Meet Daniel Andrés Sierra García from Guatemala!

Daniel Sierra, PEHF MM2019 awardee

He is the 4th-year medical student, born in 1997, studying since 2014 at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala in Guatemala, who has been awarded with the 7th GA Scholarship in the history of our Fund  to travel to Slovenia for the IFMSA General Assembly – March Meeting 2019 representing his country and ASOCEM-Guatemala, of which he is the current National Officer on Human Rights and Peace (NORP).

Daniel was chosen among 43 applicants for the scholarship, according to his background, expertise and motivation. The amount of €500 of scholarship money has partially covered Daniel’s expenses for registering and traveling to the MM2019 in Slovenia to meet with friends and colleagues studying Medicine from all over the world!

Learn more about Daniel, by reading through his CV, as well as his Letter of Motivation.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Daniel Andrés Sierra García

Date of birth; 31/03/1997

Age: 21

Country of birth: Guatemala

Medical Education; Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala; 4th year

Languages: Spanish (native) & English (advanced)

Expectations and goals in IFMSA: to become part of the IT of SCORP & lead my NMO as President; I know I can do an outstanding job in these positions if I gain the necessary skills and knowledge, so I get enough experience in order to achieve great things for the IFMSA and my NMO. Also, take the opportunities of IFMSA in opening doors to other countries and international ONGs to work there in a near future.

About me: Young dreamer, passionate about service, leadership, empowerment and capacity building. Human Rights advocate. I cannot imagine a better, prosperous and just society for all its members without thinking beforehand about the respect and fulfillment of Human Rights. I firmly believe that a better world is possible if the new generations are willing to fight for it, and we as medical students are very important change agents.

IFMSA Experience:

• Active member since 2015
• Local Officer on Human Rights and Peace for ASOCEM CUM, the larger, founder and most important local committee from Guatemala, from June 2016 to December 2017. During this term, SCORP was the SC with the most number of active members and the one with more projects
• National Officer on Human Rights and Peace, from January 2018 to December 2018. During this term, two new LC were added, and we created a innovative plataform for national working. Also, implemented the SWG working style in the whole country and for every project, and other SCs started using it because the style is useful and fruitful. SCORP Guatemala was recognized internationally because of the work with other NORPs and NMOs to create mlti-national projects
• OC Chair for the first SRT in Guatemala, 2018. 82 participants came from 7 different countries.
• Coordinator and trainer for the first TNHRT in Guatemala and Central America, during the SRT Guatemala 2018. 21 SCORPions were trained.
• Fundraising & Sponsorship Coordinator for the Third National General Assambly 2017
• Member of the SWG for the World Human Rights Day 2018, November and December 2018
• Coordinator of the Regional Campaign for the World Human Rights Day 2018, focused on Youth Rights and the role of yourth in HRs advocacy and promotion of Peace Culture.
• Member of the SWG for the Regional Campaign of World Refugee Day 2018, May and June 2018. Created the first manual for the region regarding the topic and addressing the migrational crisis in Latin America.
• Head of Delegation for the Americas’ Regional Meeting, January 2018; first delegation from IFMSA Guatemala to participate in a Regional Meeting
• Head of Delegation for the Americas’ Regional Meeting, January 2019; gretest delegation in IFMSA Guatemala
• SCORP Sessions Team for the ARM 2019
• President Candidate for IFMSA Guatemala, for the next period 2019
• Received the Training New Human Rights Trainers -TNHRT Training- in the PreRM 2018
• Second Place on the Poster Fair during the ARM 2018
• Author of the article “About Human Rights: what is happening in Guatemala?”, published in the Americas Heartbeat, the Regional Magazine

Others:

• Volunteer coordinator on TECHO Guatemala
• Junior Journalist for Visión Mundial Latinoamérica
• SDGs Delegate during the Iberoamerican Youth Forum 2018
• SDGs trainer, by UN Youth Guatemala
• Academic Secretary for the Association of Medical Students of Guatemala, 2016-2017
• Senior delegate in the National Encounter of Students Research, 2018

Daniel Sierra and his poster at the MM2019 in Slovenia

Daniel Sierra attending the MM2019 in Slovenia

Daniel Sierra at a usual day in Med School in Guatemala

LETTER OF MOTIVATION

Dear IFMSA Alumni,

IFMSA has become a family for me. Working on the IFMSA has given me the best experiences, great lessons of life and a self-discovery platform where I have found my greatest skills. Even thought IFMSA Guatemala has grown a lot in the last three years, very few of our members have had the opportunity to attend a General Assembly, mainly due to economic situation. That’s why I’m writing this motivational letter, so it can be taken in account for the Professor Erik Holst Fund to attend the MM2019. Attending to the MM2019 would give me the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills to improve my work at the Team of Officials in my NMO.

