Rita Pickett

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Program: MMASc in Global Health Systems in Africa Candidate

Rita is currently a Masters of Management of Applied Science in Global Health Systems in Africa candidate at Western University.  Rita completed her Honour’s Bachelor of Science degree at the University of British Columbia in Global Resource Systems, specialized in Global Health.  This program allowed her to study global health as a tertiary resource from an interdisciplinary perspective.  Rita developed her passion for global health through international experiences in Costa Rica and Denmark where she had the opportunity to study differing perspectives and approaches to global health systems. Rita also comes from an extensive leadership background.  During the final year of her undergraduate degree she was the Vice President Academic of the Land and Food Systems Undergraduate Society at the University of British Columbia where she and her team were responsible for the academic and career development of undergraduate students.  This experience allowed her to spearhead campaigns to promote mental health and wellbeing as well as creating services to help students make the most of their academics to prepare for their future careers.  Rita’s interests in global health lies in the delivery of promoting equitable and accessible primary health care. She believes that preventative medicine and primary care are at the core of working to alleviate health issues worldwide.  In working as a Medical Assistant at a family practice in Mississauga, Ontario, she came to realize what types of social, economic, cultural and psychological barriers exist for individuals and families to access basic and appropriate care.  Through the Masters of Management of Applied Science in Global Health Systems, she hopes to marry the skills she has in health care in the Canadian context with her academic background in global health to become a leader and an advocate for equitable and accessible primary health care on a global scale.