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Public health pharmacy, with Adrian Leung26 Apr 202300:35:50

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Adrian Leung, a public health pharmacist currently working with the province of Ontario to advance digital health. They discuss pharmacy and the current state of healthcare, the role of pharmacists in public health, and how pharmacy and public health can further intermingle to advance community health.

You’ll Learn

  • What drew Adrian towards pharmacy and then public health later in his career
    • Adrian’s experience working in a long term care facility and how frustration with the current health system and a want to learn led to him pursuing a Masters in Health Administration
  • What a day in the life of a public health pharmacist looks like
    • The work Adrian did with the COVID vaccine roll out
  • How the role of pharmacists in public health is still evolving and the advancements in care that may come from merging the private and public sectors of health
  • How digital health and technology further advances health and outreach to communities


Today’s Guest

Initially trained as a pharmacist, Adrian spent the first eight years of his career specializing in pharmacy service delivery for seniors living in congregate care settings including long-term care. He later pursued a masters in health administration to broaden his knowledge and skillset, and subsequently joined York Region's public health unit to help advance their COVID-19 vaccination campaign. In that role as a Public Health Pharmacist, he served as the COVID-19 team's pharmaceutical expert to advise internal and external stakeholders on appropriate vaccine inventory management (including proper storage, handling, and distribution) and promote vaccine effectiveness and patient safety. Adrian is currently part of a team that advances digital innovation and transformation initiatives in the province of Ontario.


Resources

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Opening yourself to possibilities, with Anita Balan09 Apr 202300:42:25

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Anita Balan, a project director at the American College of Preventive Medicine. They discuss Anita’s journey through grad school and the pit stops she took along the way, and ways to add to your skills toolkit by seizing opportunities outside of formal education.

You’ll Learn

  • How Anita discovered public health through a peer education opportunity on campus
  • How politics and public health are closely intertwined
  • The importance of being open to different opportunities that may not necessarily be in your direct field of work
  • Anita’s experience and reflections on taking a break in between grad school
  • How you can upscale your school without needing formal education
    • How volunteering is a valuable way to add skills to your toolkit
  • How to cope with failures and feelings of low self esteem
  • What’s next for Anita and how she is gathering information for her future career path through informational interviews


Today’s Guest

Anita Balan is a Project Director at the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM). Currently, she is responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation of multiple grants funded through a cooperative agreement between ACPM and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, aimed at to strengthen public health systems and improve population health through national partnerships. Three of her projects focus on building the capacity of physicians, health systems and collaborating organizations to prevent diabetes, reduce hypertension and address COVID-19 among disproportionately affected populations. She provides staff support for the preventive medicine residency program directors and the Graduate Medical Education Subcommittee. Ms. Balan is a strong advocate for health promotion and disease prevention, investing in public health, public health law, addressing structural barriers and eliminating health disparities. She earned her MPH in Prevention and Community Health from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University and is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES). She serves on the boards of the National Capital Area chapter of the Society of Public Health Education (NCA SOPHE) and the South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA). She is a believer in life-long learning and enjoys being a student of Indian Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam dance.


Resources

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Public health consultants & entrepreneurs: Understanding the landscape, with Leah Roman and Vinu Illakkuvan28 Feb 202400:48:05

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Today, unlock a world of innovation at the crossroads of entrepreneurship and public health consulting with Leah Roman and Vinu Ilakkuvan. They bring to light the motivations behind a groundbreaking survey on self-employed public health professionals, revealing the often hidden sides of self employment. Through candid conversations, we learn about the economic prospects of consulting and the pressing need for more academic training and support networks to arm future public health entrepreneurs with the tools for success.


You’ll Learn

  • What prompted Leah, Vinu, and Laura to collaborate on “The self-employed public health consultant and entrepreneur workforce in the United States” and the method behind conducting the survey
  • Key findings from the survey including demographics and formal training in skills related to entrepreneurship
  • Breaking down the financial aspects of consulting and salary transparency
  • The gap in support networks for self employed public health professionals and brainstorming how to bridge it
  • What Leah and Vinu hope to achieve next with the results collected from the survey


Today’s Guest

Leah A. Roman, MPH, MCHES is the Owner & Principal Consultant for Roman Public Health Consulting LLC, where she helps public health organizations design effective e-learning solutions. She has 18+ years of experience providing training and technical assistance, health education, and project management services. Leah has a BA in Psychology (University of San Diego), a master of public health degree (Boston University), a certificate in e-learning instructional design (University of Washington), and is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES). Leah lives in the Philadelphia, PA area (USA) with her husband and two children.


