Maya Edgerton Bachmann was recently awarded a St Vincent’s Pacific Health Fund (PHF) scholarship to work, study and experience life in a pacific nation. Dr Andrew Dent established this scholarship program six years ago to encourage our medical students to develop life-long professional and personal links with the people and health organisations of the region. Since then, 18 students have travelled to the Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to observe and contribute to local healthcare. ‘I feel so privileged to have had this opportunity,’ Maya says. ‘I learned an enormous amount about medicine during my time in Samoa, and also had the chance to be immersed in another culture. It’s an experience that will benefit me for years to come. This sentiment is echoed by Maya’s fellow scholarship recipients, whose images and accounts of their time spent caring for patients and learning about different cultures and communities can be found on the PHF website at stvpacifichealth.org . The website also features information about the broader work of the Fund, which includes providing essential equipment and training to hospitals, offering grants to fund healthcare projects and facilitating clinical exchange programs for health workers. The work of the Pacific Health Fund can really make a difference to communities in the region. I’m planning to return to Samoa in the future, and hope to work as a qualified doctor in the Apia Hospital one day,’ Maya says.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 04:33:31 +0000
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