MLK – Beyond the Dream

 

Eboni

In an effort to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., last semester I came up with the idea of having an SPH round table discussion regarding Martin Luther King, Jr., his dream, and where we are today. A goal of SPH is to create a sense of community, therefore, I reached out to student leaders regarding the event. In the end, PHSA, La Salud, and AAPHA agreed to help plan this round table event.

On January, 23rd, two days after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we hosted our event. Our goal was to bring awareness to the importance of MLK Day, his dream, why his dream has not been fully recognized, and our duty as Public Health students. About 50 students and faculty members engaged in a dialogue discussing race, ideas, thoughts, etc. It was a very rewarding and enriching discussion due to our diverse audience and our call to action regarding service and mentorship at the end of the event.

All in all, it was a successful event. I felt as if the people that attended understood more about Martin Luther King’s dream and their duty as future Public Health leaders. It is very rewarding to see an idea you have come into fruition. Its my hope that this will be the 1st Annual MLK-Beyond the Dream event at SPH. More collaborative events such as this will be happening in the future!

Students thoughts regarding Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy

On February 22nd, PHSAD will be hosting our 26th Annual Minority Health Conference: “Innovative Approaches to HIV/AIDS – Prevention Among Youth”. Register today!

http://tinyurl.com/umphsadconference2013

The Epitome of Busy

Eboni

This semester has been extremely busy thus far. I do not believe anyone could have prepared me for how this semester would go. Learning how to balance things is definitely key. Of course school alone keeps one occupied enough. Along with that, I have been going thru the administrative fellowship process in which I put together packets consisting of personal statements, cover letters, resumes, letters of recommendations, and transcripts, for different healthcare organizations. I sent 18 packets off to 18 different organizations with a goal of working for one of them come July 2013.

2012 NAHSE Case Competition Team (Semifinalists)

I’ve also spent a lot of time this semester analyzing a case for the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) Case Competition, in which I and 2 colleagues competed in this October. I can truly say that was the most extensive project/presentation I have worked on during graduate school. We applied many concepts learned in class to a real life business case for Catholic Health Partners, located in Toledo, OH. We presented our case analysis, business plan, and recommendations to executives during the NAHSE Conference in Houston this past month. We made it to the Semifinals, but honestly, the most rewarding part of the process was bonding with my teammates. The NAHSE Conference is an educational conference for healthcare executives where you attend workshops, professional development events, luncheons, and most importantly, network with other healthcare administrators. The Michigan HMP network is extremely vast, which is a very good sign of the future success one can attain.

PHSAD at Food Gatherers

As President of the Public Health Students of African Descent (PHSAD), I have been busy encouraging my fellow students to attend professional development meetings and participate in service projects/activities. The most challenging part of being a student leader is engaging fellow students. Everyone is busy, and in order for students to attend events, they have to feel as if it will be worth their time. We have a few more events planned for the semester from outreach to an alumni panel. In addition to these things, we are also planning for a Minority Health Conference which will be held on February 22, 2013. We are very excited about this event and I will post more about it in the next few months.

My classes are going very well. I am taking Finance, Health Law, Operations Research, Environmental Health, and I finished my 1 credit Transformational Leadership course. I like all but one of my classes this semester, and despite this semester being one of my most challenging,  I truly feel as if I am learning skills to take with me as I jumpstart my career.

Live in the Big House!

In order to stay sane, I manage to incorporate a fun activity into every weekend. I am a HUGE football fan, and have attended every game except one this semester. The tailgates are a great time to bond with classmates and interact with one another outside of SPH. I was in the building when Michigan won their 900th game, and it was an even sweeter victory because they beat Michigan State! I have 2 more home games left as a student, which is extremely bittersweet. I will definitely miss my cohort once we all graduate.

The key to success this semester is learning how to balance everything. Once everything is balanced, things will fall into place. Hope I didn’t scare you all off from attending graduate school! Have a great week and GO BLUE!

Officially Halfway Done!!!

Eboni

Hi Everyone!

My name is Eboni Thompson and I am SPH’s newest blogger! I hail from Baton Rouge, Louisiana (yes, people from the South do come to Michigan) , and I am now a 2nd year student in the best department within the School of Public Health…HMP! I have throughly enjoyed my 1st year in SPH and this has been a great learning experience, both in and out of the classroom, from my Econ struggles, to exploring Ann Arbor & what it has to offer, to even voicing my opinions and concerns after taking a Diversity course. Below, are a few things I have learned over the past year. I hope it helps! Prospective students, my next post will be for you. Remember, if you aren’t growing, you aren’t truly learning.

1st Year Advice:

• Find a great group of friends: Trust me, this program will be so much more enjoyable if you have a great group of friends. I have had some of the best laughs with my friends during our study sessions. Maybe because we’re all delusional at some point, but nevertheless, we enjoy ourselves. This program isn’t just about learning academically. It’s about teamwork, networking, and growing as a healthcare professional. Outside of your close friends, get to know other students in and out of your program. You never know who you’ll need to reach out to one day…or who will become a CEO & you’ll want to say your friend is CEO of thus and so company.
• Professors are your friend (professionally of course): Utilize office hours. If you don’t understand something, ask! Waiting until the end of semester is too late to salvage a grade. Learn who your professors are, what their research is, allow them to get to know you. After all, you may one day need a letter of recommendation and they are more apt to write one for you if they know who you are. Along with that, they are people too! They are very knowledgeable and great resources to have. There are numerous staff and faculty members that ask how I am doing both academically and personally. It’s a great gesture, especially with my family being 16 hours away.
• Become involved: Everyone at the University of Michigan is smart, if they weren’t, they wouldn’t be here. Not everyone is a leader. Take the time to get involved, speak your mind, make a difference, and so much more. Join a student organization such as Public Health Student Assembly (PHSA) or Public Health Students of African Descent (PHSAD). Volunteer in the Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Detroit communities. Your help is both needed and appreciated.
• Last but not least…ENJOY Ann Arbor: Ann Arbor is a great college town. It’s very beautiful in the fall. Take time to go for a run, smell the flowers, etc. Main Street is a great deal of fun. For most people, this is the last time you’ll be able to simply be a student. Embrace it. Have fun. Go explore!!!

As for me, I am in New Orleans, Louisiana interning with Ochsner Health System. I can’t believe I’m already halfway done with my 11-week internship. Seems as if I just started. I am spending my summer working, learning, writing personal statements for my fellowship applications, and making sure I spend as much time with my family and friends as I possibly can. School will start before I know it!