My main motivation is:

1. Attend the MM, from Friday 1st of March until Thursday 7th of March, to train in the topic of Gender in Health Care. Guatemala is a country with great index of Gender Based Violence against women, and health system doesn’t protect them, so for me is very important to have the knowledge in order to start a change in my home country.
2. Represent the voice of my NMO in the event and make Guatemala a visible country in the map of IFMSA. We, even when we are a very little country, have a lot to give to others, and we also need a lot of help to accomplish a real change, so it’s a great opportunity to make networking with other NMOs.
3. Get the knowledge of how the IT works. It strikes me to be, someday, the SCORP Regional Assistant for the Americas and, later on, Liaison Officer for Human Rights and Peace, but before I need to get the necessary knowledge and experience to do it in the best way, and the MM is a great opportunity to do it.
4. Capacitate through President Sessions to get the knowledge necessary to become President of my NMO. Being President is a great responsibility, and you need more than leadership to do it; I’m candidate for President of my NMO, and if I win, I want to do it in the best way possible, so I need the necessary skills to do it.

Meet Javier Shafick Asfura Caballero from Honduras!

He is the 4th-year medical student, born in 1997, studying since 2014 at the Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras in Honduras, who has been awarded with the 6th GA Scholarship in the history of our Fund  to travel to Montreal, Canada for the IFMSA General Assembly – August Meeting 2018 representing his country and ASEM-Honduras, of which he is the current National Officer on Research Exchange (NORE).

Javier was chosen among 66 applicants for the scholarship, according to his background, expertise and motivation. The amount of €500 of scholarship money has partially covered Javier’s expenses for registering and traveling to the AM2018 in Canada to meet with friends and colleagues studying Medicine from all over the world!

Learn more about Javier, by reading through his CV, as well as his Letter of Motivation.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Javier Shafick Asfura Caballero

Date of Birth: 22/01/1997

Age: 21

Country of Birth: Honduras

Medical Education: Finishing 4th year of Medical School in the National Autonomous University of Honduras.

Languages: 1) Spanish – Written 10/10 – Spoken 10/10; 2) English – Written 10/10 – Spoken 10/10

Career Objective: to become a Health Leader in my country and become outstanding in research so that we can contribute to the worldwide scientific knowledge and discoveries. I really want to help the people in Honduras and genuinely implement a Primary Health Care in all the country.

Expectations and goals in IFMSA: to become the SCORE Regional Assistant (RA) for the Americas or our NMO’s President. I know that I can make an outstanding job in any of those positions and know that I can help a lot through my leadership and team building and management experience.

IFMSA Experience:

• – Joined in 2017 to SCORE and became an unofficial Local Officer on Research Exchange (LORE) Assistant;
• – In September 2017, I became Interim National Officer on Research Exchange (NORE) and helped unifying all of our Local Committees and setting forward SCORE in all of them;
• – I was a participant in the first Professional and Research Exchange Training (PRET) in Honduras (September 2017);
• – Through various meetings, I got our Medicine Faculty approval to implement the Research Exchange program and got various doctors and researchers to become SCORE tutors;
• – In our first National General Assembly, I was elected as NORE 2018-2019;
• – I was member of the Organizing Committee for the first National General Assembly of IFMSA-Honduras, as well as facilitator for SCORE Sessions;
• – Part of the team that checked the IFMSA-Honduras constitution and bylaws;
• – Facilitated SCORE Sessions in our 1st and 2nd NGA (2017 and 2018);
• – Current member of the Internal Bylaws taskforce;
• – Gave the idea to create the National Officer Assistant (NOA) for all of the Standing Committees in our NMO;
• – Attended the Capacity Building sessions “IFMSA & You”.

