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Medical Student Partnerships: Reflections From Barrow Global Student Scholars

Guest Columns

At the heart of the Barrow Global mission is the power of connection—between individuals, institutions, and ideas. Nowhere is this more evident than in the experiences of the Barrow Global student scholars, medical students who take a year away from their traditional training to immerse themselves in global neurosurgery. Through deep collaboration and cross-cultural engagement, these students experience the transformative potential of global health partnerships. The reflections of two scholars, Habib Emil Rafka (2023–24) and Chibueze Agwu (2024–25), highlight how meaningful connections can shape not only careers but the future of neurosurgery itself.

Habib Emil Rafka: From Mentorship to Moshi

For Habib, the journey began with a simple conversation. As an undergraduate at Clemson University, his interest in global health and neurosurgery led him to Delphine Dean, PhD, a mentor in undergraduate school, who connected him to neurosurgeon and global health pioneer Dilan Ellegala, MD. That connection also became a mentorship and ultimately a path to Barrow Global.

As the first Barrow Global student scholar, Habib spent the year helping to build bridges between Phoenix, Arizona, and Moshi, Tanzania. In collaboration with Happiness Rabiel, MD, Chief of Neurosurgery at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), and Kerry Vaughan, MD, the inaugural Franke global neurosurgery fellow, Habib helped implement a sustainable neurosurgery database to support research and education at KCMC for years to come.

Yet the most powerful connections he made weren’t just technological or academic; they were human. “I immersed myself into a new culture, health care system, and patient population,” Habib shared. “It not only solidified my passion for neurosurgery and global health, but it gave me a new outlook on the world. These types of global collaborations bring out the very best of humanity.”

photo of Habib Rafka looking through a microscopic in the operating room at KCMC
Student scholar Habib Rafka (right) observes a neurosurgical procedure through the operative microscope while volunteering at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Moshi, Tanzania, East Africa.

Chibueze Agwu: Linking Institutions and Ideas

Chibueze Agwu, the 2024–25 Barrow Global student scholar and a medical student at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, also came to the program seeking connection between his academic interests and global impact. “I was unsure how to merge global health and neurosurgery,” he said. “Barrow Global melds the two perfectly.”

While at Barrow Neurological Institute, Chibueze actively explored questions with the Barrow Global team that sit at the intersection of health data and development, investigating how to choose partner sites, how global neurosurgery affects brain drain, and how students like himself can contribute to long-term, sustainable change. At KCMC, he helped continue the work on the same neurosurgery outcomes database Habib helped to establish, and contributed to surgical teams, resident education, and clinic work.

Through these experiences, Chibueze gained a new understanding of global neurosurgical care, an understanding rooted in humility, partnership, and shared learning. “This program is the embodiment of the current evolution of global neurosurgery,” he reflected. “Bidirectional, cross-institutional learning is essential to building sustainable capacity in resource-limited settings. The more connections we foster, the stronger that mission becomes.”

Chibueze Agwu in the operating room at KCMC with a team
Student scholar Chibueze Agwu (far right) at KCMC with the hospital’s neurosurgery residents, Drs. Dyllan Omwenga and Tumaini Mchihiyo, and Chief of Neurosurgery, Dr. Happiness Rabiel.

The Power of Connection

The stories of Habib and Chibueze illuminate what makes Barrow Global unique: a commitment to connection. This is not just between continents, but between generations of neurosurgeons, between students and mentors, and between systems of care and innovation. Their work in Tanzania represents a larger vision. In this vision, sustainable impact comes not from outside intervention, but from partnerships built on mutual respect, learning, and long-term collaboration.

As Barrow Global continues to grow, these student scholars serve as living examples of what is possible when connection is prioritized. Together with our partners around the world, we are building a future where neurosurgical care is accessible and enriched by the knowledge and compassion we share across borders.