In my first Grad Diaries, I talked about an overview of my time in grad school. Now it is time for my second post, and I certainly have a few updates for you!
After my last update I had midterms, deadlines, networking events, and more. To be completely honest taking four classes has been pretty intense. My course load between my first semester and this semester are the same, but the course work is vastly different. As a result this semester has been pretty heavy. I feel lucky to have other people in my courses experience who are in similar situations. On top of our coursework, everyone has their own responsibilities, whether it is a job/internship, family, etc. and while all of our experiences are unique it feels good to know that others are going through something similar. I definitely enjoy the sense of community I feel at this school and within my program.
The highlight of my semester was attending my very first public health conference in early November! The American Public Health Association (APHA) is the national organization for public health. This year they held their conference in Philadelphia, so my school encouraged us to attend. I was lucky enough that our school also helped us attend by providing transport and assisting us in obtaining student discounts. I didn’t really know what to expect from the meeting as I am still getting acquainted with the professional world of public health. Throughout the meeting, I joked with my friends that we had gone to the comic con of public health because it was MASSIVE. It was held within the Philadelphia Convention Center which alone should have indicated how large the event would be. Events were held from 7am to 9pm and there was an expo hall filled with poster presentations, companies, and schools that I definitely did not make my entire way through. On the first day I wore heels that I quickly regretted by 3pm. Independent of my poor choice in footwear I had a really good time at the event. I met a lot of interesting public health professionals from different disciplines and areas of focus.
During the last Grad Diaries, I also talked about finding a site to complete the practical experience portion of my degree. To date I have yet to find one and have had periods of frustration. While I have found interesting positions over the course of the last few months, they have not met the requirements to make them suitable to fulfill my degree component. I hope to secure a site before the end of the year, or at least by the start of the Spring semester.
Until next time,
Tatyana x
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