don't know the language
My Experience Abroad:
As a Health and Societies major, I have been exposed to the variety of social determinants that affect human health around the world. From socioeconomic status and education to religion and geography, there are many aspects that can shape a person's health, and this research experience allowed me to explore these determinants at a closer level with chronic kidney disease patients in Sri Lanka. As an HSOC major, my education at Penn is quite interdisciplinary at the crossroads of anthropology, sociology, public health, and public policy. By conducting an ethnographic research study and using sociological analysis methods to then critique public policy and improve health, I was able to see these various fields pan out in reality in ways that branched out of what I learned in the classroom.
Other Highlights:
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Living with a host family of the minority religion
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Designing a research study from the beginning
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Conducting interviews with patients from a rural village
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Creating awareness programs for kidney disease
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Exploring the diversity in medicine and healthcare in Sri Lanka
