Public health professionals benefit from employing strong leadership skills in order to make good decisions, interact/ educate effectively, and communicate risks to a diverse audience. Developing leadership skills has helped me to become more confident in educating others on public health issues and engaging with my community.
Three leadership opportunities I have engaged in during the MPH program include:
- The Inter-professional Education Project (IPE) was performed during MPH 615 in collaboration with students from the Dental Hygiene program. The goal of this project was to work across interdisciplinary fields to produce a policy recommendation. I used my leadership skills in this project to coordinate meetings with my group and to delegate responsibilities to complete a paper and presentation. I also helped educate the Dental Hygiene members on public health issues.
- The Risk Communication Roundtable was performed during MPH 632 and was also a group project. Our group chose a hazard in advance, and then was presented with a specific scenario. We were provided five minutes to prepare and then were questioned in a mock press conference where we had to demonstrate our risk communication skills. During this project, I acted as the primary public health representative. I provided talking points and background information to my group prior to the presentation to ensure we were adequately prepared.
- The Service Learning Project in MPH 776 required students to apply knowledge in real-world scenarios by participating in a community-based activity. Students were responsible for finding ways to contribute or participate in an activity. I chose to join the Medical Reserve Corps for my local area where I have been involved in several activities and continue to volunteer today. In the MRC, I have been in several situations where I’ve had to learn very quickly, remain flexible, and employ quick decision making skills.