A Helping Hand in Healthcare: Meet Monisha Kailasam Sathianarayanan

For many years, addressing healthcare needs has been a priority for Cape Breton University. One of the many CBU students aspiring to enter the sector and make a difference is Monisha Kailasam Sathianarayanan. Monisha, originally from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, South India, just recently completed the final semester of her Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Healthcare Management. 

On top of her studies, Monisha obtained an internship through CBU working on the One Person One Record digital health initiative with Nova Scotia Health. “I started there as a Co-op Student Analyst in September 2023 with the Bedside Medical Device Integration team,” says Monisha. “ I learned about this exciting opportunity through CBU’s Student Job Opportunities page, which is a very helpful resource for those looking for student internships like I was.”

Before coming to CBU Monisha had completed her undergraduate studies in Biomedical Engineering. From there, she worked in the health sector managing patient health records. She says this background aligned closely with the One Person, One Record internship opportunity. “Managing patient health records and health information in general is an area of great interest to me,” Monisha says. “I was intrigued by this internship as it dealt with the designing and managing of a clinical information system responsible for patients’ health records.”

Monisha’s favourite part of the experience was the opportunity to work with a team of experienced professionals, obtaining a wealth of new knowledge. “Working with this team helped me bridge my knowledge gaps. I listened carefully when subject matter experts spoke so I could try to apply their methods to my own work,” she says. “Working on this revolutionary project with many different healthcare professionals who had more than 15 years of experience was so thrilling.”

Monisha’s advice to students looking for internships is to keep an eye on the Student Job Opportunities page, stay active on platforms like LinkedIn and continue applying to jobs that appeal to them in their field of study.

After graduating in Spring 2024, Monisha intends to complete her certification from the Canadian Health Information Management Association in hopes of securing a permanent job in the Health Information Management sector.

Throughout her CBU journey, Monisha received much-needed support from those around her, both near and far. “My family in India and my CBU library family have been my biggest supporters,” says Monisha. “I feel that the University has helped me grow as I’ve continued down my chosen career path.”

As Monisha’s time with CBU comes to a close, she is grateful for how welcoming the community has been. “It has been such a positive experience living in this country, especially in Cape Breton,” Monisha shares. “The people in Cape Breton are very welcoming and have been so kind and polite to international students, like me.”