culture

VolunTourism, or the combination of travel and charity, often gets criticized for being unethical, ineffective, or cliché. However, there are also some overlooked perks of VolunTourism, such as learning a foreign language, gaining practical skills, and meeting diverse people. You will also find out how to choose a trustworthy volunteer organization and how to write effectively about your VolunTourism experiences.

Do you know what ‘machismo’ is and how might it affect Latino men’s health or family dynamics? Do you know why many Jehovah’s Witnesses disagree with blood transfusions? Are you aware of the disparities that have led to greater maternal and infant mortality in African American women and babies? These are just a few of the questions that physicians need to explore in their goal to provide culturally competent care. There’s the key buzzword - the triple C - ‘culturally competent care.’ It might sound like a broken record in pre-meds’ essays and activities, but it has both intrinsic and practical value for you as a future physician. This article will do its best to deconstruct and simplify the term ‘cultural competence,’ while also providing some concrete examples.