Jiean

This morning, President Obama addressed a crowd of thousands of college students (I say college students, because Michigan students were joined by students from Eastern Michigan, Washtenaw Community College, and Wayne State). In order to get one of the free tickets to this event, many people set up camps outside of the Michigan Union the night before tickets were released (see the Michigan Daily article). On top of hours-long waits, many arrived at the Al Glick Field House hours ahead of time to find an already crowded venue. However, from the sights and sounds, it seemed to me that the wait was all worth it to listen to Mr. Obama’s remarks regarding his plan to make higher education affordable for the masses.

According to the President, our economy is centered around making stuff, and “Michigan is all about making stuff.” Our country, historically, has invested in education as our economy evolved. Moving from an agricultural state to an industrial one was facilitated by educating the masses and endowing them with technical skills. As we are moving into a global and digital economy, Obama calls for us to make that same commitment today. While few people doubt the need for this, the reality we face is one in which the cost of higher education (i.e. trade schools, community colleges, and 2- and 4-year universities) is rising faster than the rate of inflation, making it challenging for the people to be in a position to realize the American Dream. Echoing a theme from Tuesday’s State of the Union address, his vision for affordable higher education will be met by the cooperation of Congress (who needs to stop interest rates from doubling and creating avenues to distribute federal aid), state governments (who need to demonstrate that higher education is a priority by not cutting funding, like 40 have this past year), and universities (who need to keep the cost of  education from rising). He also calls upon us to hold these parties accountable for their actions. As Mr. Obama said Tuesday, and again today, “Education is not a luxury, but rather, an economic imperative…if we are to build an American that will last.”

There was one point that Mr. Obama touched upon that struck me as particularly resonating. His comments today were largely, if not exclusively, focused on an undergraduate experience, but he did mention something that is pertinent to graduate students (aside from the astronomical student loans taken out to support our own undergrad years). Given our current tax system, many tax breaks are given to those who don’t need them, and our country cannot afford that. Mr. Obama suggests that we have a little “common-sense” and  reconsider this tax-break system; we should reallocate funds towards research instead of giving tax breaks to those who do not need them. We can, as he points out, consider this an investment in the future. As a graduate student (and, I suppose, a romantic), I perceive the world as largely uncharted. A commitment in us (read: public health graduate students) and our work means committing resources to understanding host-environment-pathogen interactions or refining community-based health initiatives or reformulation of policies to reflect the needs of the marginalized. A commitment in our research allows us to make our individual contributions to the improvement of our communities’ quality of life.

According to the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, the University of Michigan was chosen by the Obama Administration because “it represents many things that are going right.” Stressing not only accessibility but also completion, Secretary Duncan praised Michigan’s diverse student body and the value of a Michigan degree upon graduation. His sentiments were echoed by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D – MI) who was proud to point out that Michigan is playing an important role in our country’s economic turnaround and that UM contributes to this role by “out-educating” students who “out-innovate.”

Today, Mr. Obama reminded me of how lucky I am to be a product of two world-class public institutions and the responsibility that comes with that experience.

Tasha

Now that I have applied for graduation and can tell my family the definitive date that I will be a Master of Public Health, I am now starting to feel the pressure to become a productive member of society. I must join the workforce of America.

But that is not as simple as our forefathers made it seem. With an increasing number of people with degrees and the state of the economy, the reality of landing a dream job today is not the reality of our college educated parents. Many of my peers and I have come to many stark revelations about our first job and the search there of:

1. The six-figure dream salary is not the mean starter. It is somewhere at the tip of the curve.
2. Just because you graduate on Friday does not mean that you will start working on Monday. If fact, several Mondays may go by if you are picky (which you have the right to be).
3. The exact position you desire or were trained to do may not be the first job you are offered or take or enjoy.
4. It’s not just about who you know, it is about who they know and if they are hiring.
5. It is a job to find a job. It does take effort and persistence.

