Five young Canadian scholars are embarking on their careers with first-hand insight on the health of Australians, and the systems that support it, after spending three months at the Sax Institute.
Daniela Gallardo, Anika Garg, Annisa Siu, Erin Lin and Margret Lo spent three months in Sydney, after being awarded Queen Elizabeth Scholarships in Strengthening Health and Social Systems by the McMaster Health Forum in Canada. These scholarships aim to develop young global leaders and share knowledge of health systems between countries.
The students worked with teams across the Institute’s many initiatives, including Aboriginal-led health research, the secure data sharing platform SURE, dynamic simulation modelling, evidence reviews and policy evaluation.
“As an international partner of McMaster Health Forum, we’re proud to have shown the next generation of leaders how evidence can drive policy in public health in Australia,” says Sian Rudge, Director of Strategic Development at the Sax Institute. “These students were all intelligent, passionate and a pleasure to work with.”
Annisa Siu, who is currently studying a Master of Public Health at McMaster University, spent her internship with the Institute’s Aboriginal Health team. Highlights of her time here include travelling to regional NSW to meet with patients and staff at the Orange Aboriginal Medical Service, as well as taking part in a local NAIDOC Week celebration. “I learnt how important it is for programs and services to be community driven so that they reflect community priorities,” she says. “I am so grateful to the Aboriginal Health team for making this such an impactful time. I look forward to taking what I’ve learned back home.”
Daniela Gallardo, who is currently studying a Master of Science in Global Health at McMaster University, was based with the SURE team and considers her time in Sydney an unforgettable experience. “I learnt about data governance and complex linked data projects that represent a new wave of health research,” she says. “My team welcomed me into their meetings and workshops so I really was immersed in Sax’s initiatives.”
The internship also allowed Daniela time for exploring Australia. “I was able to see the Daintree Rainforest, the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru, which were all absolutely magical,” Daniela says. Another highlight was travelling with the scholars and Carmel Crook from the Institute’s Aboriginal Health team to the Blue Mountains.
The scholarship program that sent these five interns to Sydney also sent students to Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, India, and Lebanon this year. James McKinlay, Senior Lead of Programs at McMaster Health Forum, says these international placements provide cross-cultural exchange, which is crucial in a globalised work environment.
“The Sax Institute provides our students the opportunity to learn first-hand about the issues facing global partners and how they use evidence to help inform and strengthen their health and social systems,” he says.
“We may face similar challenges, but the solutions are not ‘one size fits all’ which is the real lesson learned by our students.”
Read more about the scholarships available through McMaster Health Forum here.
PUBLICATION DATE
06 September 2023
