International Program

Kurdish Visiting Scholars

The 4 Kurdish Visiting Scholars are finally here! They had potential for disaster several times in their journey including the fact that the US Embassy in Jordan had issued 2 visas with the same number, so Barazan was detained in Immigration in Chicago O’Hara Airport for over an hour, but was able to clear up the problems in time to make his delayed flight to Tulsa.

They are from the University of Sulaimani, which is one of the largest cities in the northern part of Iraq, also known as the Kurdistan region. They are here with the blessing and assistance from their government with the hopes that they will learn from us ways to make improvements to their health care.

Here is a bit of information on each of them with a description of their research and other interests. We will be looking for experiences and ways they can interact with our faculty while they are here this semester.

Bestoon Ahmed is the youngest of the 4. He is married and has 2 young children a son aged 5 and a 2 year old daughter. His wife teaches physics in secondary “high” school in Kirkuk. His master’s research study is titled, “Assessment of knowledge and practice of caregivers for juvenile diabetes mellitus”. His interests include pediatric and cardiac catheterization (Angiography) and also juvenile diabetes. There is a new heart hospital in Sulaimani, so the science is in its infancy there.

Barazan Mohammed is married and his wife has a PhD in Community Health and is also a teacher at the University of Sulaimani. They have two teen agers, a son 18 and daughter 14. His masters’ study is titled “Quality of nurses’ performance in coronary care unit in a general hospital in Sulaimani government hospital. He is also interested in anesthesia and teaching nursing skills and medical surgical nursing.

Atiya Mohammed is completing requirements for a PhD in nursing from Sulaimani University. She got her masters’ degree from Baghdad University Nursing College. She is certified in WHO’s Safe Motherhood and Maternal Health Care courses which she now teaches to pregnant women as well as within two nursing programs in Sulaimani. Her dissertation title is “Effectiveness of partogram on birth outcomes among primigravida in Sulaimani Teaching Hospital”. We don’t use partograms in the US, but this is a single page record of a woman’s entire labor and delivery experience. She is also interested in high risk pregnancy, labor and childbirth issues, post partum period, infertility and newborn assessment.

Shwan Qader is married with two sons aged 14 and 11 years. His wife is an assistant anesthesiologist and Shwan has worked many years in Anesthesia. The title of his masters’ thesis is: “Assessment of knowledge and attitudes of health personnel working in primary health care centers in Sulaimani city center”. His interests include infection control, safe water supply and basic sanitation. He will work with the government to improve upon the primary health care delivery model in Kurdistan after graduation.

All four of our visiting scholars are leaders in the new Iraq. We are lucky to have them with us to be able to share information and friendships.

For more information contact evelyn-acheson@ouhsc.edu.