Andrea Scallon graduated in 2022. M.D. Candidate at Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine

Andrea Jade Scallon featured in Husky 100

Through the lens of healthcare, UW has provided me with the language and knowledge, the research and advocacy skills, and the compassion and resilience to support people during their most difficult and vulnerable moments, my greatest life goal. As I pursue a career as a physician, I am grateful for my family—Canadian ranchers and Hong Kong immigrants—for instilling in me courage, care, and community which positioned me to navigate my Husky Experience with these same values. 

Why did you choose to pursue the Minor in Global Health? 

I was inspired by the events, faculty, classes, and research projects within DGH! After enrolling in a few DGH courses and meeting with faculty in the department, I realized that the minor would allow me to explore health inequity in a thorough and exciting way. 

How does the Minor compliment your core Major studies? 

As an International Studies Major, studying Global Health has allowed me to recognize the relationship between health inequity and international politics. The Global Health Minor has definitely given me space to reflect on the community-level effects of policy decisions made by international institutions. From my Global Health courses, I’ve come to recognize that afflictions at the individual level are deeply intertwined with large-scale social and economic structures at the national and international level. 

What has been most valuable about your global health coursework/learning thus far?

Research within DGH has been most valuable to me so far. Translating information from my coursework into local communities has transformed my perspective on global health work. Learning from faculty, community members, and other UW students through these projects has allowed me to reflect on my role within the field. I love learning about research and new projects, so I also enjoyed learning from professionals in GH 401. 

What are your professional goals? 

I am hoping to attend medical school in the future. Studying global health has played an important role in strengthening my resolve to support underserved populations within my local and global communities. Professionally, I am excited to delve into and learn from the complexity of health inequity through my work in the future. 

Please share your recommendations for prospective and/or current undergraduates on ways in which they may maximize their experience in Global Health (i.e.: events, classes, GH faculty/staff to connect with, etc.) 

Seek out opportunities to learn! The DGH events calendar is a great place to start -- attending lectures within DGH has played a big role in shaping my curiosities. I would highly recommend reaching out to faculty you admire, and if they are willing, asking a few questions about their work. If you are looking for research opportunities, I would suggest looking at the current research projects conducted within DGH and reaching out to the faculty to ask if they need further support. Lastly, I highly recommend reading! UW libraries has a great selection of global health books. Reading has helped me develop my own opinions about global health, identify connections between health inequities locally and globally, and reflect on what my role within global health may look like. 

As a member of the Global Health Undergraduate Advisory Board, how do you envision building community within the student body and how may students connect you for ideas/inquires?

I’m so excited to work with the team to create a space where students can connect over their interests in global health. Some possible ideas for this year could include pop-up mentoring events, an organized local resource list for students, and engaging & relaxing events where DGH students can connect with each other! I would love to be a contact for students interested in enrolling in DGH Undergraduate Programs.