Vanuatu amongst its neighboring developing countries has a relatively fragile economy, and its outer islands have limited access to basic services like health care. The population is increasing and society is moving away from the traditional livelihoods towards a western lifestyles, resulting in a range of health related issues. Vanuatu's islands are isolated and the area that the islands cover is vast making travel expensive, therefore, much of the health resources are concentrated in the main capital city, Port-Vila, even though majority of population lives in rural areas. Access is the major issue in rural health in Vanuatu- we face the challenge of shortages of doctors and other health professionals in rural and remote areas.

My name is Sandrine Mogeror and I wish to pursue a career in Medicine since my passion has always been assisting others, and trying to improve their quality of life. I believe that pursuing an MD (Doctor of Medicine) degree will provide me the opportunity to help improve the Vanuatu rural community's health care system and learn about their medical needs.

I did my premedical studies at the University of Hawaii, Manoa and graduated in 2013 with Cum Laude Honor in Biology (BA). After Highschool graduation, I was among the five finalist out from one thousand applicants from all over the South Pacific region to be awarded the United States South Pacific Scholarship by the United State government to do my undergraduate degree in the United States. In college, I served as an ambassador and a role model for my fellow Ni-Vanuatu aspiring doctors, representing my culture and home country in a multicultural society .

In college I fell in love with organic chemistry. While my peers struggling with it, the notion of analyzing mass spectroscopy, IR spectrums, and H-NMR to identify a specific molecule invigorated me. In my biology classes, the human body was a mystery to me. Intricacies such as enzyme-activity, DNA mutation, protein synthesis, and hormonal regulation puzzled my mind.

My coursework gave me an excellent background in independent research and analytical thinking. Moreover, through my college’s core curriculum, with its emphasis that a well-rounded education should be based upon a solid science foundation, I took courses in literature, humanities, philosophy, and environmental science. I have found that my upbringing as an avid nature observer provided me with a unique perspective towards science. The same techniques I applied in investigating why the yam outer skin layer turn into charcoal when in contact with heat, proved useful in tackling an organic chemistry reaction.

Throughout my time at college, I was engaged in many volunteer activities: tutoring math and science to inner city school children, and serving as an advocate against women violence. The work was challenging since many of the children enrolled in the program had emotional, as well as academic problems, but it was very rewarding to see the kids respond and make progress in their schoolwork. While I have enjoyed tutoring, I recognize becoming a physician is a more effective way in which I can apply my talents to serve a larger population. My ambition is to use my understanding of children to help alleviate the suffering of mankind. Children’s health needs, from bacterial infection to genetic disorder, 
 interest me deeply. From each of my volunteer activities, I gained immense satisfaction from knowing that I had made a difference in the lives of a few individuals—whether it was watching a child grow self-confidence by mastering a math problem, or offering guidance to an abused woman.

In addition, I did my undergraduate summer internship at the national cancer institute in Washington DC. I worked alongside the principal immunologist, Dr. James Gulley, and other cancer researchers investigating the application of a vaccine providing an immune therapeutic approach to prostate cancer. I also have the opportunity to collaborate with an epidemiologists and the Cancer Surveillance officers evaluating patterns and trends in cancer-associated health behaviors, risk factors, health care services, economics, and outcomes. This experience gave me a new perspective to alternative therapeutic approaches in medicine.

Ultimately, it was my experience as a premedical intern at the Vila central hospital which have greatly influenced my decision to become a physician. After college, I decided to take a gap period and I volunteered at Vila Central hospital shadowing surgeons and physicians in clinical and surgical settings. Under the supervision of medical interns, I observed patients on a regular basis, assisted in performing diagnostic tests, participated in ward-rounds, reviewed patient’s discharge files, did coding of the diagnosis using ICD-10 code and entered diagnosis codes into the medical database for data analysis and reporting.

Patient ward rounds afforded me the opportunity to interact with many patients on a personal level. I always found myself beside the patients routinely checking on them and trying to understand what they are feeling and experiencing, physically and emotionally, and communicating that understanding to them. I realized that I am interested in a person as whole more than just as a patient. I admired the long term doctor-patient relationship clearly built on mutual respect and gratitude. My interaction experience with patients by their bedside was a crucial factor in the culmination of experiences leading to my decision to pursue a career in medicine.

I was not able to continue onto Medical school because of a lack of financial support. I have worked very hard in the past three years preparing funding proposals and looking for financial aid but I still could not find any financial aid available . Therefore, I decided to fundraise here to help me continue with medical studies.

After becoming a certified doctor, I want to specialize in Cardiology, the study of cardiology, and add my knowledge to the Cardiology research field. I intend to practice medicine in the remote and under-served communities in who do not have as much access to medical assistance as other privileged groups. Rural health services in Vanuatu is very poor, hence, it requires sufficient numbers of doctors and other health care providers who have the necessary skills to work effectively in these areas.

Sustainability of these services is dependent on adequate health service infrastructure and availability of specialist support.Therefore, the first health project I want to accomplish in my career as a doctor is to establish a fully equipped floating medical clinic with all the necessary surgical and medical instrument for medical procedures. It will be sailing the shores of Vanuatu providing affordable medical assistance to all the people living on the remote islands of Vanuatu. The diverse health services would include free doctor consultations, low-price or free medication, and nutritional classes to prevent non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and others. I also intend to establish a financial assistance program to help patients who are not able to pay for any type of surgery that needs to be performed.

Furthermore, I want to establish a non-profit organization where I can create internships abroad for medical school students in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, allowing them to travel to the remote and under-served communities in Vanuatu providing free medical services. I also want to provide nutrition education to support the urban population of Vanuatu. This will help contribute to the physical development of kids and offer a solution to malnutrition within the urban communities. I know that all of my goals will remain dreams without your donation and support. Therefore, I am committed to working hard in medical school and looking for opportunities that could help me make my goals a reality.