Public Health SPOTlight Podcast

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Tahani Waqar, a physician and community health researcher at Aga Khan University Hospital in Pakistan. They discuss what public health or community medicine is like in Pakistan and how Tahani’s love and passion for public health came to be. You’ll LearnTahani’s journey from clinical medicine to community health and research workWhat projects and research work Tahani has done and what areas of community health she is interested inWhat a day in the life of Tahani’s school and work is likeHow the community medicine residency program is structured at Aga Khan University The biggest challenges that Tahani has faced in her professional journey so far and how she has overcome themAdvice from Tahani for others interested in public health and early career public health professionalsWhat the public health system in Pakistan is like and what unique challenges it brings to public health professionals working in PakistanToday’s GuestMy name is Tahani. I hold a bachelor's degree in medicine (MBBS), graduated in 2017. I am currently enrolled in the community medicine residency program, a synonym for public health in Pakistan, in one of the most prestigious institutions in Pakistan, Aga Khan University Hospital. My first work experience in public health was in the National Committee of Maternal and Child Health. I am extensively trained in providing Family Planning Contraceptive Methods. Since then I have been very much interested in the Sexual and Reproductive Health and improving S&R health status in Pakistan. ResourcesLearn more about Aga Khan University The previous episode with Sophiya Garasia Tahani’s tribute to Imtiaz KamalOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeUpcoming course on infographics: phspot.ca/infographicsLearn more about PH Spot's 6-week training programSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Dr. Nikita Sandeep Wagle, a physician-researcher from Mumbai, India who is currently working and studying in the US. They talk about Nikita’s experience as an international student and give advice for others who may be thinking about pursuing higher education in a different country. You’ll LearnNikita’s journey into health care and what sparked her interest in public healthNikita’s research interests and what she is currently working on Why Nikita was interested in pursuing her graduate degrees in the US as opposed to other countriesWhat factors international students may want to consider when they’re thinking about pursuing higher education in the USTips from Nikita on the application process and the process of moving to a different countryNikita’s experience as an international graduate student at UNC and Texas A&MThe importance of having a support system and building a strong network in a new countryWhere to find academic and financial resources as an international graduate student How Nikita’s Instagram page came into being and what she hopes to achieve from itToday’s GuestDr. Wagle holds a PhD in Health Services Research from Texas A&M School of Public Health and a Masters Degree from Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC-Chapel Hill. Prior to coming to the US, she practiced briefly as a Physician in India. Her research focuses on cancer health equity. She is an incoming Principal Scientist in the Department of Surveillance and Health Equity Science at the American Cancer Society. ResourcesNikita's InstagramAcademeology Instagram as mentioned by NikitaOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeUpcoming course on infographics: phspot.ca/infographicsLearn more about PH Spot's 6-week training programSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Today’s career tip is on career visions and the power that they hold! Knowing what kind of career you want to one day have can give you a strong sense of control and peace of mind. It might not seem easy to conceptualize something that far into the future, but today's Quick Career Tips episode will help you do exactly that. Specifically, you’ll learn:What a career vision isWhy it’s important that you draft a career visionHow you can get started with drafting a career vision that guides your next career move!LEAVE A REVIEW! If you are listening to this on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast or Spotify, please do leave us a review so that other public health professionals know what to expect and also for us to know how you are enjoying these episodes!Sign up to our mailing list to be notified when the career program is available for enrollment!Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Denise Chow, a 1st year MPH student studying at the Yale School of Public Health. Denise was accepted into all five MSPH/MPH programs she applied to and in this episode, she speaks about her application process and gives some great advice for others considering pursuing a graduate degree.You’ll LearnHow Denise came upon the field of public health and experiences led to her knowing it was the right field for her What influenced Denise’s decision in pursuing an MPH vs. an MSPH and why she decided to enter the graduate degree right after completing her undergradWhat considerations prospective students should make when deciding which schools and programs to apply toDenise’s decision making process and how she ultimately made the choice to study at Yale amongst the other schools she was accepted intoTips from Denise on how to strengthen applications for graduate schoolHow having a solid support network is important through your education and career path, especially as a first generation student with unique barriers during the application processHow to go about building this support networkAdvice from Denise for others who may be considering higher educationToday’s GuestDenise Chow is a 1st-year MPH student at the Yale School of Public Health. She recently graduated from University of California, Berkeley, studying Public Health and Education. Her research interests include mental health and well-being, qualitative and community-based participatory research, social and interpersonal relationships, and early childhood development among children, refugees, and displaced populations.ResourcesConnect with Denise on LinkedIn Other PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeUpcoming course on infographics: phspot.ca/infographicsLearn more about PH Spot's 6-week training programSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Stephanie Moxley, the founder of Moxley Public Health Consulting. They discuss Stephanie’s journey into building her own public health consulting company and talk about what goes into becoming a successful entrepreneur in the public health field.You’ll LearnStephanie’s path to public health and what drew her to the MPHHow parenthood has changed Stephanie’s career path and advice for other new parents that are managing their own businessesWhat Moxley Public Health is and why Stephanie wanted to start her own consulting company What challenges Stephanie faced and early successes she achieved through her companyWhat kinds of projects Moxley Public Health takes on and how the company has evolved over the yearsFuture plans and new initiatives Moxley Public Health has in storeAdvice from Stephanie for fellow entrepreneurs including what character traits or skills may help someone become a successful entrepreneur How networking is essential in working as a consultant in public health and tips on how to cultivate this skillToday’s GuestStephanie Moxley is the owner and founder of Moxley Public Health (MPH) Consulting. Stephanie first began her career in public health 20 years ago as a health educator and program coordinator focused on HIV/STD prevention at the GO GIRL! Program at Bronx AIDS Services in Bronx, New York. After discovering her passion for the field of community public health, she moved to Boston and continued her education and training at Boston University School of Public Health. During graduate school, Stephanie was chosen for the HIV Social and Behavioral Sciences fellowship, worked full-time as a research assistant in a youth alcohol and marijuana study conducting motivational interviewing, was the president of PHAM (Public Health Alliance for Minorities), and completed her internship conducting health education at a rural community in Jamaica. Following graduate school, Stephanie worked on several projects from the local level all the way up to CDC federally funded projects. Stephanie has committed her career to focus on health promotion, addressing health disparities and inequities, and working to improve the health of both rural and urban communities. Stephanie seeks to understand a problem and finds a solution that is driven by data and evidence-based practices. ResourcesLearn more about Moxley Public Health ConsultingConnect with Stephanie on LinkedInOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Christina Ricci, an epidemiologist with the Public Health Agency of Canada and an avid volunteer. They discuss the importance of volunteerism and what motivates Christina to keep volunteering.You’ll LearnHow Christina got into the field of public healthChristina’s volunteering journey and what motivated her to continue seeking out volunteer rolesHow Christina’s early volunteer experiences shaped her interest in public health and vice versaWhat some of the most rewarding volunteer positions have been for Christina and what skills she learned - both expected and unexpectedWhy it is important for Christina to continue volunteering, even after she landed a full-time public health job How to identify and land volunteer experiences, both formally and informallyHow to integrate volunteer work into your resumeFactors to consider before taking on a volunteer roleTips on how to balance volunteer work with other work and playAdvice from Christina for students and early career professionals as it relates to public health volunteer workToday’s GuestChristina is an Epidemiologist with the Public Health Agency of Canada and completed her Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology at the University of Toronto. Outside of work she volunteers with various universities doing systematic reviews, as a program manager for an NGO improving disability services access and disability inclusion stigma in West Africa as well as with the United Nations to name a few. She has also started her own program for newcomers to Canada to connect them to resources through webinars and workshops. ResourcesRecommendations from Christina on where to look for volunteering opportunitiesUnited Nations VolunteersWe Make Change Young Diplomats of CanadaFORAApathy is BoringUnite2030Capital Integration Movement Other PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Tieisha Walters to discuss her experience with the Master of Public Health / Master of Science in Social Work program from Columbia University. They chat about what the dual degree is like and what doors it has opened for Tieisha.You’ll LearnHow Tieishia found her way into the public health fieldWhat motivated Tieisha to pursue the dual MSSW/MPH Tieisha’s experience with the MSSW/MPH program and what she would have done differentlyWhat Colombia’s dual MSSW/MPH program is like including:How courses are structured What practicum opportunities may be availableHow social work and