Think Global, Act Local – Using Local Resources to Continue Global Health Work

Simone Montoya, MD

Fellow in Neuroradiology at MGH

PGY-6+

12/15/2019

Newfound colleagues exchange ideas and contact information 

It’s a big world out there, and global health is an intimidating field. The scope is huge, but the field is relatively small, so sometimes I feel like there aren’t many around doing what I do. I have ongoing work from residency which has become more difficult now that I am at a different institution – I’m physically removed from my overseas work, and now since I’m away from my mentor and collaborators I find myself even more disconnected from the project. The Global Health Symposium was exactly the forum I needed to figure out how I can continue my work here. I was expecting to be humbled by all the people doing way more impressive work than me – I was, but I also learned about how I can find success in my o At the breakout session “Moving Forward in your Research Career” I gained some tips on how to transition as my career advances. Combining the advice from the breakout session and the new connections that I’ve made, I’m already thinking of ways to continue my work and take it to the next level!

I was expecting to be humbled by all the people doing way more impressive work than me - I was, but I also learned how I can find success in my own work. I was excited to hear from established global health practitioners and hoped to passively gain some wisdom from them, but I was pleasantly surprised at the interactive nature of the symposium, and also to find other trainees with similar interests who are interested in collaborating. Since there were trainees from different specialties and institutions, I met people with complementary goals and projects with whom I would have not otherwise crossed paths. It’s inspiring to find a mentor, but in a way it’s more rewarding to find peers who are on the same page – being at the same level, our collective goals seem more attainable rather than merely aspirational.