In all fairness, there are employers looking for employees. As a graduate student at UM SPH, they actually do knock on our door. Half the struggle of finding a job is finding the right job for you. It is not enough to be a prospective employee of an organization, but the organization must also be a prospective employer of yours.

That being said, I am going to suit up in my MPH armor from the University of Michigan School of Public Health (one of the finest ateliers of job market couture) and forge my way to the land of employment. Though the scape has changed, the reality of adulthood, self-actualization, and  student loans has not.

Claudia

If I could go back in time, I would have wanted a program like this to be in place.  The University of Michigan School of Public Health (UM SPH) continues to show its commitment to  diversity as it implements a program to help increase diversity in the public health workforce, as well as increase the presence of minority students in higher education .  As an MPH student, I have been exposed to decades of research that continue to show the vast health disparities and health inequities affecting various racial and ethnic minority communities. In classes, we have dialogues and discuss  gaps in health services,  unjust policies, and the many cultural barriers that can come up for public health professionals when serving these communities. There is a great need to provide opportunities for minority students to explore the field of public health and to strengthen efforts to increase minority presence at the graduate level in our nation’s public health schools.

An 8 week summer residential program that exposes undergraduates and recent graduates to public health will be taking place at UM SPH this upcoming summer 2012.  Along with Columbia University , Morehouse College, Kennedy Krieger Institute, UM SPH received funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)   in an effort to recruit minority students,  promote health equity, and address health disparities. The Future Public Health Leaders Program (FPHLP) will be recruiting a total of 50 students in the areas of Environmental Health and Health Behavior and Health Education. UM SPH will be following the same model as the Summer Enrichment Program (SEP)  that specifically recruits students in Health Management and Policy.

Participants will receive:

• $3500 stipend and on campus housing
• 8 Week internships in a public health setting
• Transportation costs to and from internship site
• Weekly visits to various public health agencies
• Group learning at UM SPH
• 1 week Group learning at CDC in Atlanta, GA
• Kaplan GRE preparatory course
• Round trip transportation from your home to Ann Arbor, MI and transportation to and from Atlanta, GA

For eligibility and deadlines, visit http://sitemaker.umich.edu/um-fphlp/home

Ezinne Nwankwo, 1st year HBHE

“Having a diverse public health workforce is crucial to the advancement of public health efforts locally and nationally.  In fact, as public health challenges continue to grow, the need to have a diverse public health workforce becomes essential. The ability to be inclusive can allow for varied approaches to developing effective public health programs and attaining enduring results. The representation of ethnic/racial minorities in student bodies must continuously represent the diverse population in which public health efforts strive to influence.”

Jerin Phillip, 1st year HMP

“One of the major goals of public health work is to eliminate disparities that we find in our current system, especially those along racial and socioeconomic barriers.  As much as we talk about encouraging sensitivity to the needs and perspectives of certain communities, nothing can quite match the level of understanding that comes from growing up and identifying with a community that is on the bottom end of any particular health disparity.  As it so happens in the US, the people with the worst health outcomes, who live under the worst environmental health conditions and receive the worst care, are disproportionately in communities of color.  Encouraging a more diverse public health workforce will help better address health disparities by bringing into the fold people who best understand the cultural context that surround the communities that need the most help.

Michelle

To all 2nd years who are still looking for internships in the great state of Michigan, check out: http://interninmichigan.com/

Or you can follow them on Twitter — I have found Twitter to be a great resource for job hunting! I follow the National Institutes for Health, the United Nations, and other great employers and job searching engines.

Here are some other recent ideas from U.S. News: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/01/04/4-little-known-tools-for-a-2012-job-hunt

Good luck with your search !

Katie Sloter

When I first moved here, I had come from spending a year living at home after college, working as a writer and dealing with health issues. I had traveled fairly extensively for my age, but was strangely saddened and scared of moving to a brand new place 11 hours away from my hometown.

