Maria Teachout (Rosebud Sioux Tribe) Second-Year Medical Student

Maria's journey to becoming a health professional has been characterized by resilience and exploration. Hailing from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, she navigated through various career paths before finding her calling in healthcare. Initially drawn to fields like chemical engineering and computer science, Maria eventually pursued degrees in Mathematics with a concentration in financial engineering and later, a master's in Data Science. Despite academic success, she found her true passion while working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Medication Aide, gaining valuable experience in nursing homes, hospitals, and even a COVID-19 unit. This first hand exposure ignited Maria's desire to pursue medicine further. Now in her second year of medical school, Maria is driven by her aspiration to serve her community and make meaningful changes to the healthcare system on the reservation where she grew up. Inspired by other Native doctors, Maria envisions a future in emergency medicine or internal medicine, with the ultimate goal of returning to her roots to improve healthcare accessibility and services. In her free time, Maria enjoys immersing herself in Lakota culture, exploring wilderness medicine, and spending quality time with her dog on nature walks.

“I would like to be able to help my community on a more personal level and hopefully see a decreased rate of syphilis infection in the community. It is a treatable disease but there is still a stigma associated with getting tested or being infected especially in small and close-knit communities.”

Empowerment Through Education - Combating Syphilis in South Dakota Tribes

Maria's project aims to address the urgent need for syphilis prevention and education among South Dakota tribes, particularly focusing on the Rosebud Sioux and Oglala Sioux tribes where the outbreak is most severe. With a focus on decreasing the stigma associated with STIs, Maria plans to collaborate with the Public Health Nursing Team to assist with contact tracing efforts. Additionally, she intends to gather resources such as condoms, pamphlets, and other educational materials to be distributed at Pow-wows, schools, and other community gatherings. By promoting safe-sex practices and encouraging testing and treatment for syphilis, Maria hopes to see a significant decrease in syphilis rates within these communities, ultimately contributing to improved public health outcomes and well-being.