Prospective Students Day for HBHE

Danielle

Last Saturday I participated on a panel of students for Prospective Students Day.  We were four students from HBHE, asked to speak in front of a group of about 70 students. Each of these students was coming to see if the HBHE program at the University of Michigan School of Public Health is a proper fit for them.  When I walked into the building I suddenly felt very old.  I would finally be on the other side of things; I was finally not the one applying.  I did not need to frantically write down every last word about how to perfect my application and look in awe at the students who were already halfway through their master’s degree.  Instead, I was one of those students.   Instead, I would be the one answering questions, ready to bring forth my greatest wisdom.  The students would—in theory—be hanging onto my colleagues’ and my every word.  So, the pressure was on.  I wanted to represent the school well and help the prospective students get a better idea of whether public health, Health Behavior and Health Education, and a public health degree at the University of Michigan would be a good choice.

Before the prospective students piled into the auditorium in the School of Public Health building, Dr. Marc Zimmerman, Dr. Woody Neighbors, the other student panelists and I casually chatted and joked around, mentally preparing ourselves for approaching the morning session.  Finally the students came in.  I was amazed to see the large number of people—mostly girls—who were in attendance.  I realized then that I really am concerned with who will carry the school into the future and how well the students of the future will maintain the reputation of the program.

Marc Zimmerman made a speech about HBHE and the program, which included an analogy between the Karate Kid’s lessons from Mr. Miyage and underlying lessons learned throughout the MPH degree program.  It was an entertaining moment, but also very true.  As students we often do not realize how much we’re learning on a day-to-day basis until we go out into the field and apply the skills we’ve developed and the knowledge we have absorbed in the classroom.

Next Woody Neighbors spoke about the things he, as the head of HBHE admissions, and the admissions committee look for in student applications.  Overall, he said that there is not one factor or item in the application that the admissions committee pays most attention to or that carries the most weight.  The committee really looks for a candidate that is strong overall.  This means the devilish GRE that you didn’t do as well on as you’d hoped doesn’t have to be the end of a future career in public health.  So, all of the prospective students out there can hopefully now breathe a bit more easily.

Then it was our turn.  Marc Zimmerman and Woody Neighbors left the room to give us a comfortable space to speak openly about our experiences and allow the students to ask the “big” and “burning” questions.  I was amazed at the interesting and thought-provoking questions the prospective students, who were mostly undergraduates from the University of Michigan, posed.  How does the workload compare to your workload during undergrad? How do you maintain relationships during the program? Can you do international internships? What has your favorite course been so far?

Following the panel session, we went to have lunch with the students.  One eager student approached me and asked if I had one moment in which I knew I wanted to be in the field of public health.  I told her it was really a compilation of experiences that led me to pursue this degree. I sat with her at lunch so she could continue to pick my brain.  She seemed unsure about what field was the right one for her, but I could tell she was on her way to figuring it out.

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

Andy

Date: August 14, 2012

Location: Bar Louie

Reason: Happy Hour

Yesterday several of us from the incoming Public Health class met together for $1 burgers, cheap refreshments and fine conversation after work. It was viewed as an opportunity to get to know each other before the madness of orientation week, “what you want to do with your life” speeches and business card holders.

It took a little time to warm up the conversation, but eventually it felt just like talking to old friends. What have you been doing lately and what do you wish to conquer next? Each one brought a range of experience and background, all incredibly impressive and unique. Most importantly to me at least, all with an overarching purpose to better the lives of others through the healthcare industry. I think that’s what makes this experience so exciting, the ability to connect with such students. Professionals who feel the need to work for something greater than just profit margin.

Standing from left to right: Me, Cydni S., Joe E., Mary S., Jackie R., Deborah R., Chandrashekar S., Swathi V.

Shout out to Deborah for being the only non-HMP student to attend (HBHE in da house). I can only hope in the future representation increases. If you have a spouse/partner/roommate that wants to come, bring them too! When I asked the second years what helped them most during the school year they said, “Hands down, your classmates.” Let’s toast to a good two years and beyond for everyone. Cheers.

Andy Mychkovsky is a first year HMP student at the School of Public Health.

SPH Annual Poster Session / Speed Dating Last Friday!

Michelle

So I have never actually been speed dating, but I believe this past Friday’s SPH Poster Session was a similar experience. It’s chaotic with lots of new faces, lots to talk about, and little time to convey everything you want to! Maybe you’re even seeing people you sort of know or recognize…waving at others from across a crowded room…and sipping on water any chance you get, in hopes not to lose your voice while blathering on about yourself..

