Hi! My name is Normah Salazar. I am a rising Junior in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. I am a Biology major on the Pre-Med track with the goal of attending Medical school to study surgery. I currently volunteer at Allegheny General Hospital and am exploring various healthcare specialties by shadowing physicians. I am an active member of my community through my job; I am a lifeguard and manage the pool in my neighborhood!

I will soon begin my travels to Northern Ireland; this will be my first time traveling abroad! When I arrive in Ireland, I will be spending two weeks on the campus of Stranmillis University where I will attend classes for the Inter-Professional Studies in Health, Rehabilitation, and Education program. Our program with mainly focus on the Intersectional work of healthcare providers in relation to children with disabilities but we will also learn about the cultural differences between Northern Ireland and the United States. As we explore the healthcare system in the United Nations and the care it provides for the children with disabilities, we will also be comparing their healthcare system to ours in the United States. After completing the pre-trip assignments, I have learned how US and UN Policies have been implemented to give people with disabilities the civil rights and fundamental freedoms they were previously denied.

I applied to this program to gain an understanding of healthcare systems outside the United States and to learn how the intersectional work of healthcare providers allows them to provide the best care available. After this global experience I hope to be better prepared for intersectional work with fellow healthcare providers in my future profession.