Integrated Lead Poisoning Prevention Assignment

The details of this practice lab were discussed on the page “Integrated Lead Poisoning Prevent Assignment,” and it was done in the course MPH 613 Environment, Society, and Health during the Spring 2021 semester. When given the instructions for the assignment, I was instantly excited. Lead poisoning was a topic we had covered early in the class and I had done well with the material. I believe part of my understanding came from where I grew up – the Hampton Roads area of Virginia has many homes that were built before 1978 so lead paint was not uncommon. However, I did not learn of the hazards associated with leaded paint, or its prevalence in my local community, until this course. However, when it came time to complete the assignment, I found myself hitting a wall. I could not get past the leaded paint in the example scenario – it is all I could see. However, I decided to take a step back away from the assignment to find a different way to approach the problem. After taking some time away from the practice lab, I was able to come back to it with fresh eyes and a clear mind. Taking the time away allowed for the other potential sources of lead exposure to jump out at me. I found myself taking more and more breaks when completing not only this assignment but assignments for future classes. The Integrated Lead Poisoning Prevention Assignment taught me the importance of taking time away from a problem to better be able to see the full problem. I learned how to not get stuck on one item or part; public health problems tend to be multifaceted, so solely focusing on one angel or component can inhibit one from seeing the full picture. These skills I learned can apply not only to my coursework but also to any workplace scenario I may face as I enter the world of public health.

Risk Communication Group Project

Same as the practice lab above, details about this assignment can be found on the page titled “Risk Communication Group Project.” This assignment was completed Fall 2021 during MPH 632 Environmental and Occupational Health Risk Assessment. This assignment was unlike anything I had done before in my educational career – I along with a group had to respond in real-time to questions about a scenario where had only learned about five minutes prior. There were definite nerves leading up to the assignment, as I felt like I could not adequately prepare for the presentation. My group members and I did meet before the presentation to discuss possible topics and questions, but we chose to not continue as planned. We decided that if we focused on potential topics and questions, we risked the possibility of getting tunnel vision and freezing during the actual presentation. This decision we made opened my eyes to the realities of public health: public health professionals do not always know of upcoming threats or situations they must respond to. Taking the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, no one would have guessed that March 2020 would have launched the world into a pandemic, but public health professionals had to respond and oftentimes respond without having a lot of knowledge or information. While I have been working as part of the pandemic response, I never found myself in a position where I had to address the public without having information. This practice lab taught me the important lesson of staying calm and being a voice for the public during troubling times. The public looks towards us as professionals who will keep them safe and informed. After completing this assignment, I know I will be more prepared and confident if put in a similar situation in the future.