Anyways, here are some modified speed dating tips to prepare you for your poster session next year, first-years:

1. Prepare a Profile. (My version: Maybe just prepare?).
Basically, work on your internship elevator speech! I’m not sure if I prepared enough beforehand since my conversations went off into so many different directions (might be due to having two posters) but it’s a good idea to just have some points about your internship that you want to get across when speaking to the first-years or others who come visit. Keep it short and sweet, about 1 or 2 minutes long, and highlight the positive aspects of your internship.

2. Have Questions Ready.
Have a set of questions ready to ask each person who comes up to the poster for after you give your elevator speech. You want to ask about their interests and see how they can align with what you have done in your internships – or outside of the internships too. You can ask about their current classes or if they have a work study position. Find a way to make it more of a conversation instead of a presentation.

3. Have Confidence.
Yes, it really stinks talking about yourself for two hours straight, but remember that you could have a lot to give the newbies and try your best to stay positive…

4. Be Positive.
When the poster session begins, you may think there is no one there will come to talk to you. Thinking this way before the session even starts is a recipe for disaster. Keep your mind open and smile. Though you want to be positive in the way you speak about your internships, you should be honest about the barriers/problems you encountered in your experience.

5. Don’t be a flaw finder. (My version: Just because someone’s interests don’t match yours initially doesn’t mean that you should have them move on to the next poster! Find some common ground!)
This goes hand-in-hand with being positive and having questions ready above. But also important to remember is that you’re not just there to talk to the first-year students, but also professors, fellow students from other departments, professionals, and more. I actually had a long conversation with a freshman student who had been told I was working at the Center for Managing Chronic Disease and we talked about her pursuing public health for the rest of undergrad and maybe graduate school.

6. Avoid bringing personal baggage to the table. (My version: Don’t get to negative aspects of the internship right away, but do be honest about them).
Like mentioned above, it is your responsibility to be honest if there were negative aspects to the experience that someone who is interested in following in your footsteps should be aware of.

7. Be engaging.
I’m keeping some of what the Millionnaire Matchmaker said initially for this tip–  “Patti Says: ‘The conversation should become a ping-pong match…Respond to questions with positive energy and enthusiasm, and stay on neutral subjects…Witty banter is very important. Ask interesting questions, be a good listener as well as an active participant.’”
Say hi to everyone who walks by, even if they do NOT look interested initially. You can change their minds! I also tried to have an interactive component to my presentation with the ribbons’ colors and cancer awareness..

8. Go easy on the booze. (My version: While going easy on the booze should be pretty obvious …. Have a nonalcoholic beverage on hand).
Luckily, Kau’i was the poster next to me and went to get water for us, essentially coming the rescue when we were both dying of thirst!

9. If you’re interested, show some interest! (My version: If you and an individual are truly finding your interests align, put a little more effort in to make their experience a little better).
I ended up having some wonderful conversations and gave information to first-years about certain professors’ research, particular classes, and job/volunteer opportunities.

10. Mind your manners. (My version: Look nice, act professional, and engage with your peers and others).

Thank you to everyone I got to speak with on Friday – it was so much fun, even if you were just at my posters to snag some candy.

From left: Reva Berman, Bethany Buschmann, Leah Gacioch, and I at the 2011 SPH Poster Session for HBHE

Also if we didn’t get a chance to talk, or you have any additional questions for me about my summer internships at the Center for Managing Chronic Disease or the Cancer Support Community, please feel free to contact me! Thanks!

Tips modified based on two very credible sources:
http://www.ehow.com/way_5230035_speed-dating-tips.html
http://www.bravotv.com/the-millionaire-matchmaker/speed-dating/tips

An ELEGANT way to support those impacted by cancer!

Michelle

During my summer internship at the Cancer Support Community (CSC) of Greater Ann Arbor, I got involved in their latest initiative, The Brides Project. Based on a similar organization in Toronto, Canada, The Brides Project (TBP) is a non-profit run by volunteers dedicated to raising funds for the programs of the CSC through the resale of donated bridal gowns. Once-worn gowns donated by brides or unsold gowns donated by bridal shops are made available for purchase to brides-to-be at a considerable savings. All profits from the sale of the gowns go to the CSC to support programs and services for people touched by cancer.

The gowns are high quality and offered at costs of 50% below market prices. And the boutique is at 208 W. Liberty St. in downtown Ann Arbor, thanks to Mark Hodesh of Mark’s Carts and Downtown Home and Garden fame!

Lovely Front Door of The Brides Project Boutique!

