WCM-Q students discover global healthcare challenges in Tanzania

Students of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) visited Tanzania to learn about cross-cultural communication and discover the challenges of delivering healthcare in a developing country.A group of 11 students spent two weeks on a service learning trip in the Kilimanjaro region, during which time they travelled to remote communities to set up field clinics and provide free health checks, visited a local hospital and an orphanage, and carried out home visits with resident healthcare professionals to share health advice and learn about common ailments.The students also met with representatives of the Maasai and Hadza people and learned about their cultural traditions, as well as having the chance to visit some of Tanzania’s famed national parks.The students began their service work at the O’Brien Maasai Community, where they first spent a day carrying out house visits alongside local healthcare professionals.The following day the students helped set up a field clinic and worked with local doctors and nurses to carry out free health checks in the community for two days.Under the supervision of healthcare workers the students took vital signs and medical histories, and observed the examination, diagnosis and treatment process being carried out by the local doctors.They then visited the Karansi community in Siha district, where they carried out home visits and helped provide a two-day community field clinic.The students visited Kibosho Hospital, a 225-bed facility near the town of Moshi on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, which sees around 150 outpatients daily and handles approximately 100 new births each month.They then visited the Amani Centre, an orphanage in Moshi.Other highlights of the trip included a traditional batik class, trips to local waterfalls and hot springs, shopping at a local Maasai market, and safari trips to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tarangire National Park, and Arusha National Park.The trip was organised by the WCM-Q’s Division of Student Affairs, which sponsors a number of WCM-Q students to visit the east African country each year to help them gain a new perspective of global health issues and contribute to health outreach programmes.The students were accompanied on the trip by biological sciences teaching specialist Sonia Sharma and Dr Avelin Malyango, the assistant dean for medical student affairs and assistant professor of anatomy in radiology."Our students learned a great deal about delivering healthcare using the core foundational skills of conducting physical examinations, taking medical histories and developing knowledge of common local ailments and their symptoms,” said Dr Malyango. "They also discovered that having a good understanding of cultural, economic and geographical factors can help a physician achieve better healthcare outcomes for the community they serve.”