In Spring of 2022, I was finishing up my third year of medical school at Emory University in Atlanta, equal parts exhausted and exhilarated. I had growing interests in reproductive justice and disability justice but was still unsure of what kind of doctor I was going to be. I had done most of my rotations at Grady hospital, one of the largest public hospitals in the United States and safety-net for Georgia.  

I headed off to Berkeley, my alma mater, a few months later, looking forward to better understanding the structural and systemic barriers to health equity that my patients faced. One bright, hot afternoon in July 2022, my classmates and I met for the first time on the terrace of the public health building. Over snacks and a few ice breakers led by an excited Anke, we got to know each other. We talked about where we were from, why we were there, and where we hoped to go. I was amazed (and a bit intimidated!) by how accomplished yet humble and kind my new classmates were. We were doctors, dentists, medical students, and so much more. We were from all over the world. 

During my undergraduate experience at UC Berkeley (class of 2017), I often felt like just a number. There were so many other pre-meds just like me, and it was easy to get lost in the shuffle and not know where or how to find mentorship. My experience in this IPMPH program has been the complete opposite. All my professors and classmates have been so incredibly supportive. It felt like we were on the same team and rooting for each other, and this made a difference in my learning as well as my confidence in sharing my thoughts in class. 

Though it’s condensed, the IPMPH program curriculum gave me the time, flexibility, and bandwidth to take many electives and explore different aspects of public health. I took courses in health policy and advocacy, maternal and child health, epidemiology of cancer, and business, to name a few. I learned how to make interesting maps and graphics in R. I had important and sometimes difficult conversations with my classmates and professors about how to do research that does not betray the community it intended to help, and how not centering voices that have historically and systemically been silenced will most likely do more harm. I learned how to advocate for myself and my ideas, and pitch new policy effectively and confidently. I took a health and human rights course through the Berkeley law school and was able to publish a paper from it.   

My capstone for the program was particularly meaningful to me. I studied adult sized changing tables (think baby changing tables that can support the weight and size of adults). I interviewed individuals who use this accommodation and their caregivers and found that these changing tables are necessary for inclusion, access, dignity, and health.

This year also gave me time to slow down, find new hobbies (creative writing, fostering dogs, and making jewelry!), read fiction, heal from the death of a good friend, and figure out what I want to do with my life. I am planning to go into OBGYN. Maybe it was the maternal and child health courses I took this year. Maybe it was the state of politics in this country and the attacks on women’s health. Maybe it was just having the time to reflect on my third year of medical school. Or, maybe it was all of the above. I hope to eventually focus my practice on serving women and birthing people with disabilities who face disparities in access to and outcomes of obstetric and gynecological care. Though this year is coming to an end, I will remember it fondly for what I got from it.

Pursuing a public health degree was not originally in the career plan I had for myself. But after completing the 11-month interdisciplinary MPH program at UC Berkeley, I can say without a doubt that it was one of the best decisions I've ever made! 

As a medical doctor, I have always had a passion for improving the lives of individuals, but it wasn't until I spent some time in clinical practice and pursued residency in the US that I realized the immense impact public health has on a larger scale.

While I was doing an Ophthalmology research fellowship in Miami in January 2022, my mentor suggested getting an MPH degree. At the time, I had just finished a research study on visual impairment in children in my home country, Barbados, and was inspired to start a childhood vision screening program on the island. But I had no idea where to start or how to make it a part of policy. So, the MPH program at UC Berkeley was a no-brainer. The convenience of the 11-month interdisciplinary program was unmatched, as it allowed me the flexibility to choose the courses that aligned with my career goals and to stay on track with my timeline for pursuing residency.

My time at UC Berkeley was incredible, and I learned so much about various aspects of public health that I never even knew existed! My capstone project, which was a pilot public preschool vision screening program that ran alongside the national vision screening program in Barbados, was inspired by my research on visual impairment and was the guiding light for my choice of coursework. I focused on global health, health policy methods, and quality improvement, and I feel confident that I will use the tools and knowledge gained from each course to help make this program part of health policy on the island and in my future public health career. 

I would like to highlight two courses that were particularly impactful. The Global Health Policy course, taught by Professor Stefano Bertozzi, was a highlight of my fall semester. I learned so much about real-world policy developments and the importance of putting culture, history, and geographical location into consideration when approaching policy proposals and analyses. It was a very practical and engaging class. The Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Public Health course, taught by Professor Rachel Morello-Frosch, was equally inspiring. I gained a deep understanding of the existing racial and cultural disparities in healthcare in the US and was challenged to consider how I can use my positionality as a black Afro-Caribbean woman to contribute to reducing these disparities and improving healthcare for minority populations.

My IPMPH cohort was amazing, and I learned so much from them. It was inspiring to be surrounded by intelligent individuals who are so passionate about making a change in so many different aspects of healthcare. The professors were equally as aspirational. They were from such diverse backgrounds and were always available and willing to provide guidance and support when needed and especially as we made the transition back into the workforce.

I'm beyond grateful for my experiences at UC Berkeley, and I can't wait to put everything I've learned into practice to contribute not only to improving eye care in Barbados but on a broader scale to the wider Caribbean region.

