WCM-Q students promote health awareness in Indonesia

Students from Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) gained an international perspective on health promotion when they visited Indonesia as part of a two-week Global Health Service Learning Program (GHSLP).

The GHSLP empowers students to provide  basic health education to young individuals,  recognize the meaning of cultural humility and competence, identify challenges associated with working in a new environment, foster communication and collaboration, and enhance their health education skills. The program also emphasizes the importance of reflective practice in medical education.

Supported by the Institute for Population Health, WCM-Q, six first-year pre-medical students, now in their second year, traveled to Ubud, Bali, where they volunteered at a local high school by conducting sessions on essential lifestyle-related topics, including physical activity, healthy diet, stress management, restorative sleep, social connectedness, and tobacco cessation. The students also had the opportunity to meet with a local physician, who provided valuable insights into the Indonesian healthcare system and prevalent health issues in Bali.

In addition, the students took part in a variety of enriching Balinese cultural activities, including Batik sketching and painting, Bahasa language classes, cooking lessons, and basket weaving. They also visited cultural and historic sites and participated in a beach clean-up community service activity.

The trip concluded with a focus group discussion, allowing students to reflect on their experiences and the insights they gained about Balinese life and healthcare.

The group included Ms. Aya Abdalla, Ms. Batoul Arabi, Mr. Fadil Anver, Mr. Mohamed Rayyan Mohamed Rizwan, Mr. Muhammad Izhar Fadhlurrasyad, and Ms. Nisarga Natesha Kumuda. They were accompanied by WCM-Q’s Dr. James Roach, associate dean for pre-medical education and professor of chemistry, and Ms. Raji Anand, senior administrative manager, IPH.

Dr. Sohaila Cheema,  assistant dean for the IPH and program director, said: “This is our first trip to Indonesia after three successful editions in Vietnam, and it has proven to be an incredibly enriching experience for our students. They gained invaluable exposure in promoting health education within the local community while developing a deeper understanding of a new culture, collaborative values, reciprocity, mutual respect, and effective communication in a new working environment. We look forward to continuing to offer our students this enriching global learning experience.”

For student Ms. Abdalla, the experience was transformative and inspiring. She said: “The Global Health Service Learning Program allowed me to grow both personally and as an aspiring physician, deepening my understanding of diverse cultures and highlighting the vital role empathy plays in medicine. It was truly eye-opening and has inspired me to pursue more opportunities for global service in the future.”