Late last year, Tamisha King, Heather Kessaris and Billie Kickett-Morris all enrolled in a unit, IMED3303 or Interprofessional Health Practice which involved travelling with 20 other students to Bangalore Karnataka in India for 3 weeks with Professor Jane Heyworth and staff from Population Health.
Students stayed at a non-government organisation, Grama Vikas and while there assessed the role of the accredited social health activists (ASHA) who were like community health workers. Heather commented that they worked with Ashwyn, a university graduate who taught the group about fluoride testing as fluorosis is a major health issue in Karnataka. Other visits included the Grama Panchayat or local government learning about the health programs offered. Apart from exploring the differences in health services, students visited Yoga University and learned about the health benefits of yoga, engaged in local culture, visiting schools.
Tamisha commented “This trip was really rewarding, it was refreshing to put some theory into practice in regard to applying various health initiatives to real-life situations. It is rare to get the opportunity to experience the practical aspects of your degree and this trip enabled me to get a feel for working in the health field and really appreciate what a difference it can make. An added bonus of the trip was the opportunity to immerse myself in another culture and meet some amazing professionals and locals whose knowledge and expertise you could not acquire back on campus.”