Of course, I was focused, and I knew that I wanted my MPH for the career I wanted. I liked Ann Arbor’s charm, and knew logically this was the best decision. However, it was difficult to transition during that first week or two before school started and I did not know a soul.

I cannot tell you how fast that time has passed.  I am now faced with an engaging community whom I have come to care deeply about, and am once again strangely saddened that the dynamic will permanently change in just a few months. However, I am also excited for the futures and careers of friends whom I truly believe will do extraordinary things—and I feel privileged to be witness to it, and to have known them. I feel privileged to have gained community here in such a short time.

Josh Havumaki

Apologies to our friends in the bio-stats department. There is a definite need for statistical methods in public health. Many of the tools that biostatisticians use are well established and necessary for things like causal inference. However, there are certain questions that aren’t sufficiently addressed by statistical techniques. Therefore, dynamic mathematical models have become more prominent in epidemiology and other branches of public health.

Here are a few public health issues that can be explored more effectively using dynamic mathematical models.

1) Figuring out the best way to vaccinate a population. If GAVI allocates enough influenza vaccine to the government of Indonesia to inoculate 10% of the population, where should the prevention efforts be focused to ensure maximal coverage (e.g. rural vs. urban populations)?

Past literature has focused on sharing the worlds vaccine or antiviral stockpile. For example, if the wealthiest countries share only a fraction of their influenza vaccines with the developing world, the effects would be much greater than expected. As the strategy becomes more cooperative, the containment efforts become more effective – even for the countries sharing their vaccine or antiviral stockpiles.

2) Building multi scale representations of how disease progresses and spreads. The beauty of dynamic modeling is in its modularity. It is possible to combine a cellular model of influenza pathology with one of transmission dynamics at the population level. This can provide information about interplay between levels.

3) The right kind of dynamic model (i.e. an agent based model) can grant insight into the stochastic (random or unpredictable) nature of pandemics. If a small influenza outbreak of occurs in Southeast Asia, what is the threshold that needs to be reached before it becomes a pandemic. This can factor in things like herd immunity and heterogeneity of susceptibility in the population due to immunity.

The major caveat is that accurate and quantitative data to validate and inform dynamic models can be difficult to find especially in lower resource countries (where many pandemics start). However, data quality is ever improving and organizations are becoming more strategic about collecting and synthesizing large amounts of information as seen in fields like health informatics.

Tiffany Yang

It makes me really happy to see all the bikes parked outside SPH. At the start of fall term I have to fight for a parking spot but as winter approaches I have choice pick. I think a lot of people automatically assume you can’t or shouldn’t bike in the winter. I’d like to dispel this myth a few easy rules to follow. I personally bike year-round and might miss 2 or 3 days throughout the year due to bike maintenance issues. It can be pretty daunting to think about riding in the cold and snow, but it’s gotten easier every year and I kind of enjoy the challenge. Here are some of my personal commuting rules:

Rule number one: cover up your bits. Frozen earlobes suck.

Rule number two: Dress in layers; you’ll need less than you think. Really, there’s no need to look like you’re leaving for a winter expedition. However, rule one always trumps rule two and if it’s below zero, you bet I’ll be pulling on a balaclava. Your legs and core will warm itself up as you bike but your body’s weak spots include fingers, toes, ankles, throat, and ears. Winter essentials for me include wool socks, tights, boots, a scarf, long hair or a hat around my ears, and “choppers”. Choppers, mittens made from deer hide with a removable wool liner, are essential to my personal commute. They are wind-proof and mittens always win over gloves because your fingers get to keep each other company.

Finally, rule number three: no synthetic materials. It just doesn’t breathe! Nobody wants clammy feet and smelly clothes. Natural fibers feel better, they look nicer, and it’s another step towards convincing other people that you don’t need to be “geared out” to ride. Maybe you’ve seen bikers in the winter who are so padded out they look like they should be on a snowmobile out in the woods…that is not for me. There is no need for special clothing (other than a balaclava if you’re going to venture out when it’s way below freezing) and the only bike-related suggestion I would make is to get a studded tire so that you’ll have a better grip on the road when it’s icy.

