Global medicine

Dr. Bibiana Cujec (bottom left), another member of Dr. Solez' campus group, with students at Patan Hospital

Dr. Kim Solez, a University of Alberta (U of A) professor in laboratory medicine and pathology, was inspired to help meet the need for rural physicians in Nepal.

He is the founding member of the U of A PAHS Nepal Global Health Group, one of the largest global health initiatives on campus.

I put out an international call on helping people improve their online educational resources, and Nepal was the first country to respond.

VIDEO

Watch "Nepal Project Observations" to learn more about this initiative.

NepalThe overwhelming need for rural physicians in Nepal inspired a group of physicians at the University of Alberta (U of A) to come together to help create the Patan Academy of Health Sciences medical school.

Dr. Kim Solez, a U of A professor in laboratory medicine and pathology, is a founding member of the U of A PAHS Nepal Global Health Group, one of the largest global health initiatives on campus.

“We’ve got 20 faculty members now that span numerous departments and divisions,” explains Dr. Solez. The group’s experiences in supporting the school were featured in the peer-reviewed Global Journal of Health and in a recent presentation by Dr. Bibiana Cujec, one of the other members of the campus group.

Dr. Bibiana Cujec teaching at Patan HospitalDr. Solez first began working on health projects in Nepal in the late 1990s, initially with a focus on online educational resources for kidney medicine. “I put out an international call on helping people improve their online educational resources, and Nepal was the first country to respond,” recalls Dr. Solez.

When his contact there joined the new Patan Academy, Dr. Solez also began lending his time and talents. Opened in 2008, the school accepted its first students in 2010 and today is considered a leader in enteric fever research and telemedicine, an area of particular interest to Dr. Solez.

Himalaya, Nagarkot“I’ve always been interested in global medicine and in how technology can support learning,” say Dr. Solez who is teaching a course on technology and the future of medicine, and will be giving a TED Talks-like session on the societal implications and impact of medicine.

More about Dr. Solez's projects

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