I spent my summer abroad in Mexico City, gaining a broad range of clinical experiences in HIV and other infectious diseases. I began my first few weeks at a lab called Centro de Investigacion en Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIENI). This lab is responsible for advanced diagnostic processing of all HIV tissue and serum samples in the country. Here I learned about Sanger Sequencing and Next Generation Sequencing of HIV genes associated with multi-drug resistance. This gave me a solid understanding of what steps are taken when a patient is not responding to antiretroviral treatment.
After CIENI, I assisted Dr. Santiago Avila-Rios in distribution of a survey tool at Clinica Condesa, one of the 2 major HIV testing and comprehensive care clinics in the city. Our aim was to combine demographic and behavioral data gained from a questionnaire with genetic information of each patients particular HIV virus in order to create a transmission network. I got a lot of practice with medical Spanish, since I was responsible for getting informed consent and explaining the research protocol to patients at the clinic.
The International Conference on HIV Science (IAS) just so happened to be during my summer elective and in Mexico City this year. I attended with my PI and other members of our lab to learn about advancements in the the field of HIV science. I had the chance to meet Timothy Ray Brown, the first person to be cured of HIV (the Berlin Patient), and to hear him speak of his experience through it all. I enjoyed seminars on PrEP, ART use in women, and HIV care for transgender patients.
My final 2 weeks of the summer elective were spent between rotations at Clinica Condesa Iztapalapa (Dermatology, Gyn, and Endocrinolgy) and at Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respretorias (INER), a tertiary pulmonary infectious disease hospital. I was able to see patients with rare infectious diseases such as : Kaposi Sarcoma, JC virus, Mycobacterium Avium Complex, and TB.
Overall, I was so gracious for all the Mexican clinicians and scientists that took time out of their schedules to teach me everything they know about HIV and caring for patients with AIDS. This summer elective exceeded my expectations, and was entirely different from what I had planned. I’m grateful for the flexibility and support from my mentors Dr. Douglas Nixon and so many others.