Of course, helmets are a must. Always, always, always wear a helmet! I have seen so many people riding in and out of the SPH bike parking area without a helmet. Come on…this is totally a public health issue and if you can’t practice what you preach then how are you going to convince others? Does it look dorky? You bet it does! Has it protected my skull on more than one occasion? You bet. Please use one.

Also, if you’re biking in the dark, please use flashing lights (rear and front) and always be on your guard. You’re not as visible as you may think you are and you can’t totally blame a car for hitting you if they can’t see you. On that note, please also ride in the street because that’s where bikers belong; riding on the sidewalk (except when absolutely necessary) 1) make pedestrians mad, not to mention it is very dangerous and, 2) further cements the false idea that bikers don’t belong in the road. The more bikers ride where they’re supposed to (in the road), the more visible and normal it will seem to cars for us to be there. Follow the rules of the road (that means no blowing by stop signs and red lights) and we can all have a safer place to bike.

Happy commuting!

Michelle

So over the past two weeks, I have been fortunate to sit down with three lovely ladies to talk about their experiences on the trip to Biloxi, Mississippi, with the Public Health Action Support Team (PHAST) during Fall Break this past semester! Just another example of how you can put the knowledge you’re learning in the classroom into practice!

The PHAST group left for Biloxi on Thursday, October 13^th and came back to Ann Arbor Sunday, October 16^th. While in Mississippi, the team worked with the University of Mississippi and the nonprofit Visions of Hope. Here is the snippet about their trip:

“Students from the University of Mississippi and the University of Michigan partnered with Visions of Hope to qualitatively assess changes in the East Biloxi, Mississippi community. We inquired about change that has occurred over the past five years, notably since Hurricane Katrina devastated the area in 2005, with specific topics of interests including population shift, health care, education, employment, and housing. Students qualitatively interviewed residents of East Biloxi who were willing to participate. The results of the interviews will be used to develop a quantitative survey regarding change in the community that will be administered in the spring of 2012 in both Biloxi and the delta region of Mississippi. The final results of the quantitative survey will be shared with local agencies and service providers so that they may better address their clients’ needs.”

Here are a few of the highlights from the conversations I had with Alena Perez, Allison Yee, and Hillary Craddock:

Alena, 1^st year, HBHE:

M: The trip was during winter break?  How did that work for the students?

Alena: The trip was before winter break, during fall break.  Time management was key.  It was definitely manageable because it was a short trip and allowed for 3 days remaining of fall break to study.

M: Tell me about the people you met.

Alena: Everyone we partnered with was great, friendly, and easy to get along with.  I did not hear of anyone specifically having or encountering any negative people or situations within the community.  Of course not everyone agreed to interview, but many were open and very receptive.  It was overall a wonderful experience and I am curious how the project will proceed with the May trip.

Allison, 1^st year, EHS:

M: The trip was during Winter break? How did that work for the students?

Allison: I had just come out of undergrad – it was fine to keep going. While it would have been nice to have taken the break, the experience was worth it.

M: Did you get any downtime on the trip?

Allison: The group went out to dinner one night and it was fun. There’s not too much to do in Biloxi, the casinos are the major form of entertainment.

 Hillary, 1^st year, EPID:

M: Tell me about the people you met.

Hillary: We met a lot of people who were working to improve the community, both through Visions of Hope and out in the field. The people at VoH were dedicated to meeting the needs of the community, and they were eager to brainstorm with us on potential new programming. We heard many stories from people who helped recover after Katrina or were helping to clean up after the oil spill.

M: Did you get any downtime?

Hillary: We got some downtime in the evenings, and we were able to experience tasty local seafood and BBQ.

PHAST in Biloxi, MS

Thank you Allison, Alena, Hillary, and Dana!

And Happy Finals / Holiday Season Y’all!

Katie Sloter

Hello all!

