COVID-19 Global Pandemic and Family Medicine Ep#8 - Ethiopia

Family Medicine in the COVID-19 Global Pandemic

A Podcast Partnership Between the Besrour Centre and Canadian Family Physician

Using the Besrour Centre’s network of international partners, Dr. Christine Gibson interviews family physicians around the world who are helping to manage this pandemic, finding the common thread of humanity between those on each side of the mask.

These stories are introduced by Dr. Nick Pimlott, Scientific Editor of Canadian Family Physician.

Dr. Gibson is a family physician in Calgary, Alberta and is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. Dr. Gibson is an international consultant for family medicine development and capacity building. Dr. Gibson is the Co-Lead of the Narrative Working Group of the Besrour Center at the College of Family Physicians of Canada. As Dr. Gibson writes:

“This is a timely opportunity to learn from our global partners on the front line of the Covid outbreak. Family physicians worldwide are stepping up to help their communities battle this illness as best we can. People are yearning for stories, whether for professional or personal reasons. Stories of hope and of communities in grief, stories of authentic experiences that we can all learn from and through. This is a unique experience in the history of humanity – a pandemic that is truly shared worldwide, revealing our interconnectivity in heroic and tragic ways. Now is the time for collective healing.”

We hope listeners find these stories compelling and healing.

This podcast was recorded on June 1st, 2020.

Dr. Gibson's website: www.christinegibson.net

Meseret Zerihun is one of the first cohorts of residents to graduate as a family physician in her country of Ethiopia. She was enrolled in the first family medicine training program established in Ethiopia in 2013 at Addis Ababa University. She is now working as an assistant professor at Addis Ababa University, where she is involved in teaching, mentoring, educating, and supervising residents. She has demonstrated positive leadership skills and determination, which enabled her to be appointed as the Program Director and department head of the family medicine program at Addis Ababa University. Meseret has also been involved in delivering health care to underprivileged communities and is passionate about mentoring and encouraging future female leaders. and hopes to play a vital role in strengthening the primary care system in her country. She would like to pursue her PHD in global health and implementation science.

Read Dr. Gibson's accompanying blog post at https://www.cfp.ca/blog