Welcome friends! My name is Christopher Le and I am a current Masters of Science in Health Communication (MSHC) student hitting the final stretch of the last quarter before graduation! I want to introduce myself in a way that allows you to understand this program better in terms of why I chose this program, what makes me unique from the rest of my classmates, and how I plan to utilize course content and learned skills in the healthcare setting.
By: Kamila Lada, Class of 2019 Attending the initial informational session for the Northwestern University MS in Health Communication Program demonstrated the breadth of issues plaguing the systems within the healthcare industry. The mission: to learn strategies on how to improve communication to improve patient quality of life and safety across their interactions within healthcare.
By: Carlyn LaGrone, Class of 2018 Being a part-time grad school student is a full-time commitment. Sacrificing Saturday’s in order to be a part of this program has undoubtedly been one of the toughest parts of being an MSHC student. This being said, it has fostered a strong sense of community amongst students that is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. This community is different from the one I had during undergrad for many reasons.
By: Carlyn LaGrone, Class of 2018 You know what they say, time flies when you’re having fun and boy were they right—7 months later and its April 2018! I can hardly believe we have the first class of spring quarter this upcoming weekend and that I am technically 50% done with the MSHC program. As I think back to how I felt before the start of winter quarter in January, I find myself feeling even more excited for what’s to come.
By: Mara Marks, Class of 2018 I can recall the feelings I had when I drove away from my undergraduate University for
the last time as a student: a fluctuating mix of relief, excitement and uncertainty. I felt a
weight lifted off of my shoulders from being free from course requirements and having to
remember deadlines for registration and tuition. I was excited to begin my clinical
rotations for occupational therapy, spend time with my family aside from school breaks
and get a taste of what life would be like working in the “real world”.
By: Mara Marks, Class of 2018 Every Saturday in the MSHC program is an opportunity to learn, process and share with
professors and classmates. While the syllabus identifies the class topic, between
current events in healthcare and each student’s unique point of view, class discussions
move in many directions. Whether it was an introduction to a new application of a
current concept or a researcher’s work, I never knew what little piece of information
would spark my attention.
By: Nicole Willens, Class of 2018 For full disclosure, I went to Northwestern University for undergraduate school in addition to graduate school, so my purple pride runs deep. Yet, despite my history with the university, it was not an automatic decision for me to pursue my masters at Northwestern. Rather, once I began to look into graduate school options, I started to prioritize certain aspects of schools and programs.
By: Jamal Spraggins, Class of 2016 When starting out in the MSHC program, I was enthusiastic about the different classes I would be taking. One thing I felt that I was lacking in undergrad were classes that not only challenged me, but I genuinely enjoyed taking and doing the assignments. While in the program, I took several classes that were both challenging and enjoyable. But my favorite class had to be the Child Health and Media class that I took in the summer quarter.
By: Nicole Willens, Class of 2018 One of the most common themes of any professional event is networking. As an undergraduate student, you are told to network with anyone and everyone. Career fairs can often act as speed networking sessions. In graduate school, the importance of networking is even greater. Professional development events are paramount and every class session has the potential for networking. I have always valued the power of networking as a way to learn and grow in your career.
By: Nicole Willens, Class of 2018 While many students that enter the Master of Science in Health Communication program are already working in the healthcare field, I was working in consumer packaged goods and was hoping to leverage this degree to break into the healthcare industry. Switching industries can be terrifying at times, but I knew transitioning into healthcare was the right move for me long-term.
