Jenee and Elizabeth's Global Experience

Jenee sitting on a bench in Uganda with a small child.
Jenée during her time in Uganda.

Jenée Russell and Elizabeth Stephenson, both second year MPH students, worked in Uganda at the Engeye Health Clinic and the clinic’s newly opened Maternity Center.

Co-founded by a graduate of Albany Medical College, the clinic’s mission is to provide health services and education to those living in rural Uganda.

Russell and Stephenson worked with clinic staff and Village Health Teams on community education initiatives, such as teaching villagers about HIV and Tuberculosis. They also measured the outcomes of the clinic’s health initiatives and assisted with program planning as well as program implementation and analysis.

Additionally, Russell and Stephenson helped the Maternity Center staff establish standard operating procedures – which included observing midwives as they delivered babies. “I’m hoping to become a medical doctor, and I knew that I would need shadowing and clinical experience that can be hard to get,” said Russell, who launched a blog about her time in Uganda. “I knew that at Engeye, I would be working side by side with clinical staff, midwives and others, and that I would also get to have a lot of patient interaction,” she continued.

“Going to Uganda gave me a global health experience that I hope to apply internationally and even domestically,” said Stephenson, who looks forward to a career in global public health. “I learned a lot of about cultural competency and global health overall that can be applied in a lot of different capacities.”

Russell and Stephenson both encourage students seeking international experience to apply for the various scholarship opportunities available. “We were fortunate to receive multiple scholarships, including Initiatives for Women, the Great Dane Scholarship and Bridge the Gap, which really helped,” Russell said.