Dewi Kusumoningrum
Doctor Dewi Kusumoningrum has traded practice for pedagogy, travelling to New Zealand to transform how medicine is taught back home.
The programme not only deepened my understanding but also equipped me with the tools to design practical, context-specific solutions that I can apply back home.
“During my final pre-clinical term in Indonesia, I took a four-week elective on medical education, hoping it would help me learn more effectively and feel prepared for the clinical years. That course was a turning point, the beginning of my love for clinical education. I realised that being a doctor isn’t just about treating patients, but also about shaping the system through better education so future doctors are well prepared and supported.
“I chose the University of Auckland for its strong reputation in clinical education and the opportunity to engage with diverse cultural perspectives, all while remaining grounded in my faith within an inclusive environment. I was able to pursue the Master of Clinical Education thanks to the support of the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education Scholarship.
“While clinical education is a broad field, this programme helped me discover my interest area, which is psychological safety in clinical settings. By encouraging me to explore real issues in my own context, I was able to identify key gaps in Indonesia's clinical education system, particularly related to psychological safety, and the steps needed to address them.
“This programme transformed the way I think. I’ve developed strong critical reflection and research skills that help me approach problems more systematically and contextually, especially in adapting global knowledge to local Indonesian settings.
“For my taught masters dissertation, I did a scoping review on strategies to promote psychological safety in medical residency training in hierarchical Asian cultures. I found that effective strategies span organisational, team, interpersonal, and individual levels, and must be adapted to local cultural and linguistic contexts rather than directly applying Western models.
“I plan to return to Indonesia to apply what I’ve learned by working with stakeholders to define and promote psychological safety in clinical education in a way that fits our local language and culture.
“Completing my masters has opened countless doors and made me realise that knowledge isn’t just a personal achievement. It’s a responsibility to give back and create a meaningful impact, no matter which path I choose next.”