Reflections from Participants

Dr. Koltai: “Many people assert the need for cultural competence, making it sound like something that can be mastered. Instead it seems the key is cultural humility combined with empathic curiosity that will yield connection, respectful understanding, and effectiveness.”

Dr. Prose: "The creative ability of a group of thoughtful and motivated students, at different points in their educational paths, working together, far exceeds what I had imagined possible."

Colby Newson: “Working with this Bass Connections team has proven very complementary to the education I have undergone as a medical trainee. I’ve gained critical thinking and problem-solving skills that have allowed me to approach new challenges with curiosity and innovation. This team has also provided me with a space to grapple with important topics like cultural competency, communication, and partnership that are critical as an aspiring physician. My favorite aspect of our work this year has been our group’s deep dive into patient provider communication. As a group, we’ve worked to put together a manual on patient communication for Ugandan providers involved in epilepsy care. I’ve had the opportunity to learn so much and I’m grateful for the insights and perspectives that come from being a part of such a diverse team!”

Olivia Ratliff: “Given the impact of national policymaking and infrastructure on the epilepsy treatment gap and patient outcomes, the commitment of the Ugandan Ministry of Health to improving epilepsy care is critical. In terms of the long term sustainability and scalability of our efforts, collaboration with the MoH is our endgame. We started this project with hopes of developing education materials to run a single pilot program; we now find ourselves in a supportive role for a national campaign of increased education, awareness, and care capacity. It surpasses my wildest expectations for the reach of this intervention, and I couldn’t be more excited.”

Wyatt Gildea: “This program has illustrated the importance that culturally-sensitive communication has in international projects. Without understanding our partners in the context of their own culture, we wouldn’t have made half the progress we did.”

Antoinette Charles: "As a student on the Bass Epilepsy team, I learned about the importance of prioritizing our international partners' needs and working as a backbone to help push and support initiatives when implementing projects. It will ultimately have a broader impact on the community because our collaborators are more familiar with navigating the infrastructure, knowledgeable on the resources, and provide insight into cultural beliefs."

Tyler Johnson: "As an aspiring physician, one of my biggest takeaways from our BASS Epilepsy project has been the importance of patient-provider communication. It is essential that providers act as reflective listeners when engaging with their patients in order to create an environment where both parties feel valued and understood, ultimately leading to joint decision making and improved outcomes.”

Pratamesh Ramasubramanian: “Bass Connections has equipped our team with the skills to develop my knowledge in the field of Global Health and build the competencies to work across cultural lines, ultimately allowing us to understand the diverse mechanisms needed to create meaningful health reform in international settings.”