From Colombia to Oxford: Virginia Zarama’s journey through the MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care

Tell me about yourself

Where did you study and work previously?

I graduated from medical school in Universidad del Valle, in Cali, Colombia, my hometown, and worked as a general physician in the emergency department for 6 years. Following the completion of an Emergency Medicine residency at Universidad CES, also in Cali, I started working in Fundación Valle del Lili, one of the largest and top-rated academic medical centres in the country, where I have worked for the last 13 years, serving now as the Academic Director of the Emergency Department. This path also led me to teaching medical school and postgraduate students, currently holding a position as an associate professor at Universidad ICESI and as the Emergency Medicine residency program director.

What were your experiences in your previous studies?   

I have been engaged in several learning projects in recent years. It started with the training in Critical Care Ultrasound with the American College of Chest Physicians followed by advanced training and certification as Diplomate in Critical Care Echocardiography with the National Board of Echocardiography in the United States. After that, I graduated from a Master’s degree in Education and ICT at Universidad ICESI, I completed the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research program with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and I am now graduating from the Master’s in Science in Evidence Based Health Care with the University of Oxford.

All these experiences have been incredibly rewarding and enriching. Each learning project has provided the opportunity to connect with remarkable individuals, colleagues, and professors from diverse countries and cultures, which has been priceless. What stands out the most, is the accessibility of educational programs today and how much everybody is willing to teach you something and share with you a part of their time and wisdom.

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Tell me about your MSc here in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

Why did you choose Oxford for your Master’s programme and what helped you make that decision?

Having completed my Medical School and Emergency Medicine training some time ago, and coming from low/middle-income country like Colombia, I noticed significant disparities in clinical research education, even among top universities, compared to other countries from North America or Europe at that time. I didn’t really understand much about study designs or statistical analyses of the new evidence that was coming out every day. At the same time, we started the Emergency Medicine residency program in our university, and I also felt an important gap when trying to teach medicine based on scientific literature published every day, feeling left behind. So, I started exploring MSc programs to learn and understand clinical research and keep up with current scientific evidence. Most institutions offered programs that were focused on epidemiology or public health. However, being an emergency physician in the field, I wanted the program to be more clinically focused.  Then I found the MSc in EBHC in the University of Oxford.  It was all I ever wanted!  It was offered by one of the most prestigious universities in the world known for its rigorous academic standards and high-quality research output, it was part-time, so I could continue to work and teach while studying, and it was actually offering to integrate clinical research into clinical practice.

Why Evidence-Based Healthcare?

Evidence-Based Healthcare is basically integrating the results of current clinical research to make informed decisions in our clinical practice based on high quality scientific evidence. It is the way medicine should be practiced today.  With all the technological, scientific and communication advances, relevant research findings are available every day, and we need to be able to use this knowledge in our clinical practice, to make decisions that will improve patient outcomes.  

What has your experience of the programme been?

It has been an amazing experience, from many points of view.

First I was afraid, I was petrified (like the song 🎶 …ha-ha-ha!!). Coming from a third-world country, I felt maybe I couldn’t keep up the high academic standards at the University of Oxford. And it was tough in the beginning, but then, I figured out how to tackle my readings and assignments, balance my studies with work and my personal life, and suddenly, I felt like, "Hey, I can actually do this!"

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic!  Between being an emergency physician working in the front lines every day witnessing suffering and death, finding time to see my family (I have triplets by the way…). with continuous fear for them and myself and keeping up with the study and work at MSc, I felt overwhelmed. But I think the University was great and resilience kicked in. We changed to online-modules, fully synchronic, so we actually felt like we were in Oxford during classes. I have always been a firm believer in online education, and that high-quality academic institutions can be reached from anywhere in the world, opening huge education possibilities for everyone. So, being able to see this transformation happening live… was incredible. There I was…  studying at the University of Oxford while in Colombia fighting COVID!

Finally, having finished the MSc, I am amazed to see how much I have learned during the process, and how today I can use this knowledge during my everyday clinical practice with my patients in the ED and my students at the university.

What have you enjoyed?

Having the opportunity to learn from top quality professors, experts in their field and renowned academics, who also made us feel incredibly comfortable in class when asking questions and discussing everyday topics or clinical research was invaluable.  All the faculty and staff are such professional and friendly people, that it is a pleasure to have met them.

I also enjoyed meeting students and academics from many different parts of the world, with different backgrounds and research interests, creating this global network with great opportunities for collaborations in clinical research and career development.

Finally, I deeply enjoyed the pleasure of being at this incredible place. The buildings in the University of Oxford have so much history… Maybe some people take it for granted, but for me, it almost felt like learning was just there in the air, all around streets and buildings and you could just breath culture, knowledge and inspiration!!! It was a bit magical.

Were there any barriers for you or things that could be improved?

I believe the greatest barriers for most people are probably distance and costs. However, nowadays, distance is not a barrier with online modules being offered as part of postgraduate education programs, and it is just a matter of finding and pursuing the right program.  Costs are a definitively a barrier. Oxford offers several scholarships, nevertheless, for many students that can’t reach these funding options, tuition and related expenses are difficult to afford, and I had important financial challenges to finish the program.

What was your experience of academic support/supervision?   

I received outstanding academic support. At the beginning it was difficult to understand that academic support didn’t mean that professors would provide you the answers. I learned that true support meant guiding me to find my own answers through reading and research, leading to a much richer learning experience. Throughout my dissertation, my supervisors were exceptional and made sure I understood both the purpose and the methods of my research, which significantly improved my learning. I'm deeply grateful for all the support I received from the faculty.

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Your advice to potential students

What would your advice be to students considering studying your programme at Oxford?

This program is the perfect integration of clinical practice and clinical research that will bring Evidence-Based Medicine to your daily live, with the highest-academic standards and faculty. If this program is what you want, don’t be afraid, apply, look for funding.  It does not matter where you are at, the program is accessible, has great flexibility by offering different options from full to part-time, from online to on-site modules. It requires dedication and hard work, but also brings incredible rewards in personal and professional growth.