I have been a volunteer at the Cancer Support Community for two years and it’s been wonderful every minute- but this project has gone above and beyond and shown me how creative you can be when you put your mind to it! My involvement with TBP started with many different planning committees – helping with anything I could along the way. I helped create the inventory system for the donated dresses and inevitably I ended up working at a bridal show…

Might be bad luck, but it was fun nonetheless! This upcoming weekend – I’m so lucky to be going with fellow HBHEr, Leah Gacoich, to an appointment at TBP boutique. She’s going to look so beautiful in all of the gowns! I will try to update the blog with some of her thoughts about the project after the appointment on Sunday.

Hope everyone is having a productive, fun Fall Study Break! Don’t forget to stop by my poster this Friday to learn more about The Brides Project and the Cancer Support Community!

My First Slice of Grad School Pie!

Claudia

Hey! I’m Claudia, a first year student in Health Behavior Health Education (HBHE). After a 6 year school hiatus, I come all the way from California to Michigan to pursue my Master Degree in Public Health. I will be blogging about my experience at the School of Public Health (SPH) and hope that my perspective gives you a genuine glimpse of what life at SPH is like.

It’s the start of the 4th week of classes and things are finally starting to fall into place. The first three weeks have been all about figuring out what works. What classes to take? Should I take notes on a laptop, ipad, or just a good old-fashioned paper notebook? It’s also been about figuring out the best way to manage my time and fit in classes, work, socializing with new friends, and all the reading and assignments that I am are required to do. Plus, the University of Michigan has plenty of student activities that you can start participating in right away!

My schedule is starting to fill up as I take advantage of these opportunities. There are so many public health-related organizations and events open to students  -that  it’s hard to choose!

This weekend was the 2011 Ann Arbor AIDS Walk and the School of Public Health was the top fundraising team (for the second year in a row), raising over $4,000. All the money raised goes exclusively to HARC (HIV/AIDS Resource Center) – which is the ONLY AIDS service organization serving many of the surrounding Michigan counties. I was thrilled to be a part of the SPH team and see the enthusiasm that my peers showed throughout the event.

Just for Fun – A Piece of Grad School Pie!

I decided to make a pie chart using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) of how I spend my time during a given week based on the first 3 weeks of school.

Results:

26.05% Sleeping

25.15%  Reading

7.19%     Thinking about  doing homework or readings

10.18%  Class (17 units)

5.99%    Working

7.49%    Dealing with moving issues – buying furniture & kitchen supplies; finding a shower curtain to match the bright pink

                  tiles in the bathroom.

8.38%    Freaking out! The moments while reading a research article that make you say – “Ah! I’m really in grad school!”

2.99%    Learning SPSS – Spending time in lab is inevitable!

6.59%    Other – Most likely made up of being on facebook, catching up with friends and family, eating, and showering when

                  possible.

* I know the percentages add up to 100.01 and I don’t know why. I guess I still have more SPSS learning to do!

Now that you’ve seen mine, what does your grad school pie look like?

Blog Spotlight: Emily Renda! HBHE Internship and Alumni Coordinator

Michelle

I’ll admit it — I stole this great idea from the wonderful Katie Sloter, who interviewed Jackie Cormany last semester. Another influential person, not only in the Health Behavior Health Education (HBHE) department, but throughout the School of Public Health (SPH), is Emily Renda.

An alumnus of the MPH program, I spoke with Emily about her role at SPH now –  Here are some snippets from our conversation:

M: What is one thing that you wish you knew when you were a student at SPH?

E: I wish I had known that it goes by so fast and when you’re in it, it feels like you’re slugging through… You’re taking Biostatistics, Epidemiology and you’re figuring out your internship. You’ve lost contact with all of your family and friends because you’re so busy. But the two years go by so fast, so try to take moments every once in a while to look around and appreciate and enjoy the position that you’re in.

M: What is your favorite part of your job now?

E: That I get to work with students! Absolutely – Far and above my favorite part.

M: I think we’re kind of obnoxious personally… (kidding, love you guys!)

E: Of course you are! That’s probably the hardest part too. It’s the best part, and at times the hardest part too. People are complicated and come with complicated situations – but that’s part of my position and I just so enjoy meeting people from all over the world. Everyone is so excited and enthusiastic and has great ideas and a lot of input to bring. So that’s definitely my favorite part.

M: Outside of your job, what do you enjoy?