NON-IFMSA activities:

• – Histology Laboratory: I’m a laboratory instructor/professor for all the 2nd year medical students taking the Histology class. Also, I’m part of the Executive Board of the laboratory;
• – Physiology Laboratory: I’m the cofounder of this laboratory in my; in it, I’m a lab. instructor/professor for all the 3rd year medical students taking the Physiology class. Also, I’m the former General Coordinator for it and currently member of the Executive Board;
• – Society of Leadership and Scientific Research in Health: I’m enrolled in this research group since 2017 and I have successfully carried out 3 researches, which are published in different medical and scientific magazines. I had the opportunity to present one of them in the National Medical Congress of my country. I’m currently part of 2 new research projects and have given lectures on leadership and research;
• – Member of the Executive Board of the FCM Medical Students Association;
• – Participated in the Honduran Red Cross First Aid course in 2014;
• – Participated in the Statistic EPIINFO course;
• – Took a microphotography course with the Biology Faculty;
• – Currently becoming an International Diabetes Educator through the IDEEL diplomat;
• – I have been a Medical Interpreter in 5 different medical missions throughout the country;
• – I am an active volunteer in my University and have participated in events like the National Medicine Knowledge Bowl, the University Sports Games, the Career Fair, etc.;
• – I’m a recognized student and part of the Academic Excellence students;
• – Columnist in the “Galeno Magazine”;
• – Great knowledge on handling of the Microsoft Office programs; Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier Pro, Audition, After Effects; Prezi; Citavi; Epi-Info; Canva; Hansa; Windows; etc.

Courses and Workshops

• – Research for Life: Reducing the GAP between countries (2017)
• – The Electrical Basis of Cardiac Function focused on High Yield Essentials of the USMLE (2017)
• – 1st Workshop on Health Applied Scientific Research (2017)
• – Leadership Workshop on Advanced Tools to Overcome Big Challenges (2017)
• – Workshop on the Making and Publication of Biomedical Scientific Articles (2017)
• – The paper of Qualitative Research in the University and Society (2017)
• – Normal and pathological neurological examination (2017) Conferences
• – International Symposium on Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya: Challenges for the Public Health 2016)
• – II Health Sciences University Conference (2017)
• – LX Honduran National Medical Conference (2017)
• – XVI National Scientific Conference (2017)

Research Publications

• – Cardiovascular affections by Clinical and Sub-Clinical Hypothyroidism
• – Clinical Case: Early presentation myasthenia gravis
• – Clinical Case: Hip Fracture Dislocation
• – Clinical Case: Diabetic Embryopathy (in publication process)

LETTER OF MOTIVATION

My name is Javier Shafick Asfura Caballero and I am currently a 4th year student of Medicine and at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. I hold the position of National Officer on Research Exchange (NORE) 2018-2019 in IFMSA-Honduras.

The reason for this motivational letter is to be taken into account for the Prof. Erik Holst Fund so that I can attend as a delegate to the AM2018. Living in a third-world country or developing country if very difficult because there is no monetary aid for this kind of activities. That is the reason I have never attended a General Assembly or any other international event.

My motivation to attend the event is the following:

1. Attend the Pre-GA since July 30, 2018 to receive the “Training New Exchange Trainers (TNET)” workshop and, in that way, be trained to be able to facilitate the PRET in my country and in the rest of the region.
2. Attend the GA from August 2 to 8 and train in international sessions led by experts in the field and health professionals regarding “Health beyond the Hospital.” As health professionals, we have to be interested in Primary Health Care and what happens to patients outside the hospital to prevent diseases.
3. “Promote” IFMSA-Honduras with the other NOREs and be able to contact all of them to finally sign contracts and open this opportunity for our Hondurans and foreigners who want to do research in our country.
4. I want to present my candidature for SCORE RA for the Americas. This is something huge for me and I get goosebumps by just writing this point. I really believe I can create an impact in the region, that I can motivate all of the NOREs and SCOREans out there and “pump” their interest for research and research exchanges. Also, one of the requirements to apply to the position is have attended a GA, so I really need to go to this one.
5. Capacitate myself in the GA through president sessions so that, in the future, I can apply and become IFMSA-Honduras president.

Thank you,

Javier A.