Beta Theta Omicron member, Akayi Thein, went to China with the International Scholar Laureate Program (ISLP) in the early summer. ISLP programs provide students a chance to further their career development and strengthen their leadership skills while engaging in culturally enriching experiences that increase their knowledge and preparation for a specific career while providing a global understanding of the career field. Akayi received a scholarship from Phi Theta Kappa to participate in Medicine and Science delegation in 2016 China Program.
The Akayi and the other ISLP scholars visited Peking Union Medical College, Xian Jiaotong University Medical School, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in Beijing, Shanghai General Hospital, and Xian public medical center, where they got a chance to study the Chinese public healthcare system. The program provided lectures and clinical visits led by local healthcare coordinators at each visited site.
China, being the most populated country and tackling the problem of unequal distribution of healthcare access, is a good model to study for Akayi, who aspires to work as a public healthcare professional in developing countries.
Akayi said that her “ISLP experience definitely reaffirmed my aspirations to practice medicine on a more global level. The trip broadened my vision and gave me new perspectives on the global healthcare system, particularly by exchanging ideas with scholars from different countries. It encouraged me to work in WHO expanding my goal of being a public health coordinator in my country, Myanmar.”
Article by Dr. Christine Case