I hope finals are going okay (“grumble grumble just get me through”). I hear you, but don’t despair, break is just around the bend.

I just wanted to write a short post on what it is like to be a GSI and be in graduate school full time. I feel very fortunate to have a GSI position (out-of-state tuition … I am from Iowa, remember?) However, it is a lot of work.

Did you hear me? A LOT. As in 30 hours a week on top of a full time course load.

However, I am learning way more than I ever thought I would teaching. I thought I would share some tidbits and positives (other than funding) that might make you consider applying for a GSI position.

1) I manage my time better. This includes truly valuing my sleep, which is a fairly new concept. It also includes truly prioritizing and balancing relationships with what I want to take out of my course load. I have also taken less than 15 credit hours this semester, which I have never done in the history of my college career (I am one of those nerdy types that gets seduced by those pithy course descriptions, and visions/promises of knowledge just dance around before my eyes).

2) The material I am teaching is relevant in my own profession. As public health is not traditionally an undergraduate degree, I am surprised at how much I am learning as I am teaching. Research methods, however, is extremely applicable to my own course load.

3) I enjoy my students, and want them to do well. This may not be “learning” exactly, but I count it as a reward. I am excited to see where some of them end up, and hope they have learned something in  my class on their way there.

4) I have developed relationships in other departments. Working with other GSIs and the professor of the course I GSI for has been a great experience, and it gives me a different perspective listening to their career path and insights.

5) I am organized. This may go hand in hand with 1, but I always envied those people with the bubbly handwriting and perfectly organized notebooks. However, this position has helped me organize (albeit with the same spazzy handwriting). But now, there is highlighting involved in the planning process. Color-coded highlighting= so very organized.

So there you go, some definite benefits to consider. Don’t be intimidated to apply to a position– you just might get it! AND the benefits. (Did I mention the color-coding? It could happen to you.)

Tasha

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a young sophomore, studying away for my exams in the crowded, but cozy library. Then . . .  it got me! The seasonal “God-knows-what-bug” got me! I went home with great grades, but I was also sniffling, sneezing, achy, and congested.

So why is the Library, and Final Exams in general, the perfect incubator for disease? (And I may be wrong in putting all the blame on the library, because I remember taking exams in rooms with 200 coughing, sneezing, and generally  infested other student) This list is partially scientific and partially my personal theories:

1. It’s warm. Students want to get in from the cold, and so do the germs. Just as people congregate and multiply in warm places, so do microbes.
2. It’s crowded. So many people in such a relatively small place, all huddled together with their snotty tissues of infected mucus.
3. No one has slept. And when you do not sleep, your immune system takes a big hit.
4. No one has eaten, or they have eaten really poorly. When you do not have the proper nutrition, your immune system takes another hit.
5. Everybody is STRESSED. And when it comes to fight or flight, your immunity flies.
6. Your immune system cannot fight, for the reasons stated above.
7. Some people have not bathed or brushed their teeth. I am not sure how this makes you more susceptible to disease, but I guess you could carry the little bugs on your body a lot easier if you have not showered.
8. Nobody has clean hands. Your either typing away at your laptop all day or clinging on to your good luck pencil. Even if you think to wash your hands, what do you do next? You return to the germ ridden keyboard or your “good luck” pencil. “Good luck” not getting sick.

The library may not be as dangerous a place as I have portrayed, but there are some things you can do to avoid getting sick.

1. Wash your hands.
2. Sanitize the things you touch the most (keyboard, mouse, pen, pencil, cell phone)
3. If the person sitting next to you sounds like they are about to cough up a lung, move.
4. If you see someone sneeze into the open air like an animal, give them a really nasty look, and then gesture for them to sneeze/cough into the crock of their arm.
5. Eat properly, and a diet of pizza does not count.
6. Get 8 hours of sleep, or as close as you can to eat.
7. And if you got 30 minutes, get a little exercise.

Good luck on your Finals.

Tasha Edwards