Interview with Lord Tadesse Mekonnen - student Year 1

What is your background (work experience and education)?​

My name is Lord Tadesse Mekonnen from Ethiopia, East Africa. I graduated from medicine in Ethiopia in 2019. Before joining Upsala university I was working as a general practitioner in different hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 2020,

I worked as a Covid-19 emergency responder in a quarantine center; as a medical screener at Addis Ababa Bole international airport, and in a government hospital on severe case patients. As part of community support, during my medical school internship, my friends and I co-founded a local NGO called Kalkidan Charity which focuses on delivering free healthcare services for the vulnerable in different parts of Ethiopia, I have been working with the organization as a program director since then.

What made you choose to study global health at Uppsala University?

It has been always my dream to study at Uppsala University, which is one of the best universities focusing on public health research. I have always been interested in studying Global Health with a focus on women’s and children’s health. This is directly linked to the work of my NGO back in Ethiopia and would bring impact to my society hence I could apply the knowledge and skills I will develop from experienced teachers studying in Uppsala University.

Until now, what part of the program has been the most influential in your journey to global health?

I have always been interested to work with the major and current global health issues and the programme introduction to familiarize ourselves with the UN Sustainable Development Goals has opened my eyes to be more open-minded about how we need to have a multidisciplinary approach.

What are your goals for the future in global health?

I would like to work on research, guidelines, and work with researchers and policymakers to close the gap for achieving the Sustainable Developmental Goals on time.

What has been the most interesting part of the program this far?

There has been great teaching and learning experience here. Coming from the medical field, our ways of thinking were wired in a way to memorize class notes and books. After starting this programme, the idea of critical thinking has been recreating the way am perceiving how things and how they will turn out.

What is the best part of studying at an international programme?

Studying in an international program is having the privilege of cultural exchange, widening my perspective of life, and sharing knowledge and experiences that I had no clue of its existence.

Favourite thing to do in Uppsala?

I call Uppsala the city that doesn’t sleep. People are very welcoming and the landscape is blessed with recreational activities that make it possible to explore. You can find yourself going on hiking in the daytime, wandering in the forest and swimming in the lake, in the afternoon with a cup of coffee in one of the beautiful cafes in the center and by the evening so many activities with the student nations beyond midnight which makes you realize that 24 hours is not enough.