Three students, one professor receive Fulbright scholarships
Three learners and one professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine have been selected to receive Fulbright scholarships from the widely recognized and prestigious international exchange program.
The fourth-year medical students will extend their studies and research in global health across the world. Samuel Paul will be pursuing a master’s degree in critical care medicine at Queen Mary University of London. Ellena Privitera will be conducting research at Universidade Nova de Lisboa’s National School of Public Health, where her focus will be on migrant health, which is a leading global health concern. Morgan Perryman will pursue a master's degree in International Healthcare Management Economics and Policy atSDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, Italy.
Lauren T. Southerland is an associate clinical professor and director of Clinical and Implementation Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. She also serves as a faculty collaborator with CATALYST – the Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research – which has honed her implementation science skills and collaboration with colleagues.
As the first Fulbright U.S. scholar from Ohio State’s Department of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Southerland will be traveling to several Australian hospitals to look at how they have implemented care recommendations for older adults, who often need assistance or treatment that differs from what is needed by younger patients.
“CATALYST really ignited in me a love for adding in qualitative methodology,” Dr. Southerland says. “Through my Fulbright, we’ll be conducting interviews with frontline staff, and if it hadn’t been for my interactions with CATALYST, I wouldn’t have been able to go there and do that.”
Carol R. Bradford, MD, MS, FACS, dean of the Ohio State College of Medicine, says Samuel, Ellena and Dr. Southerland exemplify dedication and excellence in their respective fields, and she offers her sincere congratulations.
“This achievement is a testament to your institution’s deep commitment to international exchange and to building lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people around the world,” Dr. Bradford says. “This innovative work will build lasting connections, advance knowledge across communities and improve lives around the world.”
Perryman's specialized master's program isn't offered anywhere else in the world.
"This program will help me to better advocate for improvements in healthcare access and equity as a future physician," Perryman says. "I plan to specialize in global health and development under the mentorship of Dr. Viviana Mangiaterra, an associate professor of practice in Health Policy."
“Dr. Gorgas’ mentorship has given me a platform of research knowledge and skills for me to build on,” Privitera says. “And my conversations with my Portuguese colleagues have already expanded my perspective on the health literacy work I currently do.”
Privitera’s research will examine health disparities among community members with non-communicable diseases. She’ll help run a health literacy intervention for migrants in Portugal, which will include working with migrants, health care workers and social services workers to contribute to a multinational collaboration to pilot similar health literacy interventions for a variety of diverse, socially vulnerable populations in 23 EU countries.
During her first three years of medical school, Privitera has been involved in delivering health education and participating in artistic outlets with incarcerated women in the Ohio Reformatory for Women. She says this community service program keeps her grounded.
“Advocacy has become both my solace and my inspiration,” Privitera says. “Focusing on community health has shown me how I can honor patients’ stories through advocacy and service outside the exam room.”
Paul’s passion for medicine was sparked at a young age, as he witnessed the impact his father, a physician, was able to have on his many patients. This flame continued to grow in medical school as he shadowed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and saw just how vital interprofessional care was to provide critically ill patients with the care they needed. In the critical care program, Paul will work alongside other health care professionals, such as nurses and respiratory therapists, and delve into ways medical teams can work together to leverage the unique expertise and perspectives the different professions bring to the table.
“The program focuses on training students in the nuanced pathophysiology seen in the critical care setting,” Paul says. “And how to manage ethical dilemmas that are unavoidable in such high-stakes environments. It will help all of us be better equipped to lead strong teams in the future.”
Paul’s education and training through Interprofessional Practice and Education (IPE) at Ohio State has allowed him to participate in team science. IPE serves all seven of Ohio State’s health science colleges to establish and advance a culture of collaboration among all health disciplines. He sees the ability to recognize the strengths of team members to combat whatever ailments patients are facing as his foray into becoming an intensivist – a physician trained in critical care medicine who holds the responsibility for making the best-informed medical decisions for patients in the Intensive Care Unit.
“They are humble enough to acknowledge when others’ expertise is needed and confident enough in themselves to stand behind their medical decision making in the face of controversy,” Paul says. “These are the attributes that I see in my role models within the field, and I aspire to one day call them traits of my own.”
Southerland’s research will do workflow analyses and local factor assessments to collate best practices. These practices will be disseminated through the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine so other hospitals can improve their care.
“Older adults who are injured or ill need more assistance, medical evaluation and treatment, and multidisciplinary care than younger patients,” Southerland said. “I will visit different hospitals across New South Wales and Queensland to investigate how they have integrated geriatric protocols and care.”
Dr. Southerland is hoping to use this opportunity to standardize a pathway allowing more Ohio State clinician-scientists to participate in this prestigious program.
The Fulbright program gives learners and researchers the opportunity to build effective relationships with patients and practitioners. They’ll become trusted faces in large health care systems delivering innovative solutions in medicine.
