INTRODUCING FIRST YEAR HEALTH SCIENCE STUDENTS TO HUMAN RIGHTS AND HEALTH RIGHTS

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INTRODUCING FIRST YEAR HEALTH SCIENCE STUDENTS TO
HUMAN RIGHTS AND HEALTH RIGHTS

by Lorna OlckersSchool of Public Health and
Family Medicine,University of Cape Town July, 2006
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Faculty of Health Sciences
Becoming a Professional (BP)
and
Becoming a Health Professional (BHP)
all first year Health Science students MBChB
Occupational Therapy Physiotherapy
Speech Therapy and Audiology
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Context Overriding Themes

• Commitment to

• Sound professional relationships with colleagues,
  clients patients and public (focus of BP)
• Primary Health Care (focus of BHP)

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Five principles

• Commitment to
• 1. promoting health and wellness in the context
  of the individual, family and community
• 2. practicing whole person care
• 3. being a reflective practitioner
• 4. health, human rights and social responsibility
• 5. practice within a health team

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Diagram of Integrated Learning by Maddie Duncan,
Licia Karp and Lorna Olckers, 2001


The Reflective Practitioner
The Empathic Practitioner
The Integrated Health Professional
Being, Becoming
Inter-Personal Dimension
Intra-Personal Dimension
Knowledge
Doing
Dimension
The Knowing Practitioner
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Examples of Outcomes

• Students will develop a basic understanding of
• Human Rights and Health Rights
• Why Health Professionals should be concerned
  about Human Rights and Health Rights
• Students will demonstrate respect for their group
  members

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Integration Dynamic Process
3. HP clients/ patients
1. Start end with self
2. Develop knowledge
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An example of How?

• 1. Experience discrimination and prejudice.

2. Discuss What are human rights?
3. Roleplay issues of confidentiality
4. Consolidate knowledge Debate, discuss, link
to literature, make posters, write essays.
5. Reflect what does this mean for me as a
person and as a future health professional
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Students in group debate
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Students engaged in poster making

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Human Rights Posters
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Conclusion

• Begin with self
• Develop and consolidate knowledge through
  experience, reading, debate etc.
• Link to reality as future health professionals
• End with self