Learning Together—Building the Next Generation of Health Care Leaders

Impact.

We all want to have an impact, an effect or influence on the people we meet, programs we create, or work we do. My residency program director, the late Carey Chisholm, MD, often talked of impact in the context of academic medicine: an opportunity to multiply our impact to provide excellent emergency care to many more patients and families by training the next generation of physicians.

Rose House, MD, MS, seated left, with the first class of EM Fellows in Nepal in 2014. Dr. House now works with Roshana Shrestha, MD, seated to her right, training the next generation of health care providers at Dhulikhel Hospital–Kathmandu University Hospital.

This is the beauty of academic medicine and our academic partnership through AMPATH Nepal. A decade ago, I had the privilege of training the first class of emergency medicine fellows here in Nepal. Today those fellows are emergency medicine physicians, training the next generation of health care leaders. Roshana Shrestha, MD, was part of that first class of emergency medicine fellows and a physician I would gladly have care for me or my family. Now I get to work alongside her in the emergency department (ED) at Dhulikhel Hospital-Kathmandu University Hospital, where she is a professor of General Practice and Emergency Medicine. Now I get to watch Roshana teach.

Dr. House and Dr. Shrestha teaching and learning together during pediatric simulations.

Nearly every week in the ED at Dhulikhel Hospital-Kathmandu University Hospital, Roshana and colleagues conduct in situ simulation as a part of resident training. This type of simulation takes place in the clinical setting in the ED to provide a realistic scenario for learning and practicing patient care.

We use an interdisciplinary approach to improve our teamwork, build communication skills, apply knowledge, and practice clinical skills. This is a fun and safe learning experience for the residents.

I admire the way Roshana and our other colleagues interact with the team—their patience, support, and teaching that fosters critical thinking. I also see the way the learners engage and respond, with deep respect, growing knowledge and skills, and a desire to learn more. I am also learning—learning how to be a better teacher, how to be a better clinician, and how to be a better team member.

Through AMPATH, we have the opportunity to do this across institutions—across continents— multiplying our impact, growing in diversity, and expanding our understanding of global healthcare needs. I get to see the next generation of physicians across our partnerships—thoughtful, committed, and talented physicians, equipped to care for our communities and train the next generation.

Rose House, MD, MS, an associate professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, has served as Nepal Partnership Director since September 2022. She works alongside Nepal colleagues to develop and support the AMPATH Nepal partnership between Mount Sinai, Kathmandu University School of Medicine, and Dhulikhel Hospital in Nepal. She also provides education and clinical care in emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine. Before joining Mount Sinai, she worked at Indiana University School of Medicine, where she began her global health career in the AMPATH Kenya program. She then transitioned to global health work in Nepal where she supported emergency medicine training and bilateral exchange opportunities. She earned her MD at the Indiana University School of Medicine in 2005.