Health & Societies Student Advisory Board
The HSOC Student Advisory Board is a group of students who plan and sponsor activities and coordinate information to support the HSOC major. Activities include career panels, blood drives, lectures, field trips, course fairs and social events. New members are chosen at the beginning of spring semester.
* * * * * * * Thanks to all the members of the HSOC SAB, those graduating and those continuing, for their hard work this year. Information about fall 2008 activities and programs, and the application for any majors interested in becoming members of the HSOC SAB, will be available in September. Have a great summer everyone! * * * * * * * *
Current Projects of the HSOC SAB
FAQs about the Health & Societies major
Fellowship, Research and Career Opportunities
Questions? Suggestions? Email us at hsocsab@gmail.com
MEMBERS OF THE HSOC SAB FOR FALL 2008
Rahima Dosani '09 (rahimafd) International Health
I am a junior in the college, double majoring in Health & Societies and South Asia Studies, and I am interested in studying and researching international health policy with respect to infectious diseases and social determinants of health. I plan to study and work to correct local and international health disparities and advocate on behalf of underrepresented and impoverished communities around the world. I have done health education curriculum development and HIV/AIDS training in Karachi, Pakistan, and would be more than happy to answer any questions relating to global health internships or health disparities work.
Dan Eisenberg '09 (danielme) International Health
I am primarily interested in the intersection of politics and development in the Global South. I have held research internships at both Bellevue and the Columbia Nursing hospitals in New York, in addition to an administrative post at Brooklyn Chest Tuberculosis Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa during my study abroad. I hope to pursue a graduate degree that qualifies me to write international political and health policy.
Sarah Gearhart '10 (esarah) International Health
I am a sophomore in the college, concentrating in International Health, with a minor in Chemistry. I am pre-med, and have most of my background in research (stem-cell, developmental genetics) but am eager to become more involved with the public aspect of health. My interests are in Central and South America, and after medical school I would like to work in clinics wherever I am needed. I am most interested in providing people with the medical care they need in the most helpful and efficient way possible, which is why I chose the HSOC major. Unlike the upper classman, I do not yet know a great deal about the various opportunities in the department, but I am happy to talk about my impressions so far.
Jessica Ho ’09 (yjho) Disease and Society
My primary interests include infectious diseases, global health, and the interaction between political, social, and economic factors which may act as determinants of health. I'm also majoring in Economics and considering graduate study in the field of demography. I'd be happy to address any questions in these and other areas, and have recently completed an internship in health services research at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Bioethics on the ethics of vaccines.
Thomas Hou ’09 (houp) Health Policy and Law
I am interested in various aspects of health policy in the US and abroad, with emphasis on primary care and urban health. Worked on literature study of primary care indicators and outcomes at the Leonard Davis Institute and applying it to a Brazil context. Also worked in Boston to start up a nonprofit advocacy group for high-risk patients with retired physicians, social workers and lay persons, for purpose of improving primary care. Plan to continue studies and research in primary care, with Philadelphia as possible setting.
Bo Peng '09 (bpeng) Public Health
I am pursuing a concentration in Public Health with a minor in BBB and aim to become a physician with hopes of bringing in my collective interdisciplinary interests to better practice medicine. The HSOC major satisfies my taste for the two questions of "why" and "what now". I'm interested in the U.S. health care system and in particular how to implement practical effective measures to decrease disparity and eliminate prevalent diseases. I am also interested in the various ethical questions arising from the development of new technologies and how the average person can interpret these dilemmas.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE GRADUATING MEMBERS OF THE HSOC SAB - THANKS FOR CONTRIBUTING YOUR TIME AND TALENTS!
Sabrina Aggarwal ‘08 (asabrina) Disease and Society
Conducted Quality of Life research in Pediatric Cardiology at the Children's Hospital for one year. Participated in the Guatemala Health Initiative conducting maternal health care research in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala over summer 2007. Am interested in public health work from a business perspective i.e. working with foundations, such as
the Clinton Foundation or the Gates Foundation to come up with effective strategies for the deliverance and distribution of medicines on a global scale and healthy school initiatives. Would eventually like an MBA/MPH.
Katryn Bowe ’08 (katryn) Health Policy and Law
What attracts me most to HSOC is its integrated and cross disciplinary approach to health. I am also majoring in PPE and minoring in URBS, and they tie very closely into my Health Policy/Law concentration of HSOC. I have tried to approach this major from a "big question" angle: asking how disparities in health and health care systems speak to larger themes of distributive justice/equality/human rights. I have put this passion into international internship experience. Last summer, I was a member of a Penn research team that evaluated the potential impact of a water system in rural Cameroon, and the previous year I working for a health department of a Peruvian microfinance organization. Feel free to email me if you have any questions!
Nitika Dabas ’08 (ndabas) International Health
I'm a Senior in the College majoring in both South Asian Studies and Health and Societies, with a concentration in International Health. I have focused my curriculum on learning about women's health in India.
Anjeli Prabhu ’08 (aprabhu) International Health
I am a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences pursuing a double major in Health and Societies (International Health Concentration) and South Asia Studies. I am particularly interested in women's health in Southeast Asia, and have conducted research on postnatal health care in Malaysia. In the future, I am interested in pursuing my MD/MPH and hope to focus on Infectious Diseases in the United States and Southeast Asia.
Matt Levin C‘08 (mrlevin) Public Health
Jason Nagata '08 (jnagata) Health Policy and Law
I am happy to answer any questions regarding double-majoring with a science major, finding global health opportunities, or integrating philosophy, politics and economics courses into the Health and Societies Health Policy and Law concentration. I am working on my senior thesis regarding nutrition and sanitation in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala.
Julie Roumm ’08 (jroumm) Health Policy and Law
My interests are generally how the health policy develops and is implemented, the problems in the U.C. health care system, and how the law influences how medicine is practiced.
Julie Shin ’08 (jsshin) Health Care Markets and Finance
I am currently a senior in the College. I chose Health and Societies as my major because I realized that as a doctor, it would help me to have a well-rounded background that was not solely science-based. I chose the Markets and Financing concentration of health and societies mainly to take advantage of the Wharton course. But also, this is the area of health care that I understand the least which is why I feel as though I have benefited the most from taking these courses.
(All email addresses are @sas.upenn.edu)
