WCM-Q students in Bali during the trip.
Doha, Qatar: Six pre-medical students from Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) visited Bali, Indonesia, as part of the annual Global Health Service Learning Program (GHSLP).
Supported by the Institute for Population Health, the two-week GHSLP enables WCM-Q students to recognize the meaning of cultural humility and competence, develop contextual inquisitiveness, identify challenges associated with working in a new environment, foster communication, collaboration, and teaching, and enhance their health education and reflective practice skills.
As part of the program, pre-medical students volunteered at a local high school in Ubud, Bali, where they delivered basic health education to young students.
They conducted sessions on lifestyle-related topics, including physical activity, healthy nutrition, and tobacco cessation. The students also participated in a variety of enriching Balinese cultural activities, visited historic sites, and met with a local physician for deeper insight regarding prevalent infectious diseases on the island and their prevention.
The student group included Ahamed Zayyan, Aiza Tanveer Hassan, Hassan Ijaz, Maryam Sohail, Moomena Gulzar, and Nidhi Roy. The students were accompanied by Dr. Amit Abraham, assistant director of the IPH, and Dr. Karima Chaabna, manager of population health research, IPH.
Assistant dean for the IPH and program director, Dr. Sohaila Cheema said: “The program offers a unique and valuable opportunity to not only promote community health education but also develop a deeper understanding of a completely different culture, working environment, and educational system. This is our second trip to Bali, and it has once again proven to be an incredibly fulfilling and enriching experience for our students.”
WCM-Q professor of population health sciences and vice dean for population health and lifestyle medicine, and professor of medicine at the Center for Global Health, Dr. Ravinder Mamtani said: “Our visit to Indonesia was a truly impactful, experiential learning experience.
The students were able to immerse themselves in the unique Balinese culture and enhance their communication, cultural humility and adaptability skills. The trip also helped them develop a sense of community engagement and gain a broader global perspective.”
Reflecting on her experience, pre-medical student Sohail said: “The service-learning trip to Bali was unlike any other travel experience. It stimulated immeasurable growth: both personally and professionally. Immersing myself in an environment and culture so different, yet in many ways strikingly similar to my own, taught me lessons in cultural humility and adaptability that I could not have gained elsewhere. These insights are integral to my future in healthcare and will remain with me throughout my career.”
For student Ijaz, the experience was transformative and inspiring. He said: “Bali was more than a trip; it was a journey of connection, discovery, and growth. From exploring its beauty through rice fields to teaching in a classroom, every moment left a mark on me.”