public health learning was integrated throughout the programMain advantages of doing a dual degree Advice from Tieisha for others who might be considering an MPH/MSW degreeTieisha’s experiences working around the world and how her knowledge in both social work and public health has benefited herTips from Tieisha on searching for jobs with a dual degreeToday’s GuestTieisha Walters received a Master of Public Health and a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University in 2017. After graduating from Columbia, Ms. Walters served one year as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Zambia. During her time in Zambia, Ms. Walters focused on reducing the prevalence of maternal and neonatal deaths. Upon returning to the U.S., Ms. Walters worked as a Resource Coordinator teaching sexuality education to high school students. However, when covid-19 was declared a pandemic, Ms. Walters decided to utilize both her MPH and MSW skills to assist her city (NYC) in combating this virus. Ms. Walters worked as both a Contact Tracer for NYC Health + Hospital and as a Public Health Analyst contractor for CDC. Presently, Ms. Walters is working as a Licensed Social Worker/ Community Partnership Manager for the Economic Opportunity Commission of Nassau County. Ms. Walters believes that her purpose on earth is to be in public service and to help improve the lives of others, one individual at a time. ResourcesLearn more about Colombia's MSSW and MPH Dual Degree Other PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeUpcoming course on infographics: phsSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Today’s career tip is to make time for self-care in your career!As much as we here at PH SPOT love talking about building a fulfilling career in public health, we recognize that doing so is not as easy as it seems and that making time for self-care is an essential part of this process.What You'll Learn from this Episode:Why self-care is essential and should be prioritized for public health professionalsExamples of what to do for self-careBenefits of self-careFeatured on the Show:Design your dream public health career: A hands-on career program to help you gain clarity and confidence in your career path and take action towards your goals.PLEASE LEAVE US A REVIEW!On SpotifyOn Apple PodcastOther Resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formBe notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Kira Riehm, a psychiatric epidemiologist and a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. They discuss Kira’s journey and interest in mental health and things to consider when pursuing education in the U.S.You’ll LearnWhat kicked off Kira’s interest in pursuing a career in mental healthWhat Kira’s journey has been like so far and where she hopes to go nextWhat things to consider if you are thinking of pursuing education in the U.S. versus in CanadaAn overview of the Johns Hopkins PhD in the Department of Mental Health program including:What coursework is likeThe specialties of being the only mental health department in a school of public healthWhat Kira’s research interests are and what she has worked on in the pastKira’s postdoctoral experience and what research she is currently working onWhat it was like for Kira being a Canadian student doing her PhD in the U.S.What financial resources are available for Canadian students looking to pursue higher education abroadAdvice from Kira for public health students, especially for those looking at studying abroad or pursuing research experiencesTips from Kira on how to plan out a career pathToday’s GuestKira is a psychiatric epidemiologist and a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The primary aim of her research is to understand the causes, correlates, and consequences of mental health disorders among adolescents. Drawing on a wide variety of data sources, she designs research studies that involve the application of rigorous epidemiologic methods to answer pressing questions about youth mental health and substance use. Her work has been published in JAMA Psychiatry, Pediatrics, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and American Journal of Public Health.ResourcesLearn more about Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's PhD in the Department of Mental Health program Learn more about the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Doctoral Research AwardsLearn more about Kira and her researchIf you have any further questions for Kira, you can contact her by emailOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-pickedSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Brett Otis, the Communications Project Manager in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. They discuss Brett’s work at Harvard Chan on “The Nutrition Source” and the responsibilities of those presenting health information to the public. You’ll LearnBrett’s career path and how he came to work in public health communications What a day as the Communications Project Manager in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan looks likeWhat “The Nutrition Source” is and the process of producing this sourceTips from Brett on how to consume health information from mediaSome lessons that Brett has learned about communicating public health informationWhat the biggest challenges for individuals working in public health face when communicating health informationBrett’s observations about public health communication during COVID-19 and what he has seen working well vs. what could be improvedAdvice from Brett for individuals who might be interested in a similar careerToday’s GuestBrett O. Otis, ALM, is a Communications Project Manager in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health where he lends strategic support to multiple initiatives, including the department’s primary public-facing website, The Nutrition Source, and annual Healthy Living Guide. He also serves as a key guest lecturer in the MPH course, Nutrition Communication in Practice. Additionally, he is a co-author of Eat Well and Keep Moving (3rd edition, 2016), a school-based nutrition and physical activity program developed for upper-elementary school children. Merging education and training in journalism, health communications, and sustainability, along with professional experience in public health nutrition communications, his work is all about making research accessible and useful to a range of audiences—from policymakers and educators, to the general public. ResourcesMore info about The Ladder of AbstractionRead the Wired article about science literacyFrameworks resourcesAccess The Nutrition Source and read the article about consuming science in mediaOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opporSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Joanna Suder, a deputy attorney general representing the Division of Public Health for the state of Delaware. They chat about what tasks public health attorneys may be responsible for, how it was like working through the pandemic, and Joanna’s experiences writing “Pandemic for Babies”.You’ll LearnHow Joanna entered the field of public health lawHow health specialized law programs differ from regular law programsWhat public health law entails and what a typical day may look like for a public health attorneyHow Joanna’s workload and the cases she works on have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemicWhat other professionals Joanna collaborate with in her workOther paths that people specialized in health law may go on to doJoanna’s experience co-authoring the book “Pandemics for Babies” and how she balanced writing a book along with her regular workload The importance of understanding tech in public health lawWhat advice Joanna has for others who are interested in following a similar pathToday’s GuestJoanna Suder is a Deputy Attorney General in the Civil Division of the Delaware Department of Justice. She is currently the Unit Head for the Health Law Unit and supervises a team in addition to her work representing the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services as well as the Division of Public Health. Joanna was the lead health attorney responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. In her ample free time, Joanna co-authors articles and children's books with her husband, an infectious disease epidemiologist. A true lawyer, Joanna wants you to know that nothing she says necessarily represents the views of the Delaware Department of Justice of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. ResourcesListen to the previous episode with Neal Goldstein, the co-author (and Joanna’s husband!) of “Pandemic for Babies”Purchase “Pandemics for Babies” from the publisher or from AmazonOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blogSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Today’s career tip is on the types of jobs that public health has to offer!The great thing about public health is that there’s a job that’s bound to match your interests, strengths, values, and needs. Today’s Quick Career Tips episode acts as an introduction to some of these jobs and why they may be a good fit for you.What You'll Learn from this Episode:The four categories that most public health jobs fall into:Epidemiology and researchPublic policy and program managementEnvironmental healthCommunity healthJob titles that fall under each category and the kind of work each one involvesHow you can learn more about jobs in public healthFeatured on the Show:Podcast Episode: ABC’s Of Informational Interviews In The Public Health World, With Shanna ShulmanDesign your dream public health career: A hands-on career program to help you gain clarity and confidence in your career path and take action towards your goals.PLEASE LEAVE US A REVIEW! On SpotifyOn Apple PodcastSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Dr. Nitin Mohan who holds both an MD and MPH. They discuss how Nitin’s work experience in medicine led him to pursuing an MPH and talk about ETIO Public Health Consultants, a company co-founded by Nitin that works to bring evidence-based public health information and solutions to businesses.You’ll LearnNitin’s path from completing his MD to pursuing an MPH How training as an MD strengthened Nitin’s ability to be a public health professional and vice versaWhat ETIO is including:Company goals What kind of projects ETIO takes onWhat kind of backgrounds team members come fromNitin’s keys to success for entrepreneurship in the public health worldWhat holding a faculty position and mentoring students has taught NitinWhat lessons Nitin has learned about science communication working through the COVID pandemicAdvice from Nitin for public health students and early career professionalsToday’s GuestDr. Nitin Mohan is an assistant professor who teaches courses in the Master of Management and Applied Sciences and Master of Public Health programs. He is also a partner and physician epidemiologist at a private public health consultancy firm and research think tank called ETIO which is based in Toronto, Ontario. He obtained his Medical Doctorate in 2015 and his Master of Public Health in 2017.He specializes in infectious disease surveillance and preventive medicine. He has experience coordinating national surveillance activities ensuring optimal data practices across multiple sectors. Through his