15 years in Myanmar
The Yangon Centre for Evidence Based Healthcare celebrates its 15th anniversary
In celebration of the 15th anniversary of The Yangon Centre for Evidence Based Healthcare: A JBI Centre of Excellence, we spoke to Centre Director Dr May Khin Thein to learn more about the origins of the Centre and its achievements over the past years.
How did your interest in evidence-based practice start?
I became the director of studies at the Centre’s host organisation, the Military Institute of Nursing and Paramedical Sciences, and took charge of the position of centre director in 2014. This introduced me to the world of evidence-based healthcare practice. My motivation and my interest grew when I attended the CSRTP [Comprehensive Systematic Review Training Program] at JBI in Adelaide. I enjoyed doing this kind of research, which involves many hours of reading while searching and analysing the literature. I love teaching and I find researching fascinating, both academically and personally.
In addition, peer reviews are always interesting! It makes me read, read and read again and understand more about research. I read extensively throughout the field of interest when I do a peer review and it enables me to expand the breadth and depth of my knowledge and to get more insights into that area of interest. Doing peer reviews motivates me.
After 15 years, what else still motivates you?
Simply, staying connected with the JBI Collaboration motivated us in the past, at present and in the future. I attended the JBI’s CoD [Committee of Directors] meetings and the annual JBI conferences both face-to-face and online. In these meetings and events, all the Centres around the world actively participate, and observing them enables me to learn what our colleagues are doing at a local, regional or global level and feel inspired about their abilities and accomplishments. What our fellow Centres are doing really motivates me a lot!
What has your Centre achieved that you are most proud of?
We have limitations in terms of time, digital library access and internet connection. My staff and I have our main jobs, so we spend our own time to do most of the JBI Collaboration activities. Amidst the limitations, we do as much as we can. We have published in JBI Evidence Synthesis and conducted peer reviews and other JBIC activities. More importantly, we hosted a 2021 gLocal Solution Room event with the kind contribution of our colleagues here, along with the JBI global community in May 2021. These are our most proud moments with JBI.
What would be the one piece of advice you would give to someone thinking of joining the JBI Collaboration?
JBI SUMARI [System for the Unified Management, Assessment and Review of Information software] really works. If someone is looking for software to do a systematic review, I would like to recommend using SUMARI to produce systematic reviews efficiently and effectively.
The JBI staff are experts in their respective field of work. They are very supportive as well as always ready to help. In most JBI Collaboration activities, the JBIC participate, and we love to attend the meetings and events that always encourage discussions. That is our real experience with JBI and so I would like to say to anyone who wants to join the JBI Collaboration that working with JBI will be an enriching experience.
Can you share one of your fondest memories of the JBIC?
At the 2019 JBI CoD meeting, our Centre was recognised for being a JBI Centre of Excellence for 10 years, and this good news was shared with our Centre and the host organisation, Military Institute of Nursing and Paramedical Sciences. This is the fondest memory of our collaboration with the JBIC.
Can you share something about your Centre that other JBIC Entities may not know?
Our Centre, The Yangon Centre for Evidence Based Healthcare, is the only Centre which actively works with JBI in Myanmar. We are organised, with hard-working staff and have been collaborating with JBI for 15 years.
Thank you to Dr Thein for sharing these memories of working with JBI for the last 15 years. Congratulations to Dr Thein and her team on all their achievements over that time!