When College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) student Veronica Sanchez came to college looking to pursue a career in health care, she knew from the start she wanted to learn more than just science.  

Sanchez wanted to pursue a path that connected health to people, communities, and real-world change—which led her to pursue a major in global health studies.  

"Global health studies is a major that looks at health from many different angles such as culture, economics, politics, and the environment," she said. "This is done to help make health more equal and accessible for everyone." 

What stood out to Sanchez most about the major was its interdisciplinary approach. 

"You don't study just biology or just policy," she said. "You learn a wide variety of topics and how they connect." 

Sanchez applied the interdisciplinary skills from her coursework into an internship at a clinic in Cape Town, South Africa—an experience that she said has been one of the most memorable opportunities during her time as a University of Iowa student.  

"This allowed me to experience the challenges and strengths of another health system and gave me the chance to learn by doing," she said.  

Overall, being a global health studies major has shaped the way Sanchez views health and has prepared her to pursue an advanced degree in occupational therapy.  

"I have learned to see health beyond the diagnosis and now consider cultural, environmental, and social factors that influence how people live," she said. "This has strengthened the holistic approach I plan to bring into my future career." 

See what interdisciplinary learning looks like in Global Health Studies. Check out the video below!

Visit Global Health Studies at Iowa