The ProspectiveDoctor Podcast

Getting Involved in Global Healthcare Development Organizations

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen is joined by Shital Vora, a physical therapist and co-founder of the Global Brigades organization. As a founder of the Global Brigades, Shital tells the story of how she founded the organization and the milestones they have achieved to help communities in need of sustainable healthcare and economic resources.

  • [01:30] Roles of Physical Therapist in Healthcare
  • [05:10] The Global Brigades
  • [11:07] How Students Can Get Involved in The Global Brigades
  • [15:56] What Would You Change in Healthcare?
  • [19:22] Involvement in Local Areas and Organizations

Establishing the Global Brigades

The Global Brigades was co-founded by Shital Vora back in her junior year after doing fieldwork in Honduras. The organization was established after their group encountered people who lacked healthcare programs and expressed gratitude and inspiration to individuals who flew thousands of miles to their location to help their community. Since then, the Global Brigade has expanded to house around 500 university chapters, generating approximately 100 Million dollars worth of aid, with a rough estimate of 90 thousand participants to assist in critical countries.

Student Involvement 

The Global Brigades’ main objective is to collaborate with communities to reach their long-term healthcare, economic, and sustainability goals. According to Shital, the 3 key elements needed to make their goals sustainable are through healthcare, water, and capital. On top of these elements, another factor that needs to be taken into consideration to make the projects more sustainable is the community’s eagerness to take part and be involved in the program. In order for students to get involved, the organization would set up fundraising projects through their university chapters. From there, they can generate enough resources to help the target communities they can reach out to. 

Reach out to Shital Vora through her LinkedIn profile. You may also want to check the Global Brigades’ website and Instagram account for updates, or you can email them at [email protected]. Got questions, feedback, or suggestions? Send a message to Dr. Erkeda DeRouen’s Instagram or MedSchoolCoach’s Instagram.

Erkeda DeRouen

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen is a graduate of Hampton University with a B.S. in Biological Sciences, followed by completing medical school at the Boston University School of Medicine. She then completed residency at The University of Maryland Family and Community Medicine Program. After that, she worked at an underserved community health center, and currently is an Associate Medical Director of a telemedicine company. She recently became one of the first 1,000 lifestyle medicine certified physicians in the world! Her areas of interest include: health equity and eliminating health disparities, service of underserved populations, HIV management, transgender care, mentorship, and lifestyle medicine.

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