Global Health Advocates

One of the newer student organizations at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine takes community engagement to a whole new level: globally.

Called “Global Health Advocates,” the student organization “aims to develop leaders within the OUWB community who are dedicated to the promotion of global health and human rights through participation in service, advocacy, and engagement with the global and local communities.” The organization also is an official chapter of Friends of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders.

Global Health Advocates (GHA) was formed in 2023 when representatives from two previous student organizations with similar goals and members decided to merge. Those student organizations were Advocates for Human Rights and Friends of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders.

“Any kind of health crisis in a different country could potentially affect us, as we’ve seen with COVID. So, any kind of problem in another country is also going to affect us in some way. The world is interconnected,” said Dhun Chauhan, M2, 2023-24 co-president, GHA.

Since merging, the GHA has hosted several events. Last fall, the organizations hosted a basketball tournament fundraiser for students and faculty members. Afterwards, the winning team would pick a medical organization to donate the money to. That semester, it was Doctors without Borders.

Another event involved hosting a panel about gender dysphoria (GD) and how to help patients with GD. The guest was Michael R. Brennan, D.O., endocrinologist, Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital.

“We try to do as much as possible because we also represent the school. It benefits not only as an organization, but also the name of OUWB, since we're working with a lot of organizations and reaching out to multiple people around the globe,” said Silvana Iskandar, M2, 2023-24 treasurer, GHA.

With about 100 members, many students said they joined because it’s a way to connect with other students, especially since many of them come from other countries.

As a result, they can learn about health care in other countries and how to help.

“I emigrated from Syria when I was 15. And moving to a first world country like the U.S., I was immediately able to see the potential that people out here must help others abroad,” said Iskandar.

“I emigrated from India about six years ago, which is a major change if you think about the health care landscape in the two countries,” said Chauhan. “Having the capacity to impact other countries and see how American health care is so different and embracing the good aspects of medicine here compared with other countries is what inspires me to continue working in this area.”

“With respect to OUWB, it is very inclusive and diverse,” she added. “I feel like there's not many people who can say that with other medical schools.”

With their shared connection to many cultures, students build compassion for others around the world, especially since those from other cultures could become future patients.

“It’s important for us to know about the health experience overall, because as future physicians, we're going to treat people from all over the world,” said Amy Lin, M2, co-president, GHA. “It's important to have background knowledge of what they were like and the health issues that they experienced. Their background experience helps us.”

“We want to reach our friends globally, in ways that will benefit them the most,” said Deena Sukhon, M2, 2023-24 vice president, GHA. “As med students, it can be challenging to be involved (globally)…so we try to come up with creative ways to do as much as we can from afar.”

Looking ahead, members of GHA plan to keep doing projects, such as providing feminine hygiene product drives for women and hosting panels with doctors about global health advocacy.

“Health care should be universal no matter what. So, it's important for us to know…that no matter what, your circumstances like health care should never be taken away from you,” said Chauhan.