Teaching fellow in international health and development

Besides the well known medical professions as physician, medical specialist or researcher, there are a lot more interesting career possibilities in (global) health care. With these short interviews we want to introduce different, interesting, sometimes unknown, professions to you.

Let’s introduce

Mike Rowson studied Philosophy and English Literature followed by a degree in development studies. He worked for Medact, a global health charity based in London and nowadays he devotes his time to teach students about global health at University College London.

How would you describe your career path?

I learned most of what I know about health on the job whilst working for Medact. It was fascinating to be exposed to so many debates, particularly on health systems in developing countries, and the health effects of globalization and war. As my career was focussed on campaigning and lobbying I never spent long periods in the field. In order to speak about health in other parts of the world Medact formed close links with many partners in developing countries. Our role was partly about letting them speak through us to policy-makers and the public in the developed world.

Which achievement in your career are you most proud of?

I’m proud of the many reports our small team produced. For example on health in Iraq, brain drain in Africa and Global Health Watch: the first alternative World Health Report. It is also really satisfying to see how far Medsin, the network of UK medical students working on global health, has come.

What is the most important lesson you give to your students during teaching?

I always liked the saying of an old aunt of mine Love many, trust few and always paddle your own canoe. Roughly translated to the educational context it means: read a lot, be sceptical and always form your own opinion. This is particularly important in global health with its ever-changing fashions.

What is the most important development in global health in the last 30 years?

The globalization of the last 30 years might almost have re-invented global health. We were complacent about infectious diseases in the early 1970s. But rapid growth in trade and travel combined with rapid urbanization and environmental change reemphasized the fact that microbes do not respect borders. We have learned how trade agreements affect access to medicines, and how global labour markets shape the flows of health professionals between countries. This has changed how we do global health and has highlighted the importance of tackling the underlying causes of disease.

How do you see the future of global health?

No one could have predicted HIV and its deadly impact 40 years ago. But it will also be no surprise to anyone if poverty, inequality and violence continue to haunt us, despite our massive technological advances.

One thing I teach my students is that the world is constantly changing and it will always bring new challenges. We think we have a solution, but then we find that the solution brings problems of its own For instance, the international community has put a lot of emphasis on dealing with AIDS and a few other infectious diseases over the last years; this has brought benefits to millions worldwide – but other priorities have suffered as a result.

If you were not inhibited by rules or financials, what project would you set up?

I would like to see much more attention paid to financial protection for poor people accessing health care – in rich and poor countries. We all say we want equity in health care, but we fail at achieving it again and again. Welfare states are evolving across the developing world, and it would be fascinating to study if they protect the interests of poor people or entrench existing inequalities. If I were in a position to commission research at the moment, I would get some good economists and political scientists to delve into this.

Which message would you like to give to future doctors?

To take a broader perspective than just medicine. The key global health challenges are complex social problems, not biomedical ones. Get some social science training to complement what you are being taught in medical school. And remember, if development co-operation is ever going to be really collaborative and responsive for the people in developing countries, we have to listen to people’s views on the ground.