Written by Matt Jalink, MSc Candidate in Community Health and Epidemiology

This past Wednesday the Dalhousie Global Health Office had our annual open house event to promote the different programs facilitated by our office and to recognize our community partners and research conducted in the field of global health. Our office operates on the mandate of social accountability, interprofessionalism, and ethical practice. The Dalhousie community had the opportunity to learn more about the programs offered through our office.

Our Service Learning Program lead by Sarah Peddle is an option available to second year medical students. Participating students are matched with a community-based partner organization that works with marginalized, underserved populations. They work collaboratively on a project that is deliverable, and relevant to the community partner and their clients.

Michelle Patrick is the program coordinator for the PLANS (Promoting Leadership in African Nova Scotians) program, which was established to support African Nova Scotians seeking a career in health, and to help create a health system representative of the community it serves. The PLANS program is multifaceted, offering one-on-one advising services, youth summer camp opportunities, and collaborates with the Health Association of African Canadians – Student Organization.

The Indigenous Health Program operating under Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine seeks to increase Indigenous student representation in medicine. The program is managed by Joe MacEachern, and is responsible for advising the Dean of Medicine to fulfill the social accountability mandate to the Atlantic province Indigenous community.

Said Msabaha manages international education experiences offered through the Global Health Office. These programs include course electives, internships, and research, and clinical placements for students in the faculties of Medicine, Health and Dentistry. The Global Health Office has a number of strong partner institutions across the globe, and also welcomes incoming students to Dalhousie from partner institutions.

Global Health Research in the faculty of medicine is supported and in some cases directly contributed to by the Global Health Office. Our director, Shawna O’Hearn, has authored many publications in the field, and presented at multiple academic conferences.  We were thrilled to be able to showcase the work of many partners including (but not limited to): Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS), Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC), Microresearch International and the Department of Anesthesia.

The different student groups were also able to highlight their work, programs and opportunities available to students in health disciplines.  Thanks to the Dal Med Global Health Initiative (GHI) and the Dalhousie School of Nursing Global Health Committee. We look forward to an involved, eventful year.