Question and Answer with Dr. Courneya (Associate Professor, UBC Faculty of Medicine) – by Amy Tsai (2nd year medical student)
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a Cardiovascular Medical Educator!
What is your role at UBC?
I am an Associate Professor in Cellular and Physiological Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC.
What is your involvement in global health?
My major commitment to international global health has been a 12-year commitment to the development, and now implementation, of the Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS), a unique medical school in Kathmandu, Nepal. PAHS is dedicated to recruiting, admitting and graduating rural Nepali’s to practice medicine for the underserved in Nepal.
In 2011, I proposed a medical student project to pair UBC and PAHS medical students in a peer-to-peer tutoring project. Seven UBC Medicine students (years one and two) applied and officially founded “Health Trek Nepal” (HTN), whose purpose was to be peer tutors for PAHS medical students. They organized fundraising events and raised a substantial amount of money to donate towards scholarships at PAHS. While in Kathmandu, they also did one-on-one tutoring sessions with the medical students and implemented a variety of workshops on study skills, time management, work life balance, etc. A legacy project from HTN 2011 was to create a “how to” manual to pass on to the 2012 HTN team. This year, HTN 2012 comprised 17 students. Their fundraising targeted the purchase of stethoscopes to be donated both to the PAHS clinical skills program as well as to scholarship students who couldn’t afford to purchase their own. Like the 2011 team, their time in Nepal was dedicated to one-on-one tutoring and workshops for the PAHS students.
What is the biggest challenge you and/or your team have faced?
A common challenge for both years was engaging a broad spectrum of PAHS students in the tutoring program. The students with the best English skills are quick to interact with the HTN students, while the students with more hesitant English (often the most rural students) hang back and don’t participate. Ironically these are arguably the students in the most need for tutoring.
In addition, the PAHS students have a busy academic and community focused program and finding time to participate in the HTN workshops meant taking time away from other commitments. Therefore, striking a balance for the PAHS students was quite a challenge.
What is the biggest accomplishment you and/or your team have had in your global health work?
HTN 2011 and 2012 were both outstandingly successful in creating safe learning environments for all the PAHS students who participated. They forged common student-to-student bonds that continue to exist through social media. HTN students acted as senior mentors to their junior PAHS colleagues (PAHS students enter medical school right after high school and are on average 5 years younger then the UBC students who also have an undergraduate degree before starting medical school).
How did you get involved in your particular project?
I worked on the PAHS project to help shape the curriculum for the school and on various faculty development projects for 6 years prior to the school opening in 2010. I knew that UBC medical students were keen to do international work but after year one they have limited clinical skills to offer. It seemed to me however that they had abundant medical science expertise as well as familiarity with PBL, the pedagogy used at PAHS.
Logistically, how are you able to integrate global health into your career?
I have made sure that the work I do internationally is a part of my scholarly work at UBC. I write about the PAHS project and have several publications:
- Courneya, C.A. and D. Dunne. A Nepali Project with International Implications. Clinical Governance Volume 14 (2) 134-144, 2009.
- Karki, A. Courneya, CA, Woollard R. Training of Physicians for improving health care in Nepal: Building bridges to address the urban-rural gap. http://www.aaahrh.org/4th_conf_2009/Karki_Nepal.pdf
- Dunne, D. Geppert A. and Courneya CA. Idealism is Not Enough: Designing Peace into Medical Education. Leadership in Health Services (in press, publication date July 2013).
Global health work is based on the desire to help those in need, and does not generate much financial income for those involved. What keeps you motivated to continue on this endeavor?
In comparison to the rural people in Nepal (the focus of this project) I, as an associate professor in Canada, can afford to travel yearly to Nepal to take part in an exchange of intellectual and social capital. In truth I get much more then I give when working with the amazing people in Nepal.
Individuals involved in global health have often travelled to many interesting places. What other countries have you been to?
Chile, Vietnam, Australia, Europe, UK, USA, Scandinavia
Do you speak any other languages besides English?
Some French and I have been taking Nepali lessons for three years.
What is the strangest food you have ever tried while abroad?
Fried crickets. They are crunchy.
Any other interesting stories/facts or tid-bits you’d like to share with us?
I am Very Very Proud of what HTN 2011 started and HTN 2012 has continued!
Before we conclude, what “words of wisdom” would you give to medical students interested in global health?
If you get the chance to travel either rurally within your own country, or internationally to experience another culture, DO IT. It will change your life.
Many thanks to Dr. Courneya for taking part in this Q&A and sharing her experiences in Global Health.