Our February spotlight is John Ward, MD. Dr. Ward was one of the instructors for AHS 3001: Health and Medicine in India, one of the four global courses run by the PHSRC. Dr. Ward shares about his path to medicine, his time in India with AHS 3001, his perspectives on the value of learning abroad, and more.
Tell us about your journey to medicine. Why did you want to become a physician?
My parents are both family medicine physicians who practiced in rural and urban settings in Minnesota. I got to see first hand how integrated they were in our community. They were constantly fielding questions, doing home visits, even taking stitches out in our living room. They did hospital, clinic, OB, and sports medicine! My dad even delivered my sister.
You were one of the leaders for AHS 3001: Health and Medicine in India, one of the global programs run by the PHSRC! What were some of your highlights from your time in India with AHS 3001?
Highlights of the program were numerous. I had such a fantastic time and it was the perfect thing to do for me right after finishing a complicated, stressful time in residency.
- The group of students from the U! I had so many great moments of laughter on the trip. The students are all brilliant and asked so many insightful questions, practiced cultural humility and were a treat to work with!
- Our hosts—SVYM (Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement). They are an incredible nonprofit organization and getting to see how many successful public health projects they have across Karnataka was awesome. Water sanitation, schools in indigenous communities, women’s shelters--all of these were just a few of the inspiring projects we saw. It made me excited to be a family medicine doctor and to continue to work with our communities.
- The food. I love spicy food and this was a fantastic experience. Puri and dosas with fresh fruit and Chai for breakfast were some of my favorite comforts.
- Yoga! We had 6AM yoga and our group really committed to going! Our teacher was awesome and I hadn’t ever done a traditional yoga class before and learned a lot. Pranayama or the breathing exercises was one of the most interesting areas of learning for me.
How can pre-health students benefit from learning abroad?
Study abroad trips are incredible experiences for pre-health students. They can be incredibly humbling and awe inspiring. They push our boundaries of comfort and challenge us to be better. There are so many ways people have been health care providers throughout history and it would be naïve to think we have all the answers. We should be approaching every patient with an open mind and these trips help foster that mentality.
You just finished medical school and residency! How was your experience in both? Do you have any perspectives you'd share with pre-health students around balancing your own needs and self care with the pressures/responsibilities from medical school, residency, and other areas of life?
I definitely felt tired after residency. I started during COVID in 2020. It was not an easy time to be new. I am so glad I took some time to do something non clinical before starting my clinical work again, as it allowed me to process some of the things I had seen and experienced during residency and medical school. If we do not take care of ourselves, how can we be expected to care for others? I returned from this trip reinvigorated to be a doctor and highly recommend taking some time off after residency if you are able.
What's next?
Now that I’m back from India, I am working with a locums agency to find a job as a hospitalist. I would like to keep my skills as a hospitalist and would anticipate that I would like to work in and outpatient if possible in the future. I could also definitely see myself going into palliative medicine, it has always been a field that has resonated with me. One of the nice parts of family medicine is that you have some flexibility to be able to meet communities’ needs, and I’m looking forward to keeping my skills up so I can match those needs.
Thank you for sharing your story with Pulse readers, Dr. Ward!