Stephanie Baluka, Class of 2017, began fieldwork for her PA thesis project in Mexico early January 2017. Stephanie is the recipient of the 2016 Downs International Health Student Travel Fellowship, the 2016 Yale Global Health Field Award, and the 2016 Physician Assistants for Global Health scholarship. With guidance from faculty mentors from the Yale Physician Associate Program (Dr. Rosana Gonzalez-Colaso), the Yale School of Nursing (Dr. Robin Whittemore) and researchers at Iberoamericana University (Dr. Mireya Vilar-Compte and colleagues), Stephanie aims to explore 'Barriers and Facilitators of Glycemic Control Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Receiving Interdisciplinary Care in Mexico City.' Over a 12-week period, Stephanie and Iberoamericana research partners interviewed patients attending primary care clinics to elicit their understanding of diabetes, self-care practices, and health care experiences. This qualitative research project focuses on an understudied population that is disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes, the leading cause of adult death in Mexico. It is anticipated that her findings will inform the development of culturally sensitive self-care interventions in Mexico City primary care clinics. Her initial findings are being presented at the Seventh Annual Yale Global Health Day Symposium and 2017 Connecticut Association of Physician Assistants (ConnAPA) Charter Oak Conference.
When asked about her motivation and objectives to pursue this international research project, Stephanie shared: "As a Physician Associate student, one of my main goals is to understand the many factors that make chronic diseases like diabetes difficult to manage. I plan to practice medicine in an urban area that serves large immigrant populations and to engage in public health research to improve chronic disease management. This has been a unique opportunity to learn about the patient experience in another country, apply my language skills, and observe the challenges of working in a large urban center. As a result of my time working in Mexico City, I have grown tremendously as a researcher and student clinician—learning how to navigate another system of care, overcoming numerous field obstacles, communicating with patients in a culturally sensitive manner, and coordinating the activities of a research team. One of the factors that drew me to Yale's PA program was the chance to plan such a project and I am grateful for the tremendous support and guidance afforded to Yale PA students. I look forward to sharing the details of my experience and motivating other PA students to seek out such opportunities."