Hi! My name is Cameron Cook. I'm from Salem, Va, only half an hour from the VCOM VA campus. I graduated from Utah State University in 2015 and now I'm a second-year at VCOM. Some of my favorite things include going to the park with my wife and dog, soccer, hiking, and chocolate milk. From 2009-2011 I served an LDS mission in Spain; that's where my interest in international outreach began.
Hi, I'm Neha Choubey. I go to school in VCOM in Virginia and grew up about 20 minutes away from the campus. So while I haven't been able to do or see much outside of Virginia and DC yet, I genuinely aspire to in the future. Generally, I spend my sparse free time outdoors, in my sketchbook, or reading books. I love learning about world history and culture and did a minor in Anthropology (with a major in Economics) at the University of Virginia. Hopefully, I can bring some of that interest into this class; and I look forward to learning about how to bring public health into a medical career.
Hi, my name is Maggie Storm! My interest in global health began when my parents began leading medical mission trips to two Guatemalan villages when I was 12 years old. I have served with 8 medical mission teams since. In college, I majored in Public Health Studies with a concentration in Global Health at Johns Hopkins University. One of the most meaningful experiences during my undergraduate education was when I was given the opportunity to study public health in South Africa at the University of Cape Town. During that time, I also volunteered at an international gender justice organization in the city that aimed to limit the spread of HIV by addressing gender norms among men and boys. I hope that global health will continue to be an important part of my education and career, and am very interested in learning from peers at the other VCOM campuses and the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and El Salvador.
Hello, my name is Jeff Wright, and I am a first year medical student at the VCOM-VA campus. I'm originally from Northern Virginia and went to school at the University of Virginia, where I graduated in 2010. After that I got my Masters in Public Health from Virginia Commonwealth University with a focus in epidemiology. My passion is Global Health, and I hope to get involved in global health outreach and healthcare once I have graduated medical school. During my undergraduate career, I traveled to both Costa Rica and Guatemala to help with environmental conservation projects. These opportunities gave me an appreciation for Latin America, and I look forward to learning more about the cultures and attitudes of our Latin American counterparts in the Dominical Republic, Honduras, and El Salvador. I look forward to working with everyone!
Hello, my name is Mohammad (Arya) Loghmani. I was born and raised in Northern Virginia. I finished my BS in biology at the Virginia Commonwealth University and I am now a first year medical student at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. My hobbies include playing the setar and cooking. I was interested in this seminar because I believe it is our responsibility as future physicians to get involved in promoting public health in the United States and around the world. I have traveled to many impoverished areas of the world in Asia and the Middle East where I have seen first hand the heath impacts of preventable disease on their communities. Being exposed to these experiences at a young age has modeled my perception of what medicine should be about and I aim to utilize the knowledge gained from this course in my future career. I look forward to learning new things from my classmates at VCOM and my colleagues abroad.
Hey, my name is Russell Dowell. I am from Virginia Beach, Va. I graduated from Virginia Tech in 2013, majoring in Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise. I am currently an OMS 1 at VCOM-Virginia Campus. I lived in Richmond, VA for 2 years after graduating from Virginia Tech working at VCU Main Hospital as a scribe and medic. Prior to starting at VCOM, I lived in Costa Rica and Puerto Rico for 6 months. I enjoy surfing, snowboarding, running, and dogs. I am interested in this class because of the different structuring of the class and to learn from the international medical schools in Dominican Republic, Honduras, and El Salvador.
-Russell Dowell
Hi, my name is Tori Tschantz and I’m a first year medical student at VCOM-VC. I was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. I graduated from Wake Forest University in 2016 with a double major in Religion and Public Engagement and Health and Exercise Science and a minor in Health Policy and Administration. During my college years, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to take part in a few different medical mission trips to Peru and Ecuador which helped further develop my passion for public health and preventive medicine. I’m very excited to be taking this class and to learn from, and with, everyone!
Hello, my name is Peyton Kremer and I am a first year medical student at VCOM-VC. I am from Richmond, VA, and graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a B.S. in Biology in 2014. I scribed in various office settings for 2 years prior to starting medical school. One of the reasons I chose to attend VCOM was because of the opportunities provided by the school to travel to clinics in Central America and their focus on creating sustainable and accessible healthcare in those areas. I'm excited to be taking part in this course to broaden my knowledge of global health care and to have the opportunity to work with our other campuses here in the USA along with the medical schools in Dominican Republic, Honduras, and El Salvador.