role at ETIO he works with private and public sectors and Non-Governmental Organizations on various projects ranging from knowledge translation, data management, research design and clinical guideline development, software development and program development. His interests include preventive medicine, global health, public health, health equity, health economics and population health.ResourcesRead ETIO’s anti-black racism in Ontario report and other reports Learn more about ETIO’s RMP2 tool and the P3 dashboardOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Brooke Mootry, a public health recruiter who has years of experience working directly in public health. They chat about The Public Health Network, a recruitment firm founded by Brooke that focuses on those in public health, and give tips for public health professionals seeking work. You’ll LearnBrooke’s career path and how she went from working in public health directly to being the one recruiting public health professionalsWhat The Public Health Network is and its goalsBrooke’s motivation for starting the Public Health NetworkHow recruitment companies work and the process for identifying potential candidates Insider tips on what recruiters look for and how you can increase your chances of being recruitedWhat challenges and opportunities there are for public health professionals navigating the job market todayHow LinkedIn is an important resource for both those looking for and recruiting workTips from Brooke for early career public health professionals putting forward a strong applicationRed flags to avoid that recruiters see when reviewing or screening applicationsToday’s GuestBrooke Mootry is the CEO and Lead Recruiter of The Public Health Network (TPHN), a full-service firm specializing in the recruitment of public health professionals. Since 2019, TPHN has led national and international recruitment searches for community organizations and businesses seeking talented public health professionals. Brooke Mootry, has nearly 20 years of public health practice in non-profit and government settings. Her background includes program design and management with specialized experience in HIV/AIDS, adolescent health and tobacco prevention. Ms. Mootry is CHES-certified and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health Education from Florida State University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Florida Atlantic University. When she is not recruiting top talent, Brooke is an avid reader who enjoys spending time with family.ResourcesConnect with Brooke on LinkedIn Visit The Public Health Network and submit your resumeListen to the PH Spotlight episode with former LinkedIn employee Jeremy Schifeling, mentioned by SujaniOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunitiesSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Sarah to discuss mental health and school. Sarah opens up about some of the mental health challenges she faced during the completion of her MPH coursework as well as her practicum placements and some of the steps she took to work through these obstacles.You’ll LearnSarah’s personal experiences with mental health struggles while completing her MPH degree and practicumsThe impact mental health struggles had on Sarah’s MPH experience, including impacts on work and school performanceSarah’s journey of reaching out and the steps she took to seek helpWhat barriers and challenges Sarah faced on her journey to get helpAdvice for others in a similar situation including how you can reach out to employers or professors to discuss accommodating mental health challenges.What types of on-campus and off-campus mental health services are available Today’s GuestSarah Martone is from Markham, Ontario (Canada) and completed her undergraduate degree in 2017 at the University of Guelph in Honours Zoology, and took a year afterwards to figure out what she wanted to pursue for graduate studies. In 2018, she was accepted to the University of Guelph’s Master of Biomedical Science program, specializing in reproductive biotechnology where she completed her masters research project at the Toronto Zoo. During her program she decided she wanted to pursue a career in public health to use her animal science background and interest in human health. She was accepted this year to the Master of Public Health program at the University of Guelph for the Fall 2019 semester and finished in the spring of 2021. ResourcesPsychology Today WebsiteSarah’s LinkedInReach out to Sarah at [email protected] Canadian mental health resourcesListen to the previous episode with Sarah Other PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeUpcoming course on infographics: Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Today’s career tip is on choosing a public health stream that’s the right fit for you!When you do a quick search of public health programs, you’re bound to be bombarded with a list of several programs, but in this week’s episodes, we break down the main public health streams, the skills they help you develop, and the jobs they help you land.What You'll Learn from this Episode:Why a career in public health can be so versatileWhat the difference is between different public health streams, like epidemiology, health policy, health promotion, environmental and occupational healthThe different careers that each public health stream can help you landFeatured on the Show:Design your dream public health career: A 4-week intensive hands-on program to help you gain clarity and confidence in your career path and take action towards your goals.Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Bhargav Krishna to discuss his experiences pursuing higher education all around the world. Bhargav gives tips on choosing between programs, considerations that need to be made when choosing programs, and shares his experience with Harvard’s Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program. You’ll LearnWhy Bhargav decided to pursue a DrPH and how he decided on a DrPH over a PhD What made Bhargav choose to pursue Harvard’s DrPH program Tips on choosing the right DrPH programA brief summary of what you might expect from Harvard’s DrPH program Bhargav’s biggest learnings from the DrPH program and how he has changed as a professional sinceHow Bhargav is using skills from the DrPH in his current workThe diverse career paths that other graduates from the program are onAdvice for anyone considering pursuing a DrPH Today’s GuestBhargav Krishna is a Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research. His research interests span areas of health policy, environmental policy, and environmental epidemiology, with a focus on the impact of air quality and climate change on health. Previously, Bhargav set up and managed the Centre for Environmental Health at the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), where he led work on air quality, climate, and health. In this capacity, he served on Union and State government expert committees on air pollution, biomedical waste, and critically polluted areas. He has also carried out work on health systems and sustainable development across several states. Bhargav holds a Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, a Master’s degree in Global Environmental Change from Kings College London and an undergraduate degree from Anna University, Chennai. He is Adjunct Faculty at PHFI and Visiting Faculty at Azim Premji University where he teaches environmental health and health policy respectively. He is also co-founder of Care for Air, a Delhi-based non-profit working to raise awareness of air pollution among school children.ResourcesBhargav Krishna’s LinkedIn Learn more about Harvard’s DrPH programAn alumni spotlight article on BhargavOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits with Leshawn Benedict, a cofounder of Public Health Insight. They talk about Leshawn’s story of his involvements in different public health fields as well as what Public Health Insight is and how they're achieving their mission. You’ll LearnHow Leshawn became interested and involved in the field of public health Advice for students thinking about applying for grad school and planning for future career prospectsLeshawn’s experiences learning about the public health environment of ThailandLeshawn and his co-founders’ motivations for starting Public Health InsightHow Public Health Insight has evolved and grown What the benefits of engaging in extracurricular public health endeavors and personal initiatives on top of “formal” work areFindings from Leshawn’s article “Podcasting as a Tool for Health Communication? The Public Health Insight Podcast and Emergent Opportunities”How podcasting can be used as an effective form of communicating public health informationLeshawn’s biggest learnings, surprises, and challenges when starting a podcastToday’s GuestLeshawn Benedict is a Community Manager for a Global Health Community of Practice with over 250 members across 35 countries, focusing on addressing implementation gaps and current issues facing Neglected Tropical Disease programs. He received his Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, majoring in Biochemistry and Biology, and completed his Master of Public Health and Master of Science (Global Health Management) degrees at Western University and McMaster University. Leshawn has a keen interest in project management and student mentorship. He is also the Founder of Public Health Insight, a public health organization committed to leading and innovating modern solutions to support evidence-informed public health communication, education, and knowledge translation.ResourcesAn interview with Leshawn about the MSc. Global Health Management program at McMaster UniversityRead “Podcasting as a Tool for Health Communication? The Public Health Insight Podcast and Emergent Opportunities” The Public Health Insight websiteListen to the Public Health Insight podcastOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities eveSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Neal Goldstein to talk about his career as an infectious disease epidemiologist and author. They discuss Neal’s career from working as an engineer to becoming a public health expert and his experience writing a book designed to explain complex scientific ideas to younger audiences. You’ll LearnThe importance of communication skills in the public health fieldTips that Neal has for developing or practicing communication to different audiencesNeal’s experience going from working as an engineer to an infectious disease epidemiologistWhat skills he took from his previous career were useful in his current careerWhat new skills he needed to succeed in his current careerWhat the book “Pandemic for Babies” is aboutHow Neal and his co-authors came up with this book ideaNeal’s experience as an academic and researcher writing a book targeted to younger audiencesNeal’s process for distilling complex topics so they can be understood by childrenSurprises Neal discovered about communication when writing for different audiencesToday’s GuestNeal D. Goldstein, PhD, MBI is an Assistant Research Professor of Epidemiology. With a background in biomedical informatics, he focuses on computational approaches in complex data settings, especially electronic health records and disease surveillance, to understand infectious disease transmission among vulnerable