Alumni Share Their Stories

Brianne O’Sullivan, Class of 2021

In the fall of 2020, I began my global health journey with Western’s professional program in Global Health Systems. Following the first six months of an unprecedented global pandemic working in frontline health services, I no longer had any doubt that a career in global public health was my future. Though taking an intensive, full-time master’s program entirely online was intimidating to say the least, the ability to learn about the global health field while immersed in what would be known as the darkest years of the pandemic was a truly unique experience. With courses focused on global health equity, research, policy, and practice – complemented with professional development seminars from experts in the field – my classmates and I spent the first 8 months of the program absorbing as much information as we could while developing the skillsets we would need beyond our graduate education. During the first semester, I connected with my now-PhD supervisor, Dr. Elysée Nouvet, a Global Health Systems faculty member at Western. The unit of her course on Drones for Health inspired me to pursue my doctoral studies on this topic.

The final four months of the program included a three-week field school in Uganda (completed virtually for my cohort), followed by a three-month professional placement. Despite being online, the field school was an incredible experience to learn from Western’s international partners in Uganda, such as the Joint Clinical Research Centre and the Rakai Health Sciences Program. In April-May 2022, my cohort was invited to join the current class for their in-person field school – an opportunity I immediately jumped on and one of the reasons I refer to 2022 as one of the best years of my life. Over the three weeks in Uganda, we visited the partners I’d met virtually the year before and toured the various levels of Uganda’s healthcare system – from ground level community health services to state-of-the-art clinical institutions.

During my master’s placement back in 2021, I was also able to pursue my passion for technological innovation in global health with an international NGO, WeRobotics. For my main placement project, I had the opportunity to lead a research analysis with the World Health Organization (WHO) on the use of medical delivery drones in sub-Saharan Africa. This project ended up informing my PhD dissertation, for which I will be travelling to Africa to complete in 2024. Not only did this opportunity set me up for my doctoral research, it was also what gave me the experience needed to secure a position working on Canada’s WHO team.

In my first month after completing my master’s with Western, I applied and was selected as the 2022 Canadian Youth Delegate to the World Health Assembly and Pan American Health Organization Directing Council, the governing bodies of the WHO and Pan American Health Organization, respectively. As the Canadian Youth Delegate, I attended the 76^th World Health Assembly in Geneva and the 30^th Pan American Sanitary Conference in Washington, D.C. as an official member of the Canadian Delegation. This was my first opportunity to put my new skills and expertise to the test. After working closely with the Government of Canada’s Office of International Affairs in 2022, I was hired as a policy analyst on the WHO team and as the lead analyst on developing new youth engagement strategies for the federal government. Through this role, I have been given a platform to advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion within Canada’s public and global health decision-making processes.  

After completing my PhD, I hope to combine my interests in global health equity and technological innovation by working in international health policy at multilateral institutions such as the WHO or United Nations. The last three years have accelerated me towards achieving this goal, and I credit Western Global Health Systems program with providing me the critical foundation to be where I am today. My advice to current or incoming students is to take this next year to truly immerse yourself in the lessons and opportunities that will arise from this program. Make connections, network, and pursue the topics that you’re passionate about. In my experience, there is no better way to learn everything you need to know before beginning a career in global health.

Featured on The Impact Project

Tahani Dakkak - Class of 2017

What project did you undertake as a Queen Elizabeth II  Scholar (QEII) enrolled in the MMASc in Global Health Systems?
I was placed in Kampala, Uganda and worked as an intern at Mulago National Referral Hospital and the Makerere University – Johns Hopkins University Research Collaboration (MUJHU). At Mulago, I launched my project “Practice Humanity, Be The Remedy”, a medical funding initiative to fund medical tests and medications for patients who can’t afford them.
At MUJHU, I participated in HIV outreach activities to test local residents for HIV, as well as HIV psychosocial groups that facilitated discussions on topics such as drug adherence and disclosure.

What does being a QE Scholar mean to you?
Being a QE Scholar is a responsibility that motivated me to get out of my comfort zone and thrive abroad. I feel honored to be part of a community of peers and scholars who have travelled abroad to create a lasting impact. The efforts of every member of this community is a living proof that through hard work and determination, every individual, once given the right opportunities, can create an impact to help developing countries prosper and develop.

