Omar Idrissi is a medical student and a McGill Global Health Scholar supported by the John Locke Churchill Scholar Award. Omar will work with Dr. Louise Pilote of the Department of Medicine.
"My project involves creating a comprehensive point-of-care ultrasound curriculum for remote implementation in a university-affiliated health center in Northern Ethiopia. Beyond this curriculum, I was stationed in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, to instruct novel point-of-care ultrasound techniques to emergency physicians and internists from Gondar in the remote region of Amhara.
This was truly a unique opportunity. I had the privilege of experiencing how medicine is practiced in a resource-limited LMIC. Medical imaging is not readily accessible in the public healthcare system of Northern Ethiopia which highlights how this initiative can support physicians in diagnosing and treating patients in their community.
Apart from ultrasound, I had a chance to immerse myself in Ethiopia’s vibrant culture and appreciate the country’s diverse and captivating heritage. I am sincerely thankful for the guidance of my supervisors Dr. Louise Pilote and Dr. Jonathan Houle, the warm hospitality of our collaborators in Ethiopia, our educational partners Dr. Ora Paltiel and Dr. Mark Clarfield, and the Undergraduate Global Health Scholars program who have all made this project possible. This was a profoundly rewarding and enriching experience which has sparked in me a new passion for global health initiatives.”
Left to Right: Dr. Tsebaot Tesfaye, Omar Idrissi, Dr. Haimanot Bogale, Dr. Damenu Mulatu, Dr. Jonathan Houle (supervisor), Dr. Surafel Desalegn