E: I’m an outdoorsy-type of person. I’m pretty active- I enjoy running, swimming, yoga, biking. I have a dog – Mr. J. Brown, the light of my life. He’s a German Shepard mix, typical mongrel-type, six years old. So I spend a lot of time hiking with him and just doing things with him. I also enjoy movies and reading. Hanging out with my friends- I have a nice little friend base here in Ann Arbor; a lot of friends from when I was in school.

M: What do students come to you for?

E: I’m in the internship coordinator so students will come to me to talk about their internships. I’m also facilitating the new capstone course, so students will not have to come see me– they will have me in class. We’ll be doing an overview of internship requirements, M Portfolio, and professional development, as well as alumni and faculty panels, guest lectures. But I would encourage students to come to me for anything, whether it’s related to school or an issue with a class or colleague, or even personal – I would encourage students to come talk to me, my door is always open.

SUPER Quick Snippets:
How she’s feeling RIGHT now (well, at the time of the convo) = Excited!
She was born = In Cleveland, OH
Her favorite season of the year = Fall
She played this growing up = Swimming
She’s a huge fan of = UM & Cleveland sports (Indians, Browns, & Cavaliers)

While Emily primarily works with students in the HBHE department, she knows a LOT about SPH so she is definitely a valuable resource and feel free to contact her:

Office : 3782 SPH I
Phone: 734/763-6530
Email: erenda@umich.edu

Thank you Emily!

“Moving Public Health Forward in Challenging Times”

Michelle

Hi there! I’m Michelle and I’m a second-year student in the Health Behavior Health Education (HBHE) program at the School of Public Health (SPH).  I was approached by the Office of Public Health Practice to become the newest addition to the student blogger team and I’m excited to share my experiences at SPH with you!

One of the best ways to get directly involved in the field of Public Health while you’re in your program at University of Michigan School of Public Health is to join the Public Health Action Support Team (PHAST). It’s on the Student “To Do” List for a very good reason! Because of my background in community service and in emergency preparedness through working at the American Red Cross, I was immediately drawn to this group. This last March, I went on spring break with PHAST to the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas, right along the US-Mexico border, and worked with the Cameron County Department of Health and Human Services to assess local practitioners’ perspectives about the risk of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever in the valley. The team finished 15 qualitative interviews in about one week and came to some interesting conclusions about obstacles in the health care system and the education of health practitioners and the community.

Though I’m SUPER busy this summer with two internships at the Center for Managing Chronic Disease and the Cancer Support Community, this past week, I traveled to Hartford, CT, for the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) Annual Conference. The conference’s theme was “Moving Public Health Forward in Challenging Times.” Along with Dana Thomas from the Office of Public Health Practice, Roman Abeyta, the Epidemiologist at Cameron County Health Dept., and Brian Davis, a fellow student and Epidemiology Ph.D. candidate, I presented our results from the study of dengue fever in February at a poster session.

Brian Davis, Me!, Roman Abeyta

The conference was overall a great opportunity to learn and network with public health professionals. I met some UMSPH HBHE Alumni too!

Roman and I speaking about our project, "Assessing Healthcare Providers’ Knowledge and Concern of Dengue Fever and Binational Health in the Rio Grande Valley, TX"

It’s amazing what joining PHAST did for me this past year! I went to Texas for the first time, met so many wonderful friends and contacts, and attended and presented at my first conference! Thanks to all involved!

Feel free to email me with questions/comments in case you don’t feel comfortable sharing them below. Hope you check out my posts again soon!

Blogspot-light: Jackie Cormany, HBHE Student Administrative Coordinator-extraordinaire

Katie Sloter

I thought it would be fun to periodically interview the important people who contribute to making SPH run the way it does. One person who has been particularly helpful to me in this process is Jackie Cormany, HBHE Student Administrative Coordinator, and I know I am not the only one who is privy to this information!* Let’s take a peek into the life of Jackie!

Jackie Cormany, HBHE Student Administrative Coordinator-extraordinaire

So Jackie, what is your story?

If I were to describe myself both here and at home, I guess it would be problem solver.  I think that is why I like this job.

What kind of problems do you solve?

Well, with my kids and husband, it’s every day stuff like… Do you know where I put my work gloves?  Or… I have a Spanish project due tomorrow and it’s not working out. Can you fix it?  At SPH I might have to find a creative way to squeeze in an extra credit that someone might be lacking to graduate.  Recently, I have had the challenge of remembering alum that may be able to help our first year students find internships.

Well how did you end up at SPH?

My best from high school’s aunt worked for Accounts Payable. My friend and I worked temporarily, and then I soon moved into another job located in Student Loan & Records.  They ended up hiring me full time. Through another friend, I heard about a job as a receptionist in what is now Academic Affairs.  I was then promoted to an admissions assistant.  In the summer of 1996 I noticed a posting for my current position and I have been in HBHE ever since.

