Welcome to my SEA blog! Learn more about what being a SEA means and my experience participating in All of Us.
What does a SEA do?
As Student Engagement Associates (SEAs), Irene and I work with Maggie Godfrey of the Wilson Institute of Medicine to develop social media, virtual presentations, and other educational materials to inform Albion students about All of Us Research Program. I've learned how to confidently present over Zoom and effectively communicate information in fun ways. This is a paid position through the American College Health Association, so this has been a wonderful opportunity to gain experience sharing health information to people in the college-aged population.
All of Us has an app! What does it look like?
The All of Us app is simple to use and saves your work as you go. As a busy college student, I often only have short periods of free time. With each All of Us survey you start or with any information you enter, you can exit and save your answers for later. The image on the left shows your progress among everything available to you at any time. As you can see, you can fill them out in any order you choose. Also, every question gives you the option to skip if you're not comfortable answering it.
When you complete a task or survey, you receive a friendly "thank you" for participating in All of Us. This always reminds me that my data is helping to move medicine in a better direction!
All of Us wants to make sure you understand everything that you are agreeing to. Proper consent and understanding is essential when it comes to you and your health. They also remind you that All of Us is a research program, not medical care, which is an important distinction to point out!
In the image to the left, All of Us is asking the participant to think it through. This question was preceded by an assortment of questions to ensure proper understanding of what it means to send a bio sample to All of Us and have scientists look for changes in your DNA. I appreciate these extra steps because it teaches me about the types of results I receive and the potential benefits/risks of receiving DNA results.
Why do I find All of Us important for public health?
Last semester at Albion, I decided to pursue a concentration in public health. Through the Wilson Institute I have been introduced to all realms of medicine, and this opportunity allowed me to have public health experience as well! I am currently enrolled in a colloquium class that aims to introduce students to many topics of public health, and even through one week of class, I can see the benefit All of Us can have on public health. I'm excited to continue learning about new aspects public health and share the connections I find to All of Us in the coming weeks!