Month: February 2022

Review: Mountains beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

Mountains Beyond Mountains is a biography following the work of Dr. Paul Farmer, an American physician, and anthropologist devoted to providing quality healthcare to impoverished countries. Kidder recounts Dr. Farmer’s journey from adolescence to medical school and eventually his work in areas like Haiti, Peru, Russia, and Boston. While acknowledging the successful work of Dr. Farmer, like his help in pioneering HIV/AIDS and drug-resistant tuberculosis treatments in resource-scarce settings, the novel also illustrates the hardships behind helping those who do not have the means to help themselves.

Reading this novel was inspiring, but also very humbling. Many of Dr. Farmer’s experiences reminded me of my internship at the Ogbojo Polyclinic in Accra, Ghana. Regardless of his efforts, obstacles in improving accessibility and quality of care continued to persist, explaining the meaning behind the title Mountains Beyond Mountains. The main message I took away from the novel is that if more individuals go into the healthcare field with a mission to reduce disparities within the medical system, then there will ultimately be a change. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in pursuing a healthcare occupation, especially those going to medical school!

Reviewed by: Nastaran Milani

Review: College Students of Color – Overcoming Racial Disparities

Link to the full article being reviewed.

“College students of color experience higher rates of mental illness yet tend not to seek help due to stigma and distrust of healthcare services”

It’s no secret that college students of color experience higher rates of mental illness, especially at predominantly white institutions (PWI). As a student of color myself, and as a first generation college student, my journey through college has not been easy. This article specifically reflects the ways in which college campuses time and time again have failed to provide mental health resources to their Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPoC) students. Students of color are more likely to experience racism, discrimination, Islamophobia, cyberbullying, verbal and physical assaults, and microagressions on college campuses all of which are damaging to their mental health. 

In order to fully support BIPoC college students, this article emphasizes how college campuses must recruit and retain diverse staff and faculty, develop and maintain cultural supports, and hire culturally competent mental health providers from diverse cultural backgrounds From personal experience I can say, having diverse faculty and staff can make students of color feel a sense of belonging. Having mental health/primary care providers that look like me have made me feel more at ease with accessing these services for myself, and my hope is that more and more college campuses instill these practices to diminish the mental health disparities seen among BIPoC students. 

Reviewed by: Laura Gonzalez Pineda