- What was your Undergrad Institution and Major?
I graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou) with a dual major in Elementary Education and Spanish.
- What encouraged you to pursue this health communication degree?
After I graduated with my undergraduate degree, I decided that classroom teaching wasn’t for me. I fell into the world of Medical Education and have loved it, but wanted more knowledge of the medical field and the healthcare system in general. I thought this program was a great fit for me based on my background and what I hoped to gain for my professional career.
- What are your career goals?
I hope to continue in the continuing education space, but transition towards Patient Education. There is such a need for improving how patients are provided information about their diagnoses, treatment regiments, and overall health and wellness, so I hope to be able to one day create resources and initiatives to help patients feel confident and in control of their health.
- Any tips on balancing school, work, and life?
Setting expectations not only for yourself, but also for those in your life is important. It’s so easy to get sidetracked with daily life and push your school work off until the next day, but sticking to the promises you make to yourself will help keep your stress levels low. I find it easiest to work on readings and assignments in small chunks throughout the day so that I’m not overwhelmed and having to do it all in one sitting. You’d be surprised how short, 30-minute breaks in your day can be utilized to get readings done!
- How do you practice self-care while in the program?
I pick one day of the week when I don’t work on any school work. For me, it’s Sundays. After being in class all day on Saturday, I like to take Sundays to relax, recharge, and give myself part of my weekend to unwind. This is so important to my self-care.
- How have you been able to use the current content in your work?
I am already starting to utilize current course content in my work. While I am planning my clients’ educational conferences, I am able to apply theories about communicating heavy medical information in a digestible way. I have also used discussions from class about incorporating effective technologies into healthcare when it came to redesigning our conference website and app for attendees.
