UC Davis Health’s Mapping Healthcare podcast has been awarded The Peter and Marion London Global Learning Expansion Grant from UC Davis Global Affairs.

Mapping Healthcare is a radio show and podcast by UC Davis Children’s Hospital pediatrician Ulfat Shaikh. The show explores ways in which people around the globe make the world of healthcare better and what we all can learn from them.

Shaikh is both the host and producer. In addition to her work in health care, she has been involved with youth media initiatives for over a decade through the nonprofit, Davis Media Access, and its radio station, KDRT 95.7 FM.

“Mapping Healthcare helps illuminate the everyday experiences of patients, clinicians, and community members who are changemakers,” she said. “I use the podcast to engage my students and trainees in understanding global issues in health care improvement, diverse perspectives, and personal narratives.”

She said her understanding of mass media connecting people and shaping perspectives, as well as her personal interest in how podcasts provide explanations, honest storytelling and deep thinking sparked her idea.

“When people share their lived experiences, listeners don’t just learn facts, they connect emotionally,” Shaikh said. “That’s the kind of understanding and empathy I hope this podcast sparks in its listeners.”

Shaikh said she chooses healthcare topics that “feel both urgent and deeply human,” starting first with topics she is personally curious about as well as topics her colleagues and patients are talking about.

“Most importantly, I look for topics that can be illuminated through real stories, because those are the conversations that stay with people long after the episode ends,” she said.

For example, in one episode, Mapping Healthcare explored how different countries approach mental health care, which included conversations about family dynamics, migration, spirituality and stigma.

The grant program invited faculty to apply for funding to add global elements to their courses aimed at equipping students with global competencies.

Shaikh said: “This grant supports the project ‘Powering up Global Health Learning through Podcasts’ to enhance global health education in health care quality improvement and patient safety through accessible, engaging audio content.”

New episodes of Mapping Healthcare debut every other Friday. You can listen here:

Public Radio: Mapping Healthcare | KDRT 95.7FM Davis
Apple Podcasts: Mapping Healthcare - Podcast - Apple Podcasts
Spotify: Mapping Healthcare | Podcast on Spotify