Global health grad advocates for the integration of humanistic care into the medical field
Faith Chadwick is graduating this May with her master’s degree in global health from the School of Human Evolution and Social Change. Courtesy photo
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2026 graduates.
Phoenix native Faith Chadwick is committed to improving the medical field for both patients and providers.
While an undergraduate, Chadwick and her friend co-founded Students for Health Humanities (SHH), an international student-led organization aimed at providing training on humanistic care in the medical field, such as narrative medicine, for future health providers.
“We were troubled by the growing epidemic of clinician burnout and suicide, and we recognized a critical gap in medical training: the lack of emphasis on humanistic, reflective and emotionally intelligent care,” Chadwick said.
“SHH supplements undergraduate and graduate medical education globally, equipping future clinicians with the insight to sustain ethical awareness and resilience in the face of moral injury alongside their clinical expertise. By integrating narrative medicine, art and ethics, we are helping shape a generation of clinicians who see patient care as both a scientific and deeply human endeavor.”
Chadwick pursued her interest in integrating the humanities into patient care in her culminating internship for her ASU global health degree. She is completing an internship with Eurorelief, a humanitarian aid NGO that provides social care to Middle Eastern and African refugees at a camp in Lesvos, Greece, where she will develop a trauma-informed creative arts and emotional resilience program for refugee children.
After graduating from ASU’s School of Human Evolution and Social Change with her master’s degree in global health in May, Chadwick will start the physician assistant program at Duke University in the fall, where she plans to utilize her training from her ASU global health degree.
In the following Q&A, Chadwick discusses her interest in global health work and why she chose ASU.
Question: How has your work with Students for Health Humanities impacted your research?
Answer: SHH has deeply influenced my global health work by emphasizing the importance of understanding patients’ stories across cultures and belief systems in shaping care. Creative therapies are especially powerful in helping patients process and make meaning of their difficult experiences.
Q: How will your master’s degree in global health from ASU help you in your upcoming physician assistant program?
A: My degree studies how health systems succeed and fail across contexts, how culture and policy shape outcomes, and how to lead ethically in settings with limited infrastructure. This training has sharpened my lens on the systemic forces that impact care from birth to adulthood, which is essential to understanding the full story behind every patient's diagnosis.
Q: What was your “aha” moment, when you realized you wanted to study global health?
A: I was heavily involved in Model United Nations in high school (shout out AZMUN!), and my focus was always on the health of people impacted by conflict and displacement. I loved debating with peers on how to best respond to complex crises and empower vulnerable populations. Working directly with refugees in a real-world setting has been a full-circle moment that I am incredibly grateful for.
Q: Why did you choose ASU?
A: ASU is ranked No. 1 in the U.S. and top 10 globally for global impact in research, outreach and stewardship. The MSGH program allowed me to tailor my courses to my interests and I was able to complete it in one year!
Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?
A: Dr. Roseanne Schuster. She taught me that uncertainty is a core part of humanitarian work, and that being flexible and willing to adapt our expectations is key.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?
A: Don't limit yourself to one type of career — you can change your mind at any time.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: After PA school, I plan to work in nonprofit global medicine long term and author books.
Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?
A: I would focus on scaling community-based primary health care for the poorest children, especially in refugee settings, because it is the most effective way to deliver nutrition, prevent and treat common illnesses, and connect families to essentials like clean water.
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