populations. This has been demonstrated through his work with blood borne pathogens (HIV and hepatitis C), COVID-19, vaccine preventable diseases, and healthcare associated infections. ResourcesNeal Goldstein's websiteYou can purchase “Pandemics for Babies” from the publisher or from AmazonYou can purchase “Germ Theory for Babies” from the publisher or from AmazonOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive haSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani is back with Meghan Haffey to discuss working as a research assistant (RA) and a teaching assistant (TA). Meghan describes her own experience of working as both an RA and TA during grad school and discusses tips on how to secure and thrive in these positions. You’ll LearnWhat a research assistant (RA) isWhat a teaching assistant (TA) isHow these roles can add to the graduate school experienceAdvice on how to balance work and school at the same time and ideal times to take on these roles during schoolThe importance of communication in these rolesHow to seek and land these opportunitiesHow to tell if an opportunity will be a good “fit” for youTips from Meghan on how to thrive in a role as an RA or TAToday’s GuestMeghan Haffey is passionate about health advocacy, wellness promotion, nutrition, disease education and prevention, languages, serving people of all cultures, and leadership. She is currently finishing her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree in Health Promotion and Health Education with a minor in Health Policy. She has completed all doctoral-level coursework, passed the preliminary exam, and is now working on her dissertation. She is also working full-time as a graduate research assistant on the UTHealth RADx-UP121 COVID-19 testing and vaccination project and on the production of a health promotion graduate school textbook.She graduated from Baylor University as a University Scholars major in the Honors Program, concentrating in the sciences, public health, Spanish and Chinese. She then completed her Masters in Public Health (MPH) degree in Epidemiology with a Leadership Studies Concentration at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston. She also graduated from the Archer Graduate Program in Public Policy at the Archer Center in Washington, D.C. As an Archer Graduate Fellow, she worked with the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) in the Government Affairs department. Her experiences have ignited a passion to ultimately pursue a public health career in disease prevention, health education and wellness promotion.ResourcesSujani’s previous interview with Meghan about the Doctor of Public Health ProgramOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Today’s career tip is on how to pitch your public health experience and skill-set to land that job, interview, or opportunity you’ve been eyeing for some time! Pitching yourself to a stranger can definitely be daunting, but with the help of this week’s episode, you’ll feel confident enough to start crafting your pitch.You’ll learn:What an elevator pitch is and how it can open up a wealth of opportunities throughout your public health careerHow to develop an effective elevator pitch, including a public-health specific exampleThe do’s and don'ts of writing an effective pitch that leaves a lasting impact on your target audience If you're looking for more career guidance, the Jumpstart your public health career program can help you. A hands-on intensive Career Workshop to empower early professionals, recent grads, and students with the mindsets, skills, and tools required to land public health jobs, advance in their careers, and become future public health leaders. Join the waitlist to be notified of upcoming cohorts!Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!On this episode, Sujani sits down with Harman Sandhu and Aditi Garg from Public Health Connect (PHC). They discuss what PHC is and how it supports students and early-career professionals to succeed in the workforce. You’ll LearnWhat Public Health Connect (PHC) is and what problem space it focuses onThe history of PHCWhat services are offered through PHC including networking eventsWhat the monthly opportunities round-up posted by PHC is How the team’s own experiences inform the varied opportunities the round-ups includeThe diversity of public health opportunities that are out thereThe current trends of public health jobsWhere else to find jobs for those looking to workWhat the hidden job market is and how to tap into itThe benefits of networking in seeking career opportunitiesToday’s GuestHarman Sandhu is a public health policy and research professional who is currently completing a PhD at the University of Toronto. Prior to PhD studies, Harman worked in the Government of Ontario conducting race-based data analyses, disseminating research, and managing projects. He has published research on mental health stigma, smoke-free policies, and cannabis legalization. Harman co-founded Public Health Connect (or PHC) in 2020 as a volunteer-run community organization focused on supporting aspiring public health students and early-career professionals in Canada. He holds an MPH and BSc from McMaster University.Aditi Garg is a clinical research professional and health economics and epidemiology-based PhD trainee who currently oversees smoking cessation clinical trials in the Division of Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Prior to her current role, Aditi worked in both academic and professional settings in both national and global landscapes with organizations such as Swiss Paraplegic Research Institute conducting population health data analyses and managing projects in areas of chronic disease prevention and management. She has published research on disability and rehabilitation policy, global health, and smoking cessation policies. Aditi also held an executive position as the Co-Director of Research and Marketing with Public Health Connect (or PHC) in 2021 as a volunteer-run community organization focused on supporting aspiring public health students and early-career professionals in Canada. She holds a masters degree in health economics and policy and BSc from the University of Waterloo.ResourcesDalla Lana’s DrPH ProgramPublic Health Connect’s Linktree including monthly opportunities round-upWebsiteInstagramFacebookLinkedInSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!On this week’s episode, Sujani speaks with Brandon Kober, a community health nurse, who is currently pursuing his MBA. Brandon explains the role of a harm reduction nurse and discusses his own personal journey of discovering his career interests and how he got to where he is today. You’ll LearnWhat working in the area of harm reduction may entail and the challenges and rewards of working in this fieldWhat the everyday responsibilities and activities of a harm reduction nurse may entailWhat skills are necessary for this field of work.What skills can be gained from this field of work.Advice that Brandon has for others interested in working in this area and/or in a similar capacityThe benefits of pursuing an MBA in addition to healthcare trainingWhat skills can be learned from this area of studyWhat opportunities can open up from this combinationHow nurses and people working in public health can learn from the business world and vice versaToday’s GuestBrandon Kober is a Registered Nurse with a passion for public and community health, particularly in the burgeoning field of harm reduction. He has worked at supervised consumption facilities in Toronto and Hamilton, having managed the latter site through the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience led him to pursue an MBA at the DeGroote School of Business to diversify his skills and allow him to take on greater levels of responsibility. He is currently working as an independent healthcare consultant, is the Board Chair of a peer-led social service non-profit, and is looking to summer 2022 for meaningful employment opportunities that help people most in need.ResourcesSujani’s previous interview with Julia Roitenburg, Chief Nursing Officer at York Region Public HealthDeGroote School of Business’s MBA programsDeGroote School of Business’s Health Services Management (HSM) specialization of the MBA programLearn more about the PH Spot 6-week training programOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode of Quick career tips, Sujani discusses job satisfaction. Depending on which study or survey result you review we know that not 100% of the population is satisfied with their job. This number ranges anywhere between 50% to 75% for job satisfaction in North America. We know that many things contribute to job satisfaction. While an organization/employer is responsible for some of these things, we also have a role to play in our own job satisfaction.What You'll Learn from this Episode:Why tackling job satisfaction is important to us here at PH SPOT.Why job satisfaction should matter to you.How you can take control of your job satisfaction.Understand what is important to you, and how to take the first step.How to use our simple worksheet to work through identifying the top 5 factors important to youFeatured on the Show:Download Career Compass - Job satisfaction checklistJumpstart your public health career, Workshop - join the waitlist for the next cohort.Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!In this episode, Sujani sits down with Alison McAlear to talk all things CVs and resumes. These documents are tools we all need in our careers, whether it's related to the public health field or not. Alison explains the differences and similarities between CVs and resumes and gives us some helpful tips on how to create successful documents specific to public health jobs. Grab a pen and some paper and let's learn together You’ll LearnWhat the differences and similarities between CVs and resumes are and when to use one vs. the other. How CVs and resumes can vary at different stages of your career. What the main sections of a resume typically. How to choose and format which experiences you include, especially for students looking to bulk up their resumes and CVs. The importance of tailoring a resume to a specific job and what this could look like. What general formatting is recommended for students.What specific things public health professionals should keep in mind when preparing their resumes and CVs. Today’s GuestAlison McAlear is Assistant Director of Career Coaching and Education for the Office of Career and Professional Development at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Alison coaches alumni and students through career exploration and the job search process, and she develops educational programs to help her clients build professional competencies to support their individual career goals. Before coming to Harvard Chan, Alison worked in corporate recruiting and employee training and development, and spent over eight years dedicated to graduate program admissions and recruiting at Boston-area universities. She has a BA in English Literature from Smith College and a MS in Communications from Simmons University.Related ResourcesHarvard Chan’s Resume ChecklistHarvard Chan’s Resume and CV GuideOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeUpcoming course on infographics: phspot.ca/infographicsSupport the show (http://www.phspot.ca/signup)Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!On this episode, Sujani sits down with Jeremy Schifeling, a former LinkedIn employee in the Higher Education Team. Jeremy has devoted his career to helping students succeed in theirs. From recruiting top students at Teach For America to leading student marketing for LinkedIn, he’s touched the lives of millions of people just starting their journeys. Along the way, he’s published a top-selling book on job applications, served as the University of Michigan’s tech career coach, and produced the most-viewed video in LinkedIn’s history.We invited Jeremy to talk about what LinkedIn is, how to get started on the platform, and how public health professionals can leverage it to build their careers and search for jobs.What You'll Learn from this Episode:Jeremy’s journey from a kindergarten teacher to techie; and his journey from working at LinkedIn in the higher education team and then going on to build LinkedIn GuysLinkedIn 101, including what it is and why you creating a LinkedIn profile allows you to take control of your own destinyThe importance of building your network before you need itWhy building a network on LinkedIn is not only for extroverts, everyone can leverage the toolA walk-through on how to get started with LinkedIn, starting with what you have, including how to use some of the features (an insider perspective): The Headline: how LinkedIn’s algorithm favours thisAbout section: how to best use the 2,000 characters in this sectionHow to build out your experience section if you are an aspiring public health professional just starting out in the fieldHow to test LinkedIn’s algorithm real-time and leverage it to build your own profileSkills and endorsementsRecommendations: how it works and how recruiters use itInterests: what recruiters see and how they use this feature to screen candidatesVolunteer experience: why this section is important - spoiler alert: a survey conducted by LinkedIn revealed that 80% of recruiters value volunteer experience on par with work experienceAn understanding of the tool recruiters use (“LinkedIn Recruiter), how they see your profile, and how to use this information to design your LinkedIn profileAdditional tips for building your LinkedIn profileLeveraging LinkedIn for your job search - 2 tipsOnce the profile is built out, how to reach out to LinkedIn connections, including whether you should use the messaging feature or contact them via emailAdditional resources Jeremy has available for you to build your LinkedIn profile and optimize itNew features on LinkedIn for interview preparationToday's Guest:Jeremy Schifeling has devoted his career to helping students succeed in theirs. From recruiting top students at Teach For America to leading student marketing for LinkedIn, he’s touched the lives of millions of people just starting their journeys. Along the way, he’s published a top-selling book on job applications, served as the University of Michigan’s tech career coach, and produced the most-viewed video in LinkedIn’s history. He currently leads teacher outreach efforts at Khan Academy and shares his thoughts on Break into Tech, a site for anyone who wants toSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text! On today’s episode Sujani speaks with Shanna Shulman about informational interviews. Informational interviews are very important and key to a successful career, whether it’s in public health or not. Shanna gives us the rundown of what informational interviews are, how to do them, share her experience, and a whole lot more insight into the topic including some homework for you.Grab a notebook and let’s get into it.What You'll Learn from this Episode:What is an informational interview?Shanna's story of using informational interviews in her career, specifically how she's leveraged them to achieve certain objectivesWhy you should conduct informational interviews? Specifically discussing the following four categories: to find a job, to understand your sector's landscape, to assess your fit, and to build your professional network.At what point during your career should you conduct do informational interviews?Barriers people (especially students) face when conducting informational interviews.The importance of informational interviews for a public health since it is to our advantage for our work to know as many people in the sub disciplines of public health.Shanna's thoughts on whether you are "bothering" people when reaching out to chat through informational interviews?Why informational interviews are so critical as students.Who should you do informational interviews with and how do you go about executing one? We discuss an easy to follow process.Tips on how to reach an individual for an informational interview, including a sample email you could send, and vest practices on following up.How to make the best of the time you do get with a contact for an informational interview (what to talk about!).Memorable interviews Shanna has had, both positive and negative/Homework to get you started on informational interviews!Today's Guest:Shanna Shulman, PhD, is the Director of Health and Medical Research at the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation where she directs the Foundation’s health-related portfolio of grants and initiatives. Prior to this, Dr. Shulman was Managing Director of the Boston Children’s Hospital Center of Excellence for Pediatric Quality Measurement where she co-led the development of new quality of care measures for broad national use. Dr. Shulman was previously Director of Policy and Research at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation where she was responsible for assessing cost, access, and health outcomes resulting from Massachusetts’ landmark 2006 universal health care law. Dr. Shulman was also Senior Researcher at Mathematica Policy Research in Cambridge where she directed evaluations of large-scale public health programs. Dr. Shulman focuses her work on the quality of health care and access to health care for vulnerable populations. She received her BA summa cum laude from Washington University in Saint Louis and her PhD in Health Policy from Harvard University.Featured on the Show:Jumpstart your public health career - A WORKSHOP: Join the waitlist for the next cohort.Other Resources:Share ideas for tSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text! This year, January 14th to be exact, PH SPOT celebrates 5 years. It’s unbelievable that 5 years have gone by already. Sujani created PH SPOT in 2017 after seeing a gap online for a career development resource dedicated specifically for public health professionals. Since graduating from her public health degree, Sujani spent countless hours between 2013 – 2016 guiding public health students and new grads one-on-one with their careers. As this was not a scalable solution, nor a sustainable one she decided to create PH SPOT to reach, inspire and support a larger number of public health professionals. The platform also ensured that a more diverse set of experiences and advice was being shared. In today's episode Sujani tells you about the different programs and products PH SPOT has built over the years, and on a more exciting note, introduces the new mini-series on the podcast that will run throughout January and a bit into February, called NewYear. New You. New Job?, as well as a Career Workshop!What You'll Learn from this Episode:Three pillars that PH SPOT's products and programs are focused on: studying public health, getting hired in public health, upskilling for a competitive edge (mainly focused on health communications)The types of content found on the Blog and the Podcast, the downloadable tools and resources available for each of the three pillars, and the virtual programming (courses and workshops offered)And update on the podcast and how we will have a weekly release in 2022The new mini-series in January focused on getting you hired in public health. Topics of discussion will include informational Interviews, setting yourself up with LinkedIn for job success, and resumes/CVs.One of the most exciting launches of 2022: Jumpstart your public health career Workshop.Featured on the Show:The PH SPOT Career BlogThe Public Health SPOTlight PodcastPH SPOT Resource PageInfographics 101 Self-Paced Course and Live Workshop (request a quote)Beginner's only: Build a public health website courseJumpstart your public health career Workshop - join the waitlist for the next cohort.Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesIn this episode the whole team sits down to discuss the past year at PH Spot. Join Sujani, Kajanth, Lis, Janu and Kelsey as they talk about all their favourite from 2021 and what they’re most excited about the year to come at PH Spot. You’ll LearnMore about the team as they introduce themselves and talk about their role with PH SpotWhat is playing on the team members highlight reel for the year at PH SpotPH Spot stats on how much content was produced across the newsletter, blog, podcast and social mediaExamples of how PH Spot content has helped team members in their personal lives and careersAbout feedback from the communityInsight on what's coming up for PH Spot next yearPH SPOT resources:If you’d like to have a conversation with Sujani about your career and make it available to your peers via this podcast please reach out at [email protected]!Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeUpcoming course on infographics: phspot.ca/infographics Support the show (http://www.phspot.ca/signup)Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Today’s career tip spotlight is on setting public health career goals.As we prepare for the new year, Sujani shares her annual goal-setting practice, one she picked up when she entered the public health workforce. She talks about the importance of goal setting for your public health career (why she picked it up), how it has helped her, and a couple of systems and tools that she uses.Resources mentioned on the episode:Download the Goal Setting Template on our siteBestSelf JournalJoin the waitlist for the JUMPSTART YOUR PUBLIC HEALTH CAREER BOOTCAMPComplete list of tools and resources on PH SPOTGet involved with PH SPOT!Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formJoin the PH SPOT community: Subscribe hereContribute to the public health career blogConsider leaving a review wherever you are listening to this episode! It will help us get discovered by other public health professionals. Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesIn this episode, Sujani sits down with Christine Plepys to talk about the variety of career paths that she’s had and how this has informed her work as senior director of data analytics. In a follow up from episode 34 with Heather Krasna, Christine describes the changing landscape of public health and the research that she’s conducted on the diversity of this workforce. You’ll LearnChristine’s different employment opportunities that lead her to public HealthThe statistics on different job fields that public health graduates are employed inThe opportunities available for joint and dual degreesThe data on the diversity of public health and what makes it such a diverse fieldInstitutional resource planning to accommodate larger number of public health applicantsWhat makes public health graduates so employable in the academic and corporate worldResourcesPH Spot episode with Heather Krasna that this episode follows from: https://phspot.org/public-health-workforce-heather-krasna/Research Paper: Dual MD-MPH Degree Students in the United States: Moving the Medical Workforce Toward Population HealthResearch Paper: First-Destination Outcomes for 2015–2018 Public Health Graduates: Focus on Employment Research Paper: Racial/Ethnic Diversity in Academic Public Health: 20-Year Update PH resource where Master of Public Health programs are offered in Canada: phspot.ca/mphcanadaPH Spot resource where Master of Public Health programs are offered in the US: phspot.ca/mphUSAPH Spot resource where Master of Public Health programs are offered online: phspot.ca/mphonlinePH Spot resource on where Doctor of Public Health programs are offered around the world: phspot.ca/drphOther PH SPOT resources:If you’d like to have a conversation with Sujani about your career and make it available to your peers via this podcast please reach out at [email protected]!Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesOne of the top career advice you will receive, regardless of whether you are in public health or not, is to find yourself a mentor.A mentor is "someone who gives...help and advice over a period of time, especially help and advice related to [one's] job" (Collins Dictionary). A mentor is someone who is typically more experienced and has travelled the path you wish to go on. You can lean on a mentor to make difficult career decisions or ask for advice during difficult situations. In this episode, Sujani talks about her journey understanding the definition of a mentor, the myths she believed about mentors, and how she eventually realized who her mentors were.You’ll learn:The four myths about a career mentor that Sujani believed in and eventually debunked.The journey she took to discover who her mentors were and how they have helped her in her career.Why having a mentor is extremely important, and how you can get started on building this important relationship.LEAVE A REVIEW! If you are listening to this on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast or Spotify (if the platform allows for it), please do leave us a review so that other public health professionals know what to expect and also for us to know how you are enjoying these episodes! ResourcesComplete list of tools and resources on PH SPOTBe notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.org/contributeOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.org/contributeSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesIn this episode, Sujani sits down with Elizabeth Loftus to discuss Elizabeth's options for her potential career in public health. Elizabeth holds a BA in Health Studies and through this conversation, Sujani answers Elizabeth's questions about the field of public health. You’ll LearnWhat drew Sujani to pursuing a Master's in Public Health (MPH) over a Master of Science degreeSujani's advice for people who are equally interested in both research and practice in the field of public healthIf Sujani could do her MPH again, what would she do differently?What advice Sujani has for students who are afraid of making the “wrong choice” for their graduate programsIs an MPH degree a good fit for people who have a background in public?More on the financial reality of pursuing a career in public healthIf pursuing an MPH is the right fit for youResourcesSujani mentions an article about the Harvard School of Public Health having a public health certificate for private companies: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/school-launches-public-health-program-for-business-leaders/Lawrence Loh's blog post entitled "Start With "Yes"": https://phspot.org/start-with-yes/ Lawrence Loh's podcast episode "Career Advancement & Family Life: Perspectives From A Medical Officer Of Health": https://phspot.org/career-advancement-family-life-perspectives-medical-officer-lawrence-loh/PH Spot blog post entitled "I want to do a public health degree! Should I do an MPH or an MSc?": https://phspot.org/i-want-to-do-a-public-health-degree-should-i-do-an-mph-or-an-msc/PH Spot podcast episode entitled "Inspired By the Blog Series: What I Wish I Knew Before I Started My Master Of Public Health (MPH) Degree: https://phspot.org/podcast-what-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-started-my-master-of-public-health-mph-degree/More about the Dalla Lana School of Public Health: https://www.dlsph.utoronto.ca/Other PH SPOT resources:If you’d like to have a conversation with Sujani about your career and make it available to your peers via this podcast please reach out at [email protected]!Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesIn this episode, Sujani sits down with Julia Roitenberg who took on the role of Chief Nursing Officer at York Region Public Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Julia talks about her journey from bedside nurse to having a doctorate in public health and much more.You’ll LearnWays that York Region Public Health has integrated the social determinants of healthWays that community prevention and promotion has been prioritized in Julia’s workHow Julia has integrated a health equity lens into program planningWhat advice Julia has for new public health graduatesMore about Julia’s experiences with the University of Toronto’s Global Executive MBA in Healthcare and Life Sciences About different types of MBA programsMore on the Canadian Health Executive CertificationWhy Julia is looking forward to pursuing a Doctorate in Public Health at University of Toronto ResourcesSujani mentions an article about Harvard having a public health certificate for private companies: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/school-launches-public-health-program-for-business-leaders/University of Toronto’s Global Executive MBA in Healthcare and Life Sciences https://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/Degrees/MastersPrograms/MBAPrograms/GEMBA-HealthCanadian Health Executive Certification: https://cchl-ccls.ca/site/pd/CHE?nav=sidebarMore on the York Region Baby Friendly Initiative: https://www.york.ca/wps/portal/yorkhome/health/yr/breastfeeding/babyfriendlyinitiative/Doctorate in Public Health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health: https://www.dlsph.utoronto.ca/Other PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeUpcoming course on infographics: phspot.ca/infographics Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!This three-part career tips series is inspired by a blog post written and published in 2019 by Sujani titled: 3 strategies to build up your public health work experience, tested and proven by me.Today’s career tip spotlight is the third of these three strategies: tap into your network!Prior to starting PH SPOT, a common question that Sujani would receive from students and new grads she was mentoring was related to gaining work experience early in their careers. This question has remained one of the most popular questions even amongst the PH SPOT community.In this episode, Sujani talks through the third strategy she used in order to gain public health experience. These experiences became the foundation of her public health career.You’ll learn:Reaching out to individuals in your network for an introduction to prospective employers is a great strategy to begin a job search.It’s only appropriate to reach out to individuals within your network with whom you already have a previous relationship with - not a LinkedIn connection you just added.Don’t hesitate to leverage your network for job searches. (It can be awkward at first.)Building your network early on goes a long way when you really need help and support. (Listen to this episode for more on this: Episode #33: Quick Career Tips: Invest In Your Professional Relationships.)LEAVE A REVIEW! If you are listening to this on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast or Spotify (if the platform allows for it), please do leave us a review so that other public health professionals know what to expect and also for us to know how you are enjoying these episodes! ResourcesPodcast Episode mentioned in the episode: Episode #33: Quick Career Tips: Invest In Your Professional RelationshipsComplete list of tools and resources on PH SPOTBe notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesIn this episode, Sujani sits down with authors of the paper “Adapting to Teaching during a Pandemic” Siobahn Hickling and Gina Arena. Together, they talk about different models of teaching public health and what they have found to be most effective ways to relay information to students.You’ll LearnAbout the changing visibility of public health educationHow the pandemic and lockdowns have affected university classrooms in AustraliaThe effect of real time vs time delayed lessons has on educationThe potential challenges and benefits of self-directed learningTips on how educators and students can thrive in new learning environmentsThe importance of peer to peer interactions in educationBest practices for educators and ways of moving away from a one dimensional classroomTips for capturing students attention and engagementThe benefits of intensive learning modelThe ways that rapport can be built through virtual teachingResourcesGina Arena and Siobhan Hickling’s paper co-authored with Alexadra Bhatti entitled: Adapting to Teaching During a Pandemic: Pedagogical Adjustments for the Next Semester of Teaching During COVID-19 and Future Online LearningOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeUpcoming course on infographics: phspot.ca/infographics Support the show (http://www.phspot.ca/signup)Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!This three-part career tips series is inspired by a blog post written and published in 2019 by Sujani titled: 3 strategies to build up your public health work experience, tested and proven by me.Today’s career tip spotlight is the second of these three strategies: offer up your skills!Prior to starting PH SPOT, a common question that Sujani would receive from students and new grads she was mentoring was related to gaining work experience early in their careers. This question has remained one of the most popular questions even amongst the PH SPOT community.In this episode, Sujani talks through the second strategy she used in order to gain public health experience. These experiences became the foundation of her public health career.You’ll learn:Jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities may not always be posted.Offer up your time and skill, in return for public health experience.Be proactive: reach out to an organization that is aligned with your interest, develop a proposal for work you can contribute to and present it to them.Two stories from Sujani on how she built her public health work experience.Steps Sujani took to reach out to an organization to present a proposal for work she was interested in doing.LEAVE A REVIEW! If you are listening to this on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast or Spotify (if the platform allows for it), please do leave us a review so that other public health professionals know what to expect and also for us to know how you are enjoying these episodes! ResourcesComplete list of tools and resources on PH SPOTBe notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesIn this episode, Sujani