Chinemerem Nwosu

My academic major (Program II (Individualized Curriculum) - Determinants of Health Outcomes: Development, Culture and Environment in Africa) seeks to explore the determinants of health through economic, political, cultural, and environmental lenses and understand how these various factors build upon and intersect with one another to influence health outcomes. My experiences growing up in Nigeria and now living in the U.S. made me question the differences in health care between the two countries. My curiosity drove me to ask questions that created the foundation of my Program II: To what extent does development, infrastructure and wealth determine if a person lives and how well they live? What interdisciplinary approaches can be used to improve health outcomes and how can they be successfully implemented?

I hope to use the knowledge and experiences gained through my Program II to engage in more global health field work and research in Sub Saharan Africa to ultimately improve health outcomes and strengthen health systems there. As an aspiring physician, I want to also integrate my interest in medicine with health determinants to ultimately provide highest quality of care.

At Duke, I am the proud co-founder of Duke's first and only African Chorus (Duke Amandla Chorus) which I founded to share parts of the diverse African cultures through music and dance. Throughout my undergraduate career, I have been involved in Bass Connections global health research in Uganda, which involves designing culturally relevant health education materials for family caretakers in under resourced settings. This project inspired me to create my own independent research focused on assessing the impact of family caretaker health literacy on patient outcomes in Uganda. I am also a member of Duke Know Your Status, an HIV/AIDs advocacy group, Duke National Alliance for Mental Illness, Duke MAPS and Duke American Medical Women's Association. I have served as the secretary of Duke Africa Conversations Club with allowed me to create spaces where conversations on African issues can flourish. I have participated in Duke Engage Cape Verde where I organized creative art projects for at risk youth in Praia. I have also participated in Duke SPLASH, taught refugee women English through the Kenan Institute for Ethics and danced with Duke's African Dance Ensemble. I have spent time volunteering at the Durham Veterans Medical Center, Durham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and the Duke Cancer Institute. During my free time, I enjoy watching TV, painting, reading novels and baking.