Sarah Sebastian

Sarah was born in Roanoke, VA, and attended Virginia Tech for her undergraduate and Master’s level studies, where she majored in Nutrition. Before matriculating at the University of Virginia, Sarah volunteered as an EMT in southwest Virginia for a few years, which exposed her to inequities in the U.S. healthcare system. While at UVA, Sarah fell in love with the field of OB/GYN because of the many opportunities to be an advocate for patients. When she’s not studying, Sarah enjoys cooking international cuisine, reading, hiking in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains or spending time with her husband and two dogs.
 

What does the Kean Fellowship mean to you?
As a future OB/GYN, the Kean Fellowship supported travel that has allowed me to explore how global/tropical medicine will fit within my career. It has also provided me with an opportunity to better understand the reproductive health disparities that occur internationally. As I was able to go on my rotation prior to the residency application season, it has also influenced how I assess programs' abilities to offer additional training and experiences in global health. Because of this Fellowship, I was able to study abroad for the first time.

What do you anticipate learning?
Going into this rotation, I wanted to better understand how to diagnose and treat common etiologies of maternal mortality. I also wanted to explore how cultural factors influence OB/GYN care, such as the consequences of cultural practices like female genital mutilation. My final goal was learning how treatment of common diseases in low/middle-income countries (LMICs), such as tuberculosis, was influenced by reproductive health considerations. Apart from these learning objectives, I also felt that this experience would enhance my cultural humility and communication skills. Reproductive health topics are heavily influenced by culture, so I felt that interacting with patients that likely have a different perspective on reproductive health than me would be beneficial for when I encounter similar situations in my future career.

What interests you about tropical medicine and what problems are you interested in solving?
My interest in tropical medicine stems from my larger interest in how physicians advocate for their patients and systemic health issues. In my reproductive health advocacy and outreach work in the United States, partnering with community leaders and organizations has taught me important lessons about how to address the challenges that come with enacting change. From a global health perspective, how reproductive health issues are discussed and treated impacts not only women's health, but also their educational and economic opportunities. Reproductive issues, like maternal mortality and gynecological cancers, also detrimentally impact women's average lifespan in LMICs compared to high-income countries. My experience in Tanzania has inspired me to seek additional opportunities in residency where I can become more competent in global medicine to ultimately return and partner with OB/GYN providers in LMICs to address the reproductive health disparities they find to be the highest priority.