Global health experience shapes M2’s perspective on patient care

For many medical students, the summer after first year is considered their “last summer” before the pace of medical school accelerates. For second-year student, Tia Dowling, it became an opportunity that reshaped how she thinks about medicine, community and the physician-scientist she hopes to become.

“I decided to spend my ‘last summer’ conducting research in Malawi because I wanted to broaden my perspective and get a deeper understanding of medicine beyond the classroom,” said Dowling. 

Dowling felt this summer was a chance to get outside of the typical routine and immerse herself in a different setting. For many, this is a time for rest. But for Dowling, it was something completely different. This summer was a chance to recharge and reconnect with the reason she chose medicine in the first place by working alongside Rochelle H. Holm, professor and researcher of the Envirome Institute.

Malawi offered that opportunity, challenging Dowling to step outside of her comfort zone in an experience that would not only change her but also those around her. She worked, taught and learned from professionals in a healthcare system shaped by different resources, culture and constraints than the ones she was used to. It was not just a new country; it was a new way of approaching how to care for others.

The spirit of starting over and adapting wasn't just visible in her, but in the people around her. Dowling had the opportunity to shadow a pediatric orthopedic surgery and learned that the anesthesiologist on schedule was no longer available. She watched as the surgical team searched for a new anesthesiologist, waited, adapted and quietly rebuilt their plan for the day, all while never losing their composure and commitment to patient care. 

“The grace, calm and understanding demeanor of the staff was incredibly impactful,” she said. “They adjusted as necessary without ever losing sight of the patients they were there to serve.”

Dowling also assisted at Girls’ Science Day, where she led hands-on sessions for girls exploring science. But the experience went above just teaching; it encouraged girls to take a step closer to becoming people in STEM. Watching their curiosity grow and imagine themselves as future scientists sparked something in her. Now, Dowling plans to seek mentorship opportunities through medical school and beyond, collaboratively publish an evaluation of the Girls’ Science Day event, and is hoping to be a role model for others.

When asked to describe her summer in one word, Dowling chose ‘connected’. 

Despite being thousands of miles away from home, and often without a reliable internet connection, she found connection everywhere she looked. She built friendships over shared meals with her research team, was welcomed by students across campus and discovered a sense of belonging in a place where she had arrived only knowing her principal investigator.

“The sense of connection to the people around me, the culture and our shared purpose through our work, was the most meaningful part of my summer,” said Dowling.

For students considering a similar opportunity, Dowling encourages them to embrace it with intention.

"Being able to experience other healthcare systems and cultures firsthand allows us to develop a greater understanding of our own assumptions," she said. “That understanding can make you a better physician.”

She also recommends keeping a journal throughout the experience, taking time to reflect on each day and the lessons they offer. Those daily reflections, she said, helped her process what she was seeing and shaped the perspective and motivation she now carries forward into her second year of medical school.

As she begins her second year of medical school, Dowling returns with more than research experience. She carries a renewed sense of purpose, a broader understanding of patient care and a deeper appreciation for the resilience, adaptability and interconnectedness that define medicine in both low-resource settings such as Malawi as well as in America.

Her summer in Malawi reinforced that caring for patients begins with understanding the communities they belong to. It is a lesson she hopes will shape every patient interaction, every opportunity to mentor future physicians and every community she serves throughout her career.

What many students consider their “last summer” became, for Dowling, the foundation of the physician-scientist she’s becoming; one who sees patients within the context of a larger global community and approaches every challenge with humility, flexibility and compassion.