How did your experience as a QE Scholar impact your education and training?
Designing an intervention in a foreign country exposed me to many unfamiliar obstacles, which significantly enhanced my interpersonal skills. Working abroad has also allowed me to build a global network and enhance my adaptability and self-reliance. It gave me the opportunity to discover my potential as a young global leader who wants to be an agent of change and helped me start something in Uganda that will grow over the years.

Why did you pursue MMASc in Global Health Systems at Western?
I wanted to specialize in health management in Africa because of the complex interplay factors that lead to today’s health disparities, which I have a desire in learning more about. The MMASc in Global Health Systems at Western stood out because it focuses on Africa and the curriculum incorporates a three-month placement in Africa, which gave me the opportunity to apply my knowledge and transform it into action.

Why are you interested in global health? What motivates you in this area of study?
My interest in global health stems from my unshakeable commitment to achieve health and social equity worldwide. We continue to have a heartbreaking and unacceptable level of health inequity. Access to healthcare, education, food, clean water and shelter should be a human right, not a privilege. Every one of these elements significantly impacts the health and wellbeing of an individual.

I pursued my master’s degree in global health to equip myself with the necessary training to be a global leader that can create an impact and advocate for those who are less fortunate. As a Muslim, my faith emphasized thriving to build communities and promote prosperity. Therefore, my main source of motivation in this field is my faith, as well as my determination and desire to give people access to the same rights that I have.

Francisco Mendina - Class of 2022

1. Which aspects of the coursework, Field School, or internship were most impactful?

The Field School experience in Uganda had the biggest influence on me, especially seeing firsthand the research partnerships between Ugandan and Western researchers and being fully immersed in community health work during my practicum. My interest in global health, which had begun during my undergraduate studies, was further cemented by this immersion in community-based work. Particularly impactful was my internship with Think Humanity, a refugee health and relief service organization that works directly in Uganda. It inspired me to pursue a role in community health post-graduation and sparked a desire to continue my education in a humanitarian context. The experience made me feel that I had found a space I wanted to stay involved in long-term.

2. What roles or projects have you taken on since completing the program?

After completing the GHS program, I worked as an HIV outreach worker and later as an HIV/AIDS program coordinator at an AIDS service organization in Newmarket. My dedication to community health was strengthened by these positions, which also gave me the chance to put many of the abilities I had acquired from the GHS curriculum to use, especially in the areas of ethical engagement and culturally sensitive practice. I kept in touch with my PhD supervisor, Dr. Elysee Nouvet, and under her guidance, I got active in solidarity related work. The work I'm doing for my PhD, which focuses on humanitarian health, feels like a natural progression of the groundwork the GHS program established.

3. In what ways did the GHS training broaden your approach to global health challenges?

My perspective was moulded by the GHS program's overall experience rather than a specific instance. It was enlightening to learn about the intricacy of global health issues from a systems-thinking perspective. I learned to approach global health with humility, curiosity, and compassion by witnessing the practical, frequently muddy reality of fieldwork, especially through Think Humanity and joint research in Uganda. My academic and professional path is still guided by these teachings, particularly in the field of humanitarian health research, where ethical reflexivity is essential.

Selin Celik - Class of 2024

1. Which course, field placement, or project stood out most for you?

My field placement in Uganda was the most transformative experience of the GHS program. Spending nearly three months on the ground allowed me to immerse myself in the realities of healthcare delivery in resource-limited settings. Through a 300-hour practicum focused on oral health, I rotated between public and private dental care facilities, witnessing how health systems function under varying constraints. Beyond the clinical exposure, what stood out was the resilience of providers, their innovation in the face of limited infrastructure, and the strong sense of community that reinforced care delivery. This experience deepened my understanding of how social, economic, and systemic factors shape access to healthcare. Being in Uganda also challenged my assumptions and encouraged deep reflection on my own privilege as a Canadian student. More than just a professional milestone, this field immersion gave me a profound appreciation for culturally grounded, context-specific approaches to global health – and strengthened my commitment to advancing more inclusive and equitable health systems.

2. Where has your career taken you since completing the program in 2024 and how did your GHS experiences inform your current work or research?

Since completing the GHS program in 2024, I have been balancing two professional roles that reflect my commitment to health equity and systems-informed thinking. I currently serve as an Administrative Assistant for Reach One Touch One Ministries (ROTOM) Canada, a non-profit organization that supports health initiatives for older adults and their dependants in Uganda and Ethiopia. This role allows me to stay connected to global community-based work and contribute to resource mobilization and the strategic development of health initiatives. Simultaneously, I work as an Account Manager for a provider serving communities across Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Europe, where I apply relationship-building, project coordination, and strategic planning skills – many of which were strengthened through the GHS program. These dual roles may seem different on the surface, but both require systems thinking, cross-cultural communication, and ethical engagement – core values deeply rooted in my GHS training.