When I was a first-year resident in ophthalmology, I was involved in transitioning the entire hospital system to an integrated electronic medical record (EMR). When I started, we were using an outdated menagerie of systems that relied largely on paper notes. I became a leader for my department’s transition from paper notes to the EMR while caring for patients in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic’s delta wave. Through this experience I found myself more motivated to change the policies and procedures that were leading to poor outcomes in my patients rather than moving as fast as possible from one eye to the next. It was during this time that I learned about the field of occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) and decided to change specialties.

 Between leaving my ophthalmology residency program in October 2021 and joining the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency in July 2022, I worked at the Erie County Health Department in Buffalo, NY. I ran COVID vaccination clinics and oversaw the initial distribution of the pediatric vaccine and initial booster campaigns. I also ran the first paxlovid test-to-treat program in New York state. Finally, I led a mobile public health outreach program that provided vaccines, STI testing, and opiate harm reduction supplies and education in a modified RV to underserved communities and individuals experiencing homelessness. This experience was a fascinating window into boots-on-the-ground public health and expanded my perspective beyond my clinical training.

While I was previously focused on the single most microscopic specialty in all of medicine, I have successfully transitioned to training to impact change on a much broader population level. As part of my residency in OEM, I have nearly completed the Master of Public Health curriculum at UC Berkeley. This interdisciplinary accelerated program has allowed me to learn the core principles of epidemiology, biostatistics, coding in both R and STATA, and how to critically evaluate the literature. My thesis project is a study being conducted by the Northern California Center for Occupational and Environmental Health. We are studying the association between janitor workload in California and negative health outcomes in the context of increased cleaning demands due to the pandemic. I recently presented my findings at the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine annual meeting in Philadelphia. In addition to discussing the various stages of this project with my peers in the interdisciplinary program, I have also collaborated with a PhD student and another MPH student on this project. Overall, the program has been a great learning experience. While it was accelerated, I found it manageable having previously completed medical school and still allowed for plenty of time to explore all the amazing activities the bay area has to offer. 

I will complete my MPH in a few weeks and for my remaining time at UCSF next year I will tailor my rotations toward a career in medical center occupational health. I plan to stay involved in academic occupational medicine, allowing me to continue working on systems change and education. I have been selected to serve as chief resident next year and I am excited to mentor the incoming residents. In the long run I plan to maintain a combination of direct patient care as well as policy and administrative work that will impact the broader population of healthcare system workers, and in turn benefit the care they give to all patients.

As a recent immigrant from Bangladesh, restarting my career in the US, navigating the world of licensing exams I had no idea how my time in UC Berkeley would change my life… When you move from the developing world and you have to reestablish yourself, you start doubting yourself. Being accepted to Berkeley was one of the first in the many series of “Yes”s I received that changed my life and helped me regain my sense of self. I graduated with a renewed desire to work to improve health care outcomes in non communicable diseases, and a deeper understanding of the US healthcare system, its challenges and strengths. I believe it made me a more compassionate and capable physician, as I was not only a student during the COVID 19 pandemic, but also a resident in training.

I remember first learning about COVID 19 during Dr Leonard’s infectious epidemiology class. Very quickly everything changed. The next five months were spent trying to complete Masters in Public Health while sheltering in place. My capstone project which aimed to find causes that lead to delays in cancer treatment had to be changed to a pilot project, as I like many of my colleagues had to work with the limited data we were able to obtain prior to COVID lockdowns. While plans changed and we all had to improvise, the quality of teaching at Berkeley was never compromised and the passion the professors brought into every class was unchanged. My mentors Dr Hemmerling, Dr Sokal-Gutirrez and professors, Dr Bertozzi, Dr Brewster, Dr Prata broadened my horizons with every class be it virtual or in person. Preventative medicine classes were particularly remarkable during the pandemic as we discussed COVID treatment guidelines as they were being developed in real time. 

Within a few months I found myself as an internal medicine resident working in the ICU, taking care of very sick patients and applying those academic concepts discussed during my final months of studies, to the real world. Every lesson contributed in some way to my work. I am grateful for learning about how human behavior impacts health and using that knowledge to remind myself to be empathetic. Health quality classes improved my understanding of small interventions that can be taken daily to prevent adverse patient outcomes. Biostatistics and epidemiology classes allow me to better understand advances in modern medicine. When I complete my residency I aim to work as a primary care physician, I wish to continue focusing on preventative medicine and improving screening of noncommunicable diseases particularly in the developing world.

While many of my fellow students had clear goals regarding their time at UCB SPH, I had many varied interests. I walked into this without a clear plan. I finally graduated with a certificate in Global Health but I also took classes on cancer epidemiology, preventative medicine and completed my capstone on disparities that lead to delays in breast cancer treatment. As a Bangladeshi trained physician I was interested in global health but what really excites me is finding ways to improve cancer screening and reduce disparities/delays in cancer care especially for women, in low to middle income countries. While the circumstances may not have been perfect, and I may not have been the perfect student, the interdisciplinary program was the perfect program for me. I was able to learn about topics that interested me and made sense to me! And I was able to do it all under the most supportive nurturing academic environment that I have ever been a part of. For that experience I will always be grateful!