{"id":151488,"date":"2025-08-28T12:50:47","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T17:50:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=151488"},"modified":"2025-08-28T12:50:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T17:50:48","slug":"ole-miss-student-combines-passions-in-italian-medical-fellowship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/ole-miss-student-combines-passions-in-italian-medical-fellowship\/","title":{"rendered":"Ole Miss Student Combines Passions in Italian Medical Fellowship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Samantha Ragan gains medical insights, cultural perspective through summer program<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By Marisa C. Atkinson<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sparked by a love of travel and aspirations of becoming a doctor, University of Mississippi<\/strong> junior Samantha Ragan<\/strong> experienced the best of both worlds when she spent time in Italy this summer as part of a global health fellowship program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The adventure of travel was instilled by her family at a young age and affirmed when she studied abroad last summer in Italy, where her appreciation of the language and culture deepened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That transformative experience inspired me to seek opportunities that combine my love for travel with my academic and career goals,” the biological sciences major<\/a> from Columbia said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She decided that shadowing in the medical field would be the best solution. So, she sought opportunities to do just that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the\u00a0Doctors in Italy Fellowship Program<\/strong><\/a>, Ragan, along with a handful of other students from around the world, spent two weeks in Bari, Italy, located along the top of the “heel” of Italy’s “boot.” There, she shadowed doctors at\u00a0Giovanni Paolo II Cancer Institute<\/strong><\/a>, one of southern Italy’s leading centers for cancer care and research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants had opportunities to observe oncologists, radiologists, surgeons and multidisciplinary teams delivering care to patients. They witnessed firsthand how clinicians use the latest research in their practice, offering a unique perspective on how scientific advancements translate into better patient outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only did students observe the technical aspect of providing care, but they also gained different insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Participating in the program will increase Samantha’s ability to take in and analyze data and behaviors from different perspectives,” said Kelli Hutchens<\/strong>, senior academic adviser for the Ole Miss\u00a0Health Professions Advising Office<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“For future doctors, cultural competence is very important,” she said. “By immersing herself in another country where English is not the primary language spoken, she gained perspective in relating to patients who are non-English \u2013 or limited English speaking \u2013 increasing her cultural humility.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n