Autumn Mochinski participated in a funded  international placement with the PAHO/ WHO to prepare an assessment of social  determinants and health and Tuberculosis in Lima, Peru.

What is the program that you participated in? How did you hear about the program?

The program is AUCC (Association of  Universities and Colleges of Canada)-Students for Development, through the  Canadian International Development Agency. This program is available for both undergraduate and graduate  students. I heard about the program  through an e-mail from the university.

I studied in the Master's of Public  Health Program, under the Global Health Stream.

What was the application process like? How difficult was it to obtain  your placement position?

It was really simple. You just  have to find a developing country partner, decide on a project, and dates for  that project to take place.

I was fortunate enough to use my previous international connections to  set up my placement in Peru. I had  completed an internship in Jamaica for three months, and my supervisor here at SFU in the Faculty of Health Sciences was able to set it up for me.

How long were you living abroad? Did you travel in and around Peru before,  during or after your placement?

Four months. I spent two weeks at the end of the trip  travelling to Titicaca, Machu Picchu, and Cuzco.

How did you fund/finance your experience?

My experience was funded through my CIDA-AUCC Scholarship. The scholarship covered all costs (including  living expenses).

Tell us about your main duties and research.

I helped to develop an assessment  plan for a hyper endemic community In Lima.  The disease was Tuberculosis. I  helped develop a survey, analysis plan, how to administer the survey, as well  as research social determinants and health and how they relate to  Tuberculosis.

Who did you work with on a daily basis?

I worked with PAHO/WHO officials, consultants who were hired to assist  me, officials in the Ministry of Health (Peru), community members and community  representatives.

What was your living situation like?

I had a one bedroom apartment. I found it through the Living in Peru website. I went to art classes, visited parks, and did  some sightseeing nearby.

How has this experience added to your overall academic experience?

I have made connections in the ministry of health and through working I was  able to get an idea for my grad paper and made connections to support doing  it. My grad paper is on proposing  changes to Tuberculosis treatment protocol to take more social determinants of  health into consideration to increase adherence to treatment in hyper endemic  communities, using Peru as a case study.

What advice would you give to students looking to work or research  abroad?

Be open, be patient. Talk to people to find out about the options  out there. Talk to profs to find out  what opportunities are available to students - you learn the most from talking  to people, because sometimes online systems aren't set up to allow people to see  all opportunities.

How did you record your memories and experiences?

I took lots of pictures and kept a  blog. I also used Skype a lot to connect  with family and friends back home.

What was your favourite part about living abroad and this experience?

I always like getting to know the  culture. I took pottery classes in Peru  and now I am taking pottery classes in Canada.  I am also speaking Spanish almost every day and have friends on  Facebook, who I speak Spanish with.  There are new things (pottery and the Spanish language) that are now a  big part of my life.

What is next for you?

I will spend some time in Argentina  following my master's degree, this summer.  After that, if medical school doesn't pan out, I will spend some down-time  in Argentina, continuing to practice my Spanish.

Anything else that you would like to highlight?

Be conscious of safety when  travelling. Do your research about new  places - you will get pick pocketed; females do have things they need to be  aware of - take the heckling in stride.

On Language: People aren't as open  and you don't get the same response when you speak English. Knowing the right situation to use which  language is important. Living and working  in a second language makes everything harder for you - it is possible to learn  a new language, but not easy!