speaks with assistant professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center and the author of Your Local Epidemiologist blog, Dr. Katelyn Jetelina. They discuss Dr. Jetelina’s career in public health as well as her motivations to share public health information in an accessible way on her blog your local epidemiologist.You’ll LearnMore about Dr. Jetelina’s journey in transitioning from a pre-med student to her current field of violence epidemiology Tips for getting into the field of health communicationThe importance of leveraging connections for best outreach and outcomes in your careerHow Dr. Jetelina has been able to create a successful public health blog that reaches a wide variety of audiences - from non-academics to folks all across the political spectrumHow to seek opportunities in the field of health communication for knowledge translationHow second languages can be an asset to the field of health communicationThe importance of having public health campaigns that are accessible to a wide audienceHow to create high engagement posts in the field of health communicationsHow to use constructive audience feedback to your own advantageResourcesDr. Jetelina's blog: https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/Dr. Jetelina's other publications: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Katelyn-Jetelina Other PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeUpcoming course on infographics: phspot.ca/infographics Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesThis three-part career tips series is inspired by a blog post written and published in 2019 by Sujani titled: 3 strategies to build up your public health work experience, tested and proven by me.Today’s career tip spotlight is the first of these three strategies: DO NOT take yourself out of the game!Prior to starting PH SPOT, a common question that Sujani would receive from students and new grads she was mentoring was related to gaining work experience early in their careers. This question has remained one of the most popular questions even amongst the PH SPOT community.In this episode, Sujani talks through the first strategy she used in order to gain public health experience. These experiences became the foundation of her public health career.You’ll learn:At times, we can become our own limiting factor by restricting the jobs we apply to.There are many filters, literal ones on the job search websites, and the ones we have in our minds, that we apply when searching for a job.Choose filters that are deal-breakers to you; be intentional when choosing these (i.e. location, salary).Don’t let filters stop you from even throwing your name into the hat.LEAVE A REVIEW! If you are listening to this on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast or Spotify (if the platform allows for it), please do leave us a review so that other public health professionals know what to expect and also for us to know how you are enjoying these episodes! ResourcesComplete list of tools and resources on PH SPOTBe notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesIn this episode, Sujani speaks with Assistant Dean and Director of Career Services at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Heather Krasna about the public health workforce. They discuss the 3rd edition of 101+ Careers in Public Health, Heather’s co-authored publication that is set to be released in the fall. Heather relays her advice for getting employed in the public health sector after spending 22 years as a career coach. You’ll LearnAbout recent publications in the field of public health workforce researchMore on what is classified as a position in the field of public healthThe number of graduates entering the public versus the private sphereThe literature on workforce taxonomies and the labour market competition for public health graduatesMore on the rising sectors for employment opportunities for public health graduatesAbout the public health career opportunities that are available for graduates with a Bachelor of Arts degreeTips on successful networkingSteps to creating meaningful workplace connections leading to employment opportunities Today’s GuestHeather KrasnaHeather Krasna, MS, EdM, has served as Assistant Dean of Career Services at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health since 2013. In this role, she spearheads efforts to ensure that students and alumni of the school obtain meaningful careers in public health by developing career education programs and building connections with employers. Throughout her 22 years as a career services professional, she has served as Director of Career Services at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Affairs as well as Internship Program Coordinator at Baruch College, CUNY.In addition to being co-author of the book, 101+ Careers in Public Health, 3rd Edition, she is the author of Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service (2010) as well as more than 100 blog articles. She has a small private practice, specializing in careers in nonprofits, government, health, the social sector. To learn more, visit her website at heatherkrasna.com. ResourcesBooks by Heather Krasna101+ Careers in Public Health (3rd edition)Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public ServiceResearch Articles by Heather Krasna Labour market competition for public health graduates in the United States: A comparison of workforce taxonomies with job postings before and during the COVID-19 pandemicThe New Public Health Workforce: Employment Outcomes of Public Health Graduate StudenSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Today’s career tip spotlight is on investing in your professional relationships, because, like in life, relationships take you far in your career.Sujani provides a few examples of how relationships have taken her far in her career, and follows up by answering the following two questions:Who do I build relationships with?How do I build strong professional relationships?You’ll learn:You can choose anyone in your professional circle to build a relationship with; it’ll be a trial and error process. Think beyond your team, department, and even organization when deciding who to build relationships with.When building your professional network, think about these general categories: Who will support me when I am faced with a tough decision at work? Whose advice do I respect - at a peer level and at a manager level? Who is part of other great networks that I can also leverage and be a part of? Who will recommend me for great opportunities? Who is well connected?Your network is your net worth.Building strong professional relationships, like any other relationship, takes time.List of actions to take immediately to start building your network.ResourcesComplete list of tools and resources on PH SPOTBe notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeLEAVE A REVIEW! If you are listening to this on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast or Spotify, please do leave us a review so that other public health professionals know what to expect and also for us to know how you are enjoying these episodes!Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesIn this episode, Sujani sits down with managing director of the Student Network and author of The Burnout Gamble, Hamza Khan to talk about the subject of burnout. They explore the ways that the pandemic has affected everyone during the pandemic, as well as the ways that healthcare workers and students have been impacted specifically. You’ll LearnHow to identify burnout as well as how to address itAbout the personal experiences that Sujani and Hamza have had with burnout and what they took away from these experiencesWhat are the origins of the 12 Stages of Burnout ModelHow the CASTLE factors can lead to burnoutHow to understand and control stressThe ways that the pandemic has affected everyone in terms of burnout, as well as the ways that students and medical professionals have been impacted specificallyTangible tips for students in how to avoid burnoutHow to audit your energy expendituresResourcesTEDx talks by Hamza: The Burnout GambleStop Managing, Start LeadingArticles and studies mentioned in the interview Burned out by the pandemic, 3 in 10 health-care workers consider leaving the professionThe Holmes-Rahe Life Stress InventoryThe Yerkes-Dodson LawParkinson's LawBooks mentioned in the interview The Upside of Stress10% HappierThe Burnout GambleLeadership ReinventedOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog:Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Today’s career tip spotlight is on practicing being a good communicator of technical content.Communicating public health content to non-public health professionals such as decision-makers/management, communication team members, the public or statisticians and data scientists requires you to take the technical content that you are an expert in and translate it to a language they can understand. This is difficult!Being able to effectively communicate health information is a valuable skill that you should build on as you progress in your career. Let’s not take for granted the knowledge we hold as public health professionals.ResourcesResources for public health professionals:Infographics 101: How to design public health infographics with software you know and use.Complete list of tools and resources on PH SPOTSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesIn this episode, Sujani sits down with Peel Region of Ontario's medical officer of health, Lawrence Loh to talk about what leadership looks like in times of crisis.You’ll LearnAbout Lawrence's work that he's been doing as a public health figure in the Peel region of Ontario during the COVID-19 crisisThe difference between responding to public health challenges in times of normalcy versus a crisisSkills for a public health professionals to focus on during a crisis and the unique opportunities that may ariseWhat it means for public health professionals to be leaders in their communities, and the different styles of leadership that take placeThe ways that young professionals can use the unique opportunities available in times of crisis to their own advantage for themselves and their communityHow do deal with criticism as a public health leaderResourcesTo learn more about Lawrence Loh, listen to our earlier episode with him on the topic of career advancement and family life: Episode 10 - Career Advancement & Family Life: Perspectives From a Medical Officer of Health Read more about Lawrence's work as the medical officer for Peel Region on Ontario in his interview with Maclean's magazine: Dr. Lawrence Loh on Ordering Stricter Measures in Peel RegionOther resources on our platform related to the DrPH degreePodcast Episode: Episode 19 – Welcoming the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree to Canada at the University of Toronto & FAQ session, with Erica Di RuggieroBlog post: Doctor of Public Health – Isn’t that just a PhD?Taking the first step towards pursuing a DrPH degree – our DrPH program list (FREE TOOL)Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Today’s career tip spotlight is on developing a non-technical skill: mastering the skill of writing concise emails.Writing concise emails that are short and to the point has been one of the greatest pieces of advice Sujani has