What is your favorite part of your job?

I really do like how every day is not the same. Every day I have different tasks, and I see different people. Each spring I see students leave, but in the fall I have a new crew of students coming in.  And I really do like the faculty I work with—I don’t think I would have been here as long if it weren’t for them.

Outside of your job, what do you enjoy?

I enjoy family time. My favorite thing to do during the summer is hang out at my parents’ cottage with my extended family, which includes the extended pet family. I also really like being around teenagers.  I find them so interesting, challenging and fun.

Where are you from?

I am from a little farming community called Deerfield.  People find it funny that there were 22 people in my graduating class. Now I live in Blissfield.  I haven’t made it out of Lenawee County…

What do students come to you for?

Students come to me to make sure they are taking all the right classes, for contacts for internships or jobs—especially for particular areas of interests or locations.  Sometimes students just visit to debrief their day.

If you had any one piece of advice to offer current and prospective students, what would you say?

Ask a lot of questions.  Whether it is in the classroom or a job or field placement interview, just ask a lot of questions.  You may think that you are being a burden, but this means you are engaged and are thinking seriously about your future.

 

*Check out another link raving about Jackie!

Field Placement Bringing my Dual Degrees Together

 

Carrie Rheingans

 

My current social work field placement is really bringing my two degree programs together. I’m a dual degree student – doing a Master of Public Health in SPH (in the department of Health Behavior and Health Education) and a Master of Social Work at the School of Social Work. I’m studying Community Organization and Community & Social Systems in social work. There are many dual degree options for students in public health, and it can be a really great investment if you want to work in multiple fields.

This is my third and final year of the dual degree program, and I’m happy that my courses and field experiences are really coming together in my learning. For my public health department, students usually do a 3-4 month field placement between their two years. I did a year-long placement at the HIV/AIDS Resource Center as an AmeriCorps member for the National AIDS Fund’s national direct AmeriCorps program in Detroit. For a social work degree, students can elect to do either two field placements (one each during each academic year) or one longer-term placement (from January – December of one calendar year). Most students elect to do the single placement, but I elected to do two.

This year’s placement is at the Washtenaw County Public Health department and I’m working with a number of community members to develop a Latin@ community center, Casa Latina, for Washtenaw County. I’m applying coursework in both schools that has covered grant-writing, program development, program evaluation, community participation, multi-level interventions, social marketing, survey design, materials creation, leadership development, and community organization and development. It’s nice to be able to apply what I’ve learned, and even combine some tasks at my field placement with current coursework. For example, for my program evaluation class, my final project is to create an evaluation plan for a health program – which is one of my tasks for a grant I’m writing at my placement. For another class, my final project is to create a community participation plan, which is something we need to do for Casa Latina anyway.

It’s great when I get to do public health practice during the semester and apply the things I’m learning in the classroom to the real world. Sometimes I wish there was a larger field component in public health, but there are definitely options for getting more real-world practice if you look for them.

How Public Health Fields Work Together

Carrie Rheingans

Sitting in my introductory environmental health class recently, I had a flash of complete understanding about how all the varied fields of public health work together. U-M School of Public Health divides the fields five ways: Environmental Health Sciences, Health Behavior and Health Education, Health Management and Policy, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics. I’m going to stick to these divisions to explain my understanding.

Professor Hu was discussing how the environmental health scientists would collect information about the exposures people have to something in their environment, and how the epidemiologists would design studies to compare various populations’ health outcomes based on that exposure. Biostatisticians would evaluate the data and create reports in conjunction with the epidemiologists. Health behaviorists and educators would interpret these studies and figure out ways to help people change their behaviors to avoid exposure to things that negatively impact health. People who write health policies would also interpret the epidemiological studies to make policies that can make structural changes to help people be able to change their behaviors to improve their health.

A great example that illustrates all this is smoking. Recently, in Michigan, public places went smoke-free. This was a health policy change, and many of the people working for that law change are actually staff and alumni of U-M SPH! Prior to that, lots of other parts of public health had been trying to reduce people’s exposure to smoke – either first-hand or second-hand. Epidemiologists and biostatisticians had been collecting data for years about the detrimental effects of second-hand smoke on people who work in smoky environments. Health behavior change specialists were working with individuals to quit smoking, or to learn to avoid second-hand smoke if they were non-smokers. In the end, all the fields of public health worked together to bring about individual, community, and state-wide changes that will improve the public’s health.