Daniel Hostetler
Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Engineering, '13
How did you learn about the full-time Global Brigades position as a Global Health Program Associate?
Global Brigades Facebook posts. I originally learned
about Global Brigades when I attended the student activities fair my 1st
year. I went on four Global Brigades volunteer trips during my time at
UVA (3 times to Honduras
and once to Panama).
What did your two-year experience in this position consist of? Can you describe a typical day?
The program associate role centers around being the
"link" between our student volunteers and the local staff. We set the
expectations for university volunteer groups before they arrive, and we
develop and implement policies in conjunction with the local
staff. For instance, this morning I worked with a doctor coming with a
Maryland group in March to ensure that their medications matched the
specifications set by our local pharmacist in order to obtain approval
from Panama's Ministry of Health before the group's
arrival. Additionally, we visit a lot of groups in-country to get
feedback about developing our programs. The position is largely
office-based, but we do spend some field time in rural Panama.
What distinguished this opportunity from other options you might have pursued?
I was attracted to this position because I already had a
foundation of trust with the organization set from my previous four
volunteer trips. Global Brigades sets realistic goals for itself and
emphasizes the need for sustainable health development in
our communities. For instance, we do not just hand out medications in
our communities; instead, we train local community health workers and
emphasize public health education to combat common health issues while
approaching already existing issues by bringing
medications and healthcare professionals from North America and Europe
to rural communities in Central America and West Africa.
What was involved in the application process?
Submission of a cover letter and three interviews over the course of three months.
Do you recommend this opportunity for other UVA grads?
I would highly recommend this position to UVA students looking to volunteer abroad for a year or two before beginning medical, dental, or any other health-related school (whether they have participated in Global Brigades trips in
the past or not).
What is your next step after completion of your contract and what made you choose to pursue it?
This experience has shifted my interest in health from
medicine to public health. The need for broad-scale public health
development surpasses the influence of individual doctors in rural
regions where there are no doctors. In June, I will begin at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health to obtain a Master of Public Health. From there, I would like to pursue a PhD in order to become heavily involved in public health research, development, and implementation.
Information about Global Brigade's open positions can be found here.
If you wish to learn more about the available positions, please contact daniel.hostetler@globalbrigades.org.