The GHS program gave me the tools to work confidently across sectors – balancing empathy and efficiency – while staying grounded in the broader goal of creating more just and responsive systems, whether in healthcare or organizational operations. Its interdisciplinary curriculum, critical reflection practices, and immersive field placement developed my capacity to examine issues across individual, organizational, and systemic levels. At ROTOM Canada, I’m regularly drawing on this training to help shape programs and initiatives that advance our mission in Uganda and Ethiopia. Similarly, in my role as an Account Manager, I navigate complex systems, stakeholder priorities, and communication challenges – skills I honed through case-based discussions and collaborative projects in GHS. The program also instilled in me a deep commitment to equity and ethics in every aspect of decision-making. Whether supporting community health or coordinating across departments in a corporate setting, I prioritize transparency, cultural competency, and values-based leadership.

3. How has the program’s emphasis on systems thinking and field immersion altered your approach to global health issues and are there any specific insights or lessons that continue to influence your professional practice?

The GHS program reshaped how I engage with global health issues. Rather than viewing challenges in isolation, I now approach them as deeply interconnected – influenced by political, economic, cultural, and environmental systems that interact in complex ways. Systems thinking taught me to look beyond symptoms and identify root causes, analyzing how health outcomes are influenced by broader structures and power dynamics. My field immersion solidified this learning by bringing theory into practice – I witnessed firsthand how local realities intersect with global systems. This experience pushed me to move beyond abstract solutions and prioritize context-specific, community-informed approaches rooted in structural change and long-term partnership with communities. This systems-oriented perspective now informs how I assess programs, design interventions, and communicate with stakeholders. I have learned to look upstream – to trace problems to their origins, consider ripple effects, and champion cross-sectoral collaboration. GHS did not just teach me how to recognize complexity; it gave me the confidence and tools to navigate with purpose.

One of the most enduring lessons from GHS is the importance of humility and self-awareness in global health practice. The program emphasized critical reflection on positionality, privilege, and power dynamics within health systems. These insights continue to guide how I engage with communities through ROTOM Canada and stakeholders in my role as an Account Manager. Another key takeaway is the value of continuous learning and knowledge exchange. Shortly after graduating, I joined the MentorNet program through the Canadian Association for Global Health, where I have deepened my understanding of emerging global health issues and gained valuable insights through intergenerational mentorship. These experiences have reinforced the importance of collaboration, active listening, and mentorship as tools for both personal growth and professional development. I now see global health not merely as a field of study, but as a shared responsibility – one that demands humility, empathy, and systems-level thinking. Whether supporting older adults or managing corporate relationships, I strive to lead with equity and an awareness of the bigger picture – principles instilled to me through the GHS program.

Fayez Kenana - Class of 2025

The first eight months of the GHS program are all about getting you ready for the real world. You’ll dive into courses on policy, ethics, business management essentials and health assessments. These modules are designed to equip you with the frameworks and tools you need as a future global health professional (and to prepare you for the summer Field School and internship). As a proud Palestinian, seeing how these classes focus on equity really hit home and reminded me why I picked global health in the first place.

Then comes the three‑week Field School in Uganda, and that’s where everything comes alive. The schedule is tight but balanced, site visits range from big national labs to small fishing villages, and you get enough free time to reflect and bond with classmates. Writing up reflections late at night could seem like a chore; however it actually helps lock in what you saw and learned and provide you with a base for the weekly discussions.

For my 8‑week practicum, I chose to remain working the GHS program itself, helping launch the Global Health Systems Student Association (GHSSA), overhaul the website, and drive two GoFundMe campaigns (IDP food packs & Baaza Shadia’s surgery). I also began coordinating a potential import‑export pilot between Western and Uganda. These leadership initiatives have been as rewarding as any clinical placement.

Next up is dental school, where I’m excited to use everything I’ve learned, whether it’s volunteering locally or collaborating on dental‑health research back in Uganda. The program moves at its own thoughtful pace: it may feel slow to start, but before you know it, you’re packing your bags for Africa, and you’ll return with lifelong memories and an urge to keep learning and serving.