À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ

Question: What skills do you think are essential to this role?

I would say critical thinking, self-management, and time management are really important. Alongside that, I have to work independently and manage my priorities, time, and other tasks I have ongoing. Problem solving is another essential skill to my role as I have to troubleshoot issues as they come up.

Question: How have your courses/major helped you succeed in this role?

My courses have prepared me with a strong foundational knowledge in a diverse range of fields such as statistics, psychology, and biology. I had to use statistical analysis to calculate how much data we needed to collect for our research, and I was able to better understand what I’m reading and what we’re collecting data for. Other things I have learned, such as leadership skills, helped me excel in my role as I was given a lot of trust and responsibility.

Question: What are some key things you learned during this co-op term?

I learned how to be a better communicator in many different contexts. In my previous co-op, I worked in a clinic setting, whereas in this term it’s more of an office setting. I had to adjust my style of communicating to fit in this environment. I learned how to have awareness and understanding of people's different perspectives and cultural differences.Understanding how communication styles vary in different cultures is also a key thing I learned.

Question: How has this job shaped your career goals/aspirations?

I have learned more about my career interests and goals. The research we conduct is more social and behavioural based, which made me realize I want to gain experience in more quantitative research. During this work term, I worked alongside doctors, medical students, and educators who were former doctors. Like many other students starting university, I was drawn to a few different paths in healthcare such as medicine and physiotherapy. Now, after working with medical students and doctors, I have become motivated to go into medicine. A few of my coworkers were previously doctors and now work as educators, it’s so interesting to talk to them on a daily basis and hear their perspectives.

Question: What were your previous work terms? Can you share a little about what you did in those roles?

This is my second work term. In my first co-op work term, I worked as a clinical assistant in a small chiropractic clinic with patients. My responsibilities consisted of starting treatments with patients and ensuring operations ran smoothly. I learned a lot of self-management skills, which are similar in my current role. I would say one main difference between the two terms is my last role was repetitive in terms of job responsibilities and day to day. With this role, my responsibilities typically vary, and I enjoy the new experiences I get to have.

My favourite part has been the environment. I love being able to experience living somewhere else, especially because the weather here is so nice. I feel like I’m on an entirely new planet because I can go out to places like a safari and see cheetahs and lions up close. I’ve had the opportunity to try many new foods and just experience the culture here. Everyone here is so nice, the culture is very calm, no one is rushing to do things or stressed out.

I love that I have the opportunity to do so many different things. I get to participate in the research process, teach students about our work, and create events that promote the Simulation Centre. I also love that I work with a group of interns — we all live in the same apartment complex. We all go out and do things together; every week we go out and try a different restaurant. Some other things we’ve done together are going on a safari trip, to the beach, and to a lake. I also go running on trails here during my free time.

I didn’t originally set out looking for an international co-op. I saw the posting on À¶Ý®ÊÓƵWorks and the job location was in Nairobi, which piqued my curiosity. I knew I wanted to diversify my experience and didn't want to work another clinical job. I decided to apply because this opportunity seemed like one I wouldn’t be able to experience in Canada. The next thing I knew, I was interviewed and matched for this job.

The process wasn’t too different from finding a co-op here in Canada. I found this job through À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ’s job board, À¶Ý®ÊÓƵWorks, and applied like I normally would. Thankfully, the place I work at has an internship program, so they helped me with visa applications and finding accommodations. I kept contact with my employer in Kenya and ensured I completed pre-flight tasks such as getting vaccinated and having my passport ready. 

Question: What steps did you take to prepare for your time in Kenya? How did À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ help with this?

Before leaving, À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ gave me a checklist of things I needed to complete.  I consulted the travel doctor at Health Services on campus to get the necessary vaccinations and some helpful medical advice. I also had to get travel insurance, a visa, and book flights. À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ provided me with some helpful links to cultural norms in Kenya and the potential risks of travelling there.

Question: What are some challenges you experienced during your work term and how did you overcome them?

One of the challenges I faced was adapting to cultural differences. It was a bit daunting at first because the workplace culture here is very different than in Canada. Here, I noticed that in the workplace people are hesitant to disagree with someone who has seniority over them. In Canada, if someone disagrees with something they usually voice it, even if the person has seniority. Over time, I became more accustomed to these cultural differences and did my best to adapt. Another thing I had to adjust to was being aware of my personal safety. I just have to be more aware of where I’m walking (i.e., taking main roads instead of back roads) and making sure to not be on my phone.

Question: Would you recommend an international co-op to a fellow student?

I would recommend it because it’s nice to get the experience of working in a non-western country. I got to experience a different social and work culture. I felt more responsible for my work because of the trust my coworkers gave me. I have gotten to meet people and experience a workplace I wouldn’t have in Canada. My advice to anyone who wants to do an international co-op is make sure that your workplace hires other co-op students. It can be a lot to adjust to a new environment and not be able to communicate with friends and family back home because of the time difference. That’s why I would recommend finding a job that has other students there, it makes the experience less isolating.