From Clinical Practice to Community Care at Harvard Medical School
Student Perspective | February 6, 2024
In a world where health disparities persist across the globe, the pursuit of equitable health care delivery becomes paramount. Maria Puspa Kartika, MD, a first-year student in the Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery program at Harvard Medical School, embodies this pursuit.
A doctor from Indonesia, Kartika’s journey into global health was shaped by her experiences as a junior doctor, where she came face-to-face with poverty and its impact on health. She says, “I saw a gap, a loophole in our health care system that made me wonder what happens to people who cannot afford care. At that moment, I decided to switch my career to work in a non-governmental organization.”
Kartika moved to Borneo, where she focused on tuberculosis and community health care programs that underscored the realities faced by those forced to choose between health care and food. Those living near national parks, she says, often engage in illegal logging to afford health care for their families.
The stark reality forced Kartika to ask herself, “What happens to populations without the ability to provide themselves with good health care education?”
Seeking the answer to that question led Kartika to the Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery program and her thesis advisor, Matthew Bonds, PhD, whose background bridges ecology, health, and economics. Though students go into the field to conduct thesis research in their second year of the program, Kartika plans to explore Indonesia’s health care policies, particularly the establishment of primary health care centers in Papua, Indonesia.
With a semester under her belt, she notes that the rigor of the program can be a great challenge for mid-career professionals. After working for several years out of the classroom, Kartika was worried that she couldn’t keep up with the quantitative and qualitative research methods courses. Fortunately, with the assistance of engaged instructors such as Hannah Gilbert, PhD, and Mary C. Smith-Fawzi, ScD, Kartika has added new tools to her toolbox. She says, “The faculty is super. We can talk about everything, and they’re very supportive. There’s no doubt about their commitment.”
While the coursework has opened up a new world of research for Kartika, her favorite part about the program is her classmates. “To be honest, I love my cohort. We come from various backgrounds, from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and the US.” This wide array of perspectives helped her see health from a global perspective. “We speak the same language,” she says, “which is inequality and inequity.”
For those interested in joining the program to learn how they can make an impact on global health delivery, Kartika advises them to apply. “If you see inequality and equity within your own community, you need to start thinking why. Why is this happening? This program offers the answer to that question.”
Once students have enrolled, Kartika encourages them to learn from their peers “by exchanging stories and experiences from other perspectives across continents. That’s global health. It’s a problem we should take on together.”
The relationships that students cultivate in the Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery program often last long after graduation, leading to collaboration among doctors in Haiti, Malawi, Rwanda, Chile, and beyond. For students like Kartika, the pursuit of global health equity is not merely an academic endeavor but also a collective responsibility.
Learn more about the Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery program.
Written by Bailey Merlin