The Whole Patient – by Caitlin Pastorek
Embarking on a journey to the rural village of Nakaseke, Uganda, I had developed a convincing and vivid mental image of the world I was about to enter. We were met with a bustling city upon arrival in Kampala; chapati and fruit being sold roadside, traffic that would make even the most experienced drivers nervous, children giggling and chasing us, and the masses of curious onlookers.
Community is the Heart of Global Health: An interview with Erika Neilson
Erika Nielson, masters of Public Health candidate at UBC has recently returned from P…
Faculty Profile – Dr. Maureen Mayhew
With the mention of “Global Health”, many students think of helping under-developed countries, and gaining amazing experiences and insight from the extensive traveling that comes along with global health projects. Dr. Maureen Mayhew exemplifies this model of global health, but also illustrates the sacrifices that one must be willing to make to become a successful health advocate for under-served populations.
Q&A with Dr. Carol-Ann Courneya
In this Q&A session, Dr. Carol-Ann Courneya tells us about her involvement in the development and implementation of the Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS), a unique medical school in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Adventures in Nepal
This past summer, I visited Kathmandu, Nepal, for several weeks with a team of medical students through Health Trek Nepal. The program was a cultural exchange with medical students at the Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS) in Kathmandu.
This trip was an especially memorable experience because it allowed me to be in one place long enough to experience day-to-day life. We became familiar with our surroundings, got to know our community, and were able to enjoy the little moments. I contrasted this with the back-packing trip to Europe I also did this summer, where we were on-the-go every few days.
Update: Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), often referred to in Canada as “Doctors Without Borders”, is one of the world’s leading providers of medical relief. Working independently of political, economic and religious influences allows MSF to respond rapidly and effectively to public health emergencies worldwide. It is funded almost entirely by personal donations.
In the UBC Faculty of Medicine there are student representatives from each class (MD2016-2013) working together with MSF and the UBC Friends of MSF Undergraduate Club. We assist with recruitment events; host information events for current students; and help the larger UBC branch with fundraising and awareness campaigns.
My Experiences with GHI Project Kenya
This past summer, I had the privilege of travelling to Kenya to work with Partners in Community Transformation (PCT), a local NGO in Kit Mikayi (a small village in Kenya). I went with three other medical students for one month, during which we initiated and monitored several projects, and educated the community on various topics. Our overall goal as a GHI team was to implement projects that matched the community’s needs and desires, while also addressing several vital social determinants of health – nutrition, income and education.
Medicina Amazonica: Tales from a medical student in the Peruvian Amazon
Erik is a 4th Year medical student at McGill University. He is doing an elective in the UBC St. Clotilde, Peru elective and shares his experience in his blogpost. So here’s the deal: I’m not much of a writer. I plan to take as many photos as possible over the next month, and I’ll use the most interesting ones to share my story with all of you. As internet access is intermittent in Santa Clotilde, I’ll post updates as often as possible. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for updates!
“La Medicina es Bonita” – Reflections on Cuban Healthcare
Sweat trickling down our backs and crammed into the few available seats in a Cuban doctor’s office, we struggled to follow our preceptor’s rapid and enthusiastic Spanish monologue. It was a typical hot, humid Cuban afternoon, and as much as we wanted to learn from Ania (the doctor), we struggled against the exhaustive heat and the difficulty of understanding her fast and impassioned speech. It was in the middle of this uncomfortable, sticky session, when the conversation turned to the payment of Cuban physicians, that she slowed enough for us to pick out a few words we would never forget: “La medicina es bonita” (“medicine is beautiful”). We all looked at one another in a (rare) moment of complete and mutual understanding.
Focusing on Health to Create Political Change: an Interview with Dr. Meili
Dr. Meili, a family physician running to become the leader of the NDP in Saskatchewan is hoping to change the perception of negative politicians by focusing on the value of health in society.
In his new book titled “A Healthy Society, How a Focus on Health can Revive Canadian Democracy”, Dr. Meili examines health beyond the medical system with a social justice focus on the social determinants of health as a political platform. In his book, Dr. Meili captures the stories of his patients working as a family physician in the inner city of Saskatoon, Mozambique, and rural Saskatchewan who have all experienced social inequities that have affected their health.