FHS Co-op student works with public health researchers in Pakistan

by Sharon Mah

What would you do if you were offered an internship in a country you’ve never visited, working with researchers you’ve never met in person, while navigating a language you don’t speak?

If you’re Health Sciences Co-op Education student Emaan Kassam, you say “yes” and then prepare, prepare, prepare.

Before flying to Karachi, Pakistan the third year BSc student learned everything she could about the city, picking up some Urdu phrases, preparing clothing that was appropriate for the country, and connecting with individuals who could tour her around and teach her about the culture and customs. Then she joined a research team at Aga Khan University’s (AKU) Karachi campus to support their regional population and public health research initiatives.

This co-op job was not a typical offering: Kassam was searching for a posting that would offer her a global health experience. When she came across an online call for a public health internship on the AKU web site, she was immediately drawn to it. “[AKU] offered carefully curated internships that focused on skill-building, developing cross-cultural awareness, critical thinking, and ethical leadership through high-quality experiences which aligned with my co-op and personal growth goals,” she recalls. She also notes that AKU’s vision for serving communities in low- and middle income countries (LMIC) “aligned with [her] interest in learning how public health functions in different parts of the world.”

The internship required Kassam to work and live on AKU’s Karachi campus for two months, while the third month of the term was completed remotely. It was her first international experience and she admits candidly that she found it challenging. “I had to be open and adapt as well as learn as I went. Asking many questions for clarification on aspects I was unsure of helped me integrate my learnings more effectively. I learned how to be efficient, culturally aware and sensitive, and patient.” By the end of her time in Karachi though, she found herself comprehending more of the research team’s Urdu conversations and was able to have small conversations, observing that her efforts to speak the language and dress appropriately helped her build more community connections with locals.

Although Kassam was brought in to support two reports about ageing – one exploring the topic of grief and ageing from a South Asian perspective, the other seeking to better understand healthy ageing across the life course in Pakistan – she also had the opportunity to assist with developing a grant for a project focusing on the economic empowerment of women in bonded labour settings. Additionally, she was asked to help prepare data for a project looking to clarify the association between anxiety and socioeconomic status in post-myocardial infarction patients.

Her most memorable experience during her internship however, were the two field visits she attended alongside the AKU researchers. For the first field excursion, Kassam’s team went to the low-income urban community of Yara Goht where tetanus vaccines were being administered to children and pregnant women. Vaccination program volunteers were also providing women with additional guidance on nutritious foods for infants. The next field trip led the research team to a brick kiln community where low income families work as bonded labourers. The experience revealed to Kassam how this population face multiple challenges including: indentured physically demanding work that obligates all family members, including children, to work for years – even generations; limited access to basic schooling for children; unsafe potable water and insufficient sanitation infrastructure.

“I saw how there is much work to be done to help improve the quality of life of these families as public health professionals,” she observes. “This international opportunity affirmed my love for public health, specifically global health and health promotion. I now know what area I want to pursue for my Master of Public Health, and the experiences I had will help me make informed and culturally sensitive decisions for future research projects.”

For other Health Sciences students who may be considering an international co-op work term, Kassam strongly encourages taking the leap. “There is so much to explore around the world and many people you may meet, and you may find your passion you want to pursue for the rest of your life,” she enthuses. “Having at least one international work term can broaden your perspective by showing how global health issues are experienced on the ground, beyond what you read in books or see in the media.”