The past three months in Melbourne have flown by! But first lets backtrack a bit. At the end of April 2017 before I jetsetted to the other side of the world, I finally finished my degree at McGill! After 5 long years, I came out with a bachelor of arts – concentrating in honours sociology with a minor in medical anthropology. My time at university helped to confirm and solidify my passion in helping marginalized communities and vulnerable groups. Through the lived experience of being an immigrant myself, I have always been cognisant of the struggles that people less fortunate are forced to face everyday, and I knew that I wanted to change that.
I have already had the opportunity to pursue this change during my degree by interning in countries like Colombia and Vietnam where I worked with local communities and grassroots organizations on social and sustainable development.
When I heard the news that I was granted the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship, I was ecstatic, and even more thrilled when I learned that I would be working with the IMPACT project at Monash University. In an effort at working towards health equity, IMPACT is a 5-year partnership that takes place in 6 different regions across Canada and Australia. The Victorian intervention aims at providing vulnerable populations in Southeast Melbourne better access to primary healthcare by connecting them to a general practitioner through a health service brokerage intervention.
I have learned so much during my time here. The quality and kindness of the team that I work alongside everyday is more than I could’ve ever asked for. Without their constant support, my experience here wouldn’t of run as smoothly as it has, and for that I am extremely grateful.
The internship gave me an eye opening experience at how multi-faceted - international research projects are operated on both the local and global scale. I gained a new understanding and respect for the power of research in unlocking potential to improve the lives of others.
My experience has also increased my awareness of the challenges face by local communities here in Melbourne, and how those can be extrapolated both to the Canadian and global context.
Amongst the numerous responsibilities I had, the one that had the greatest impact on me were the interviews we conducted with GPs and patients. Through hearing stories about patients who came in with vulnerabilities such as physical and mental disabilities, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse… and then seeing the genuine care and compassion the GPs had towards changing their situations. For a lot of these doctors, their motivation stemmed from a shared experience, such as being a refugee themselves, and hence wanting to make a contribution back these communities. It was really inspirational to see the power of local actors on improving the lives of others, such as these doctors roles in helping disadvantaged people navigate the healthcare system.
During my time here, I also had the chance to go to a Primary health care research conference in Brisbane, where I was exposed to a diverse range of disciplines. Both from this conference and at the department of general practice that I work at, I have been able to interact with and establish a multiplicity of networks ranging from clinical medicine to health management that I would of not otherwise been exposed to.
As I look towards the future, I know that my true passion lies in giving a voice to those who don’t have one. I see myself working with marginalized groups such as migrants, ethnic minorities, refugees and asylum seekers, and indigenous populations in an effort to inflict change and achieve equity. I believe that we can all be global changemakers by taking small actionable steps every day that will lead to ripple effects across the world. Until next time!
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