Precision medicine abroad

Gabriela Taveroni had never been to Europe before traveling to Rome, Italy, during the second semester of her first year as part of the University of Delaware's World Scholars program. At that moment, she was bitten by the travel bug.

"No other university afforded me the opportunity to travel abroad twice," said Taveroni, who selected UD specifically for the World Scholars program.

However, finding an opportunity to study abroad for an entire second semester proved challenging with her rigorous coursework as a medical diagnostics major with a pre-physician assistant concentration (MDD-Pre-PA) in UD's College of Health Sciences.

Through her own legwork, the honors student and EMT with UD's Emergency Care Unit and Aetna Hose, Hook & Ladder Company found an opportunity to spend part of her summer in Scandinavia. The opportunity was through DIS Study Abroad in Scandinavia, a nonprofit study abroad foundation that provides high-impact learning experiences for North American college students.

Honors College enrichment funds made her independent study abroad possible, allowing her to spend three weeks in Sweden.

"My Honors Enrichment Activity was a deeply impactful experience that reinvigorated my passion for medicine and facilitated my development as a member of the global community," said Taveroni.

Andrew Hollinger, medical and molecular sciences instructor, nominated Taveroni for the award.

"The DIS program and course on precision medicine sounded like a perfect complement to Gabriela's MDD-Pre-PA curriculum," said Hollinger. "Upon her return, she shared with me how enriching the experience was both academically and culturally, which will undoubtedly have a profound impact on her future career as a physician assistant."

In Stockholm, Taveroni took a three-credit global internship course on precision medicine, where she learned about the future of healthcare.

"The emerging field aims to bridge the gap between biomedical research and patient care," Taveroni said. "Instead of having a one-size-fits-all approach to treating patients, precision medicine integrates data to give us a full picture of a patient so we can focus care on preventative therapies and health management."

The interactive course consisted of a daily in-person lecture and field studies, including a visit to Stockholm's major hospital, the Karolinska Institute, which selects Nobel prize winners for physiology and medicine.