How to strengthen the health system in remote areas of Myanmar?
Our local partner Earth Mission Asia does this by training Physician Assistants and Engineering Technicians who, once graduated, go on to serve in clinics operated by the Karen Department of Health and Welfare. Here is an excerpt taken from their June newsletter that explains how the 5 Year training works (used with permission).
Recently 16 students were officially accepted into the Earth Mission program. The 2023 cohort of 12 Physician Associate and 4 Engineering students started classes on April 10th. A new Year 1 PA student, reflected on what he learned through the selection process:
“I believe that PA students in remote Karen areas are different from PA students in developed areas. In remote areas, we often do not have ambulances, internet, or easy access to other healthcare resources. All we have is our physical strength and strong hearts to serve, whether in the mountains or on the hills. If PA students in remote areas don’t have enough strength, they will easily give up on what they do. Our six weeks of bootcamp showed us how to survive in the jungle with strong hearts.”
This student and their new classmates are passionate about bringing health, hope, and knowledge to their people—and have the strong hearts to make it happen! We are excited to invest in these resilient young adults.
Through the Earth Mission PA program, the next 5 years will see them grow in:
Year 1 Pre-Med Courses: Students are instructed across medical sciences, basic and medical mathematics, English, medical terminology, critical thinking, computers, study skills, and leadership.
Year 2 Basic Diagnostics and Patient Care: Students study problem based curriculum for major diagnostic categories and learn basic procedures. Clinical experience consists of history taking & physical exam, outpatient diagnostics & treatment, observation and assisting in medical procedures.
Year 3 Advanced Diagnostics and Patient Care: Students have classes on lab, X- ray, ultrasound, EKG, advanced management (GI bleed, dengue, etc). Their clinicals include inpatient management, medical procedures, and scrub nurse training.
Year 4 Independent and Team-Based Patient Care: Under senior staff supervision, students focus on start-to-finish in-patient, out-patient, ambulance teams, surgery teams, and obstetrics patient care.
Year 5 Internships, Leadership, and Specialization: Students learn advanced public health, imaging and surgery; intern at 1-3 KDHW clinics; oversee pharmacy, supply, the out-patient department and can choose to specialize in lab, obstetrics, surgery, primary care and management.
Upon graduation, the students will be awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in partnership with the KDHW. They will have at least 1,000 hours of classroom instruction in diagnosis and treatment of the most critical health problems, and 3,000 hours of clinical experience under expert medical supervision. They will be ready to go back to their remote communities and bring with them access to life-saving healthcare. With critical thinking and confidence, they will be able to diagnose and treat the common diseases and conditions found in the jungle. They will know how to really care for their patients with compassion, respect, and joy—this is the Karen way.
“All we have is our physical strength and strong hearts to serve, whether in the mountains or on the hills.” Year 1 PA student.