From Karachi to Southampton

Hi, I’m Dr Saima, a postgraduate student studying MSc Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care at Southampton.

I’m originally from Pakistan where I graduated in Medicine & Surgery from Jinnah Medical & Dental College. I practiced gynaecology for almost two years in various settings and also worked for the Family Planning Association of Pakistan and the Marie Stopes Society before coming to Southampton. I also worked as Clinic Manager and Assistant Manager of Medical Team Development respectively.

I’m passionate about the provision of quality service, regardless of paying capacity and any association, and very keen in updating my leadership skills for which I was awarded a scholarship from the National University of Singapore for a Leadership Development Program to Improve Health in Asia 2013.

How I came to study at Southampton

It was December 2012 when my thoughts of going abroad for further qualification started to materialise.

In pursuit of learning leadership skills to play a leadership role in Pakistan I decided to study MSc Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care at Southampton.  I soon came to hear about the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme for aspiring students to undertake a postgraduate taught degree.

I started preparing my application for the MSc and waited to hear about the result.  I was fortunate to receive an offer but my quest did not end here. Being a non-affording student I had to keep my fingers crossed until I heard about the Scholarship result.

During this time I explored Southampton as a city and the University of Southampton as an educational institute. I also got in touch with the programme lead and other Health Sciences contacts to further build on my interest and understanding. I was very impressed with the support and guidance everyone showed me.

Then the BIG DAY came and I received an email stating that I had been awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship. It was a day of immense feelings of joy for me and my family, building on my dream and ambition to contribute towards the development of the healthcare delivery system in Pakistan.  That day felt as if my dream was coming true.

The University of Southampton kept building its positive image with its meet and greet service and welcoming activities right from the day I landed.  I never expected that this new place would be so welcoming to me. I wish I could put words to my feelings of my experience at the Faculty of Health Sciences so far.

Life here in Southampton is very easy, everything is so well stated and displayed that I hardly took more than a couple of weeks to feel this was my second home.

People here are very co-operative and most importantly they all have all given me respect as an individual regardless of my colour, language or religion. The environment here is very conducive to learning and all education facilities are beyond expected standards.

I cannot rate my experience at the University of Southampton highly enough as an institution of excellence.  I can strongly recommend to everyone to come to this World of Learning and contribute towards healthcare development through learning.

5 Responses to “From Karachi to Southampton”

  1. moeez haider

    A very impressive note by an equally stunning young doctor.dear your hard work is about to repay and your skills are reaching at their optimum. Its indeed an honour to know you and i have all my faith that you will succeed to make your make on world healthcare worldwide….and dear University of Southampton is also lucky to have you.

    Reply
  2. Dr Mehreen Solanki

    You are really a hard working girl .I am proud of you my friend ! Keep it up 🙂

    Reply

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