received, and one that she tries to practice as much as possible. Concise emails are very beneficial, not only because the response rate is much higher, but it forces you to summarize your thoughts clearly so that the objective of the email is met. In this episode, Sujani shares two tips on how to practice writing concise emails starting today!LEAVE A REVIEW! If you are listening to this on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast or Spotify, please do leave us a review (if the platform allows for it) so that other public health professionals know what to expect and also for us to know how you are enjoying these episodes! ResourcesResources for students:Infographics 101: How to design public health infographics with software you know and use.Complete list of tools and resources on PH SPOTBe notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesIn this episode, Sujani sits down with Meghan Haffey to talk about her journey from discovering public health to the present day, where she is a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) student in the Health Promotion & Health Education program at the University of Texas, School of Public Health.You’ll LearnMeghan’s journey prior to pursuing her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree, including the premed route that she first started off in, switching into public health, and pursuing a Master of Public Health and specializing in EpidemiologyThat it’s okay to start off in one field and then switch to a different one; just because you choose it, doesn’t mean you have to stick to it; don’t think that the years you may have spent in one area was a waste, it is all part of the journeyThe sentiment and people’s preconceived notion that exists when one chooses to switch from the medical school path to a public health path, which Meghan did.Additionally, normalizing the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree, so that it is acceptable if one chooses not to pursue a PhD.Why Meghan decided to pursue a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree, how she decided between a PhD or a DrPH degree, what she did to make the decision (informational interviews, employment perspectives, demand for each of the degrees)Tips for when you are trying to decide on a doctoral degreeThe difference between a DrPH and a PhDWhy she chose the School of Public Health at the University of Texas and a bit about the program:Her specialization: Health Promotion and Health Education (Minor in Health Policy)A walk-through of the first two years of the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) programHer experiences to date – a glimpse of what it feels like to be in the program, including courses, prerequisites, and work experiences she has gained through the facultyLife after her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree – where she hopes her public health path will take herResourcesEpisode with Sophiya mentioned in the episode: Episode 8 – Why I will not be applying to medical school, with Sophiya GarasiaOther resources on our platform related to the DrPH degreePodcast Episode: Episode 19 – Welcoming the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree to Canada at the University of Toronto & FAQ session, with Erica Di RuggieroBlog post: Doctor of Public Health – Isn’t that just a PhD?Taking the first step towards pursuing a DrPH degree – our DrPH program list (FREE TOOL)Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Sujani sits down with Daniel Faber to talk about his public health journey. Dr. Daniel Faber started his professional career as a dentist where he developed as a clinician and entrepreneur. He started his dental practice from scratch, where he learned skills in business, marketing, branding and a focus on effective patient communication which has helped scale into other types of ventures. And 10 years into his practice, he felt this desire to do more, and that’s when he pivoted into public health pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Health at Yale University. Daniel speaks about the journey he’s taken, from dentistry to public health, and his passion for entrepreneurship.You’ll LearnHow Daniel became interested in dentistry, and the entrepreneurial spark he has always hadAbout being a dentist, and what that role entailed: an individualistic profession that allows you to build relationships with patientsWhat pushed Daniel to explore public health, including the frustrations of not being able to prevent disease/problems; how his pivot into public health came from a desire to evolve his careerThe decision to pursue a Master of Public Health degree, and how it felt like a natural evolution for his careerWhy he chose to pursue a Master of Public Health (MPH) at Yale University and a bit about the MPH program thereWith his global health concentration, dentistry background and entrepreneurial interest where he hopes to go with this careerHis passion and interest in entrepreneurship, including a discussion on social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurshipUsing technology to improve access to care to underserved populationsAbout his dream job: to create somethingResourcesYale School of Public HealthSocial Entrepreneurship – Teresa ChahineMore PH SPOT content on entrepreneurship:The accidental birth of PH SPOTPublic Health Entrepreneurship Series with the team of ThriveHire, the career platform for global healthContemplating consulting in public health, with Leah RomanLessons Learned: Starting out as an Independent ConsultantInfographics 101: How to design public health infographics with software you know and use.Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesIn today’s episode, Sujani sits down with a fellow public health professional, Tasha McAbey, to announce the collaboration on a new series for the PH SPOT blog! Sujani met Tasha on Instagram through her page @Public.Health.Bookmark where she shares reviews on public health books she’s read. Knowing that the PH SPOT community would love this, Sujani and Tasha are launching monthly public health reviews on the blog! Before the launch of this series next week, Sujani sits down with Tasha to get to know her better and to let you know what you can expect in this series.You’ll LearnGet to know Tasha: her public health journey, her role at Boston Children’s Hospital as a professional medical illustrator/animator, and her interest in books (her love language is book recommendations!)What got Tasha into reading so many public health books; and how she reads any book with a public health lens, thinking about how public health shapes the characters and the eventsReading!How reading reminds yourself why you are interested in public healthHow when course readings and writing assignments became hard to get through, reading kept Tasha’s energy level up!Tasha and PH SPOT’s collaboration for the book reviews – what to expect!These book reviews will serve as an inspiration for those in school and for professionals in public healthTo highlight important public health topic areas; and if nothing is being done in these areas, how we hope these reviews encourage the PH SPOT community to take actionTo provide insights beyond what one can look up online – commenting on the writing format and style for example, and going beyond summary and plot pointsSuggested further readings to dive deeper into the subject matter; will be sharing other mediums (not just readings), such as videos and podcast episodesHow to get in touch with Tasha and provide book recommendationsSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesWe are adding a series of a new type of episode on the PH SPOTlight podcast, titled QUICK CAREER TIPS. These episodes will be short, typically ranging between 5-10 minutes and will spotlight a tip for public health professionals.Today’s career tip spotlight is on student job interviews and how to stand out during these sessions.Recently, Sujani has been chatting with many students and new graduates about finding summer jobs, and while reflecting on these conversations she realized that there were students who really stood out more than others. She realized that the main thing that they did really well was that they were super confident and articulated well what they wanted from the experience, even if they still hadn’t figured out the specific direction of their public health career just yet. In this episode, she shares three tips to achieve this.ResourcesResources for students:Infographics 101: How to design public health infographics with software you know and use.Complete list of tools and resources on PH SPOTOther PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contributeSupport the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!Show NotesIn this first episode of 2021, Sujani sits down with Ken Lee who is a Career Education Specialist at Ryerson University. His role is to specifically support students in the area of health. I love this conversation because the episode offers practical tips for students and new graduates. We really wanted to provide guidance to help navigate their careers.You’ll LearnWhat a Career Education Specialist’s role (also known as a Career Centre or Coop Centre) within a university is, and its value.What students can expect from these services career centre (i.e. resume writing, networking).How Career Centre services have changed in the face of a pandemic.Why students should reach out as early as possible (i.e. first year) to these Career Centres/services, even if they don’t need any help or guidance just yet.Whether students’ questions and concerns for their public health careers have changed since the pandemic.How Career Centres help students achieve their goals: we take a common goal that students come to Ken about and talk through the type of advice we’d offer them. A specific question we tackle and discuss strategies for is: “how do I get policy/research type roles and/or experiences?” Strategies related to the following top questions received by PH SPOT from public health students and new graduates:How do I get public health experience – specifically, if I am about to graduate soon and need to quickly build experience?What cover letter tips should I keep in mind? (Hint: Regurgitating what the organization knows about themselves is not enough anymore. It’s no longer about “what” you said, but how you say it.)How do I get a mentor? Do I need a mentor? What’s the difference between a sponsor and a mentor? How to build strong relationships and give back to your mentors.Skill building: How to build skills outside of your academic courses?ResourcesArticles related to Sponsorship versus MentorshipThe Relationship You Need to Get Right, Harvard Business ReviewA Lack of Sponsorship Is Keeping Women from Advancing into Leadership, Harvard Business ReviewSponsors Need to Stop Acting Like Mentors, Harvard Business ReviewBuilding public health experience: Example – UN VolunteerDiscovering public health experience: PH SPOT’s Public Health NewsletterSkill Building – Infographics 101: How to design public health infographics with software you know and use.Other PH SPOT resources:Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this formNever heard of a podcast before? Support the showJoin The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers. Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!