Mary Falstin, BA

Uganda Team Co-Lead

Mary Falstin is currently an MS1 at the University of Michigan Medical School, with interests in Surgery and Ob/Gyn. She also hopes to serve as a teacher and mentor in the realm of academic medicine. As a first-generation, low-income immigrant, Mary is deeply committed to intertwining her passion for education and social advocacy with her work in healthcare. More specifically, Mary's life experiences have highlighted the transformative power of education, driving her to focus on improving healthcare access for marginalized communities and breaking down barriers to equitable education through mentorship, policy advocacy, and community engagement. In 2022, Mary was a part of the Student National Medical Association Global Health Fellowship, where she explored how disparities like lack of healthcare access and language barriers disproportionately affect marginalized communities. Her research on surgical handwashing compliance in low vs. high-income countries was published in the JSNMA. To gain hands-on experience, she joined Lay First Responders International in 2022 as a fellow. In the summer of 2023, she traveled to Lagos, Nigeria, to help implement LFR’s novel e-learning curriculum. She currently serves as the Program Manager of Uganda Operations, applying her insights from the study piloted in Nigeria to improve healthcare education in the Mukono District of Uganda.