Vinu Ilakkuvan, DrPH, MSPH, is passionate about strengthening community-driven efforts to address the upstream, root drivers of health. She is Founder and Principal Consultant of PoP Health, a public health consulting practice that partners with community coalitions and collaboratives to transform health in their communities through policy and systems change. PoP Health helps coalitions engage in community collaboration, action planning, participatory evaluation, and effective storytelling. PoP Health also issues a biweekly newsletter, Community Threads, with tools and strategies for anyone seeking to improve community health 

Resources

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From Ebola outbreak response in Sierra Leone to public health research and driving innovation, with Asad Naveed15 Nov 202300:44:04

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Dr. Asad Naveed to talk about his work with the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, using social media as a platform for health education and mentorship, and providing guidance for those getting started in public health research.

You’ll Learn

  • Asad’s on the ground work with management and prevention of Ebola in Sierra Leone and how he first became involved in community health
  • How Asad’s field work led to a career in research and what his goals were when returning to school
  • Perspective and making changes in global health systems
  • Social media and the responsibilities that public facing figures and users have
  • Tips on getting started and climbing up for those interested in public health research and social entrepreneurship


Today’s Guest


Resources

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From Delhi to Boston to pursue a DrPH at Harvard, with Bhargav Krishna23 Mar 202200:42:20

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Bhargav Krishna to discuss his experiences pursuing higher education all around the world. Bhargav gives tips on choosing between programs, considerations that need to be made when choosing programs, and shares his experience with Harvard’s Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program. 

You’ll Learn

  • Why Bhargav decided to pursue a DrPH and how he decided on a DrPH over a PhD 
  • What made Bhargav choose to pursue Harvard’s DrPH program 
  • Tips on choosing the right DrPH program
  • A brief summary of what you might expect from Harvard’s DrPH program 
  • Bhargav’s biggest learnings from the DrPH program and how he has changed as a professional since
  • How Bhargav is using skills from the DrPH in his current work
  • The diverse career paths that other graduates from the program are on
  • Advice for anyone considering pursuing a DrPH 


Today’s Guest

Bhargav Krishna is a Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research. His research interests span areas of health policy, environmental policy, and environmental epidemiology, with a focus on the impact of air quality and climate change on health. Previously, Bhargav set up and managed the Centre for Environmental Health at the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), where he led work on air quality, climate, and health. In this capacity, he served on Union and State government expert committees on air pollution, biomedical waste, and critically polluted areas. He has also carried out work on health systems and sustainable development across several states. Bhargav holds a Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, a Master’s degree in Global Environmental Change from Kings College London and an undergraduate degree from Anna University, Chennai. He is Adjunct Faculty at PHFI and Visiting Faculty at Azim Premji University where he teaches environmental health and health policy respectively. He is also co-founder of Care for Air, a Delhi-based non-profit working to raise awareness of air pollution among school children.


Resources


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Applying to and choosing between 5 MPH/MSPH program offers as a first-generation student, with Denise Chow22 Jun 202200:50:57

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Denise Chow, a 1st year MPH student studying at the Yale School of Public Health. Denise was accepted into all five MSPH/MPH programs she applied to and in this episode, she speaks about her application process and gives some great advice for others considering pursuing a graduate degree.

You’ll Learn

  • How Denise came upon the field of public health and experiences led to her knowing it was the right field for her 
  • What influenced Denise’s decision in pursuing an MPH vs. an MSPH and why she decided to enter the graduate degree right after completing her undergrad
  • What considerations prospective students should make when deciding which schools and programs to apply to
  • Denise’s decision making process and how she ultimately made the choice to study at Yale amongst the other schools she was accepted into
  • Tips from Denise on how to strengthen applications for graduate school
  • How having a solid support network is important through your education and career path, especially as a first generation student with unique barriers during the application process
    • How to go about building this support network
  • Advice from Denise for others who may be considering higher education


Today’s Guest

Denise Chow is a 1st-year MPH student at the Yale School of Public Health. She recently graduated from University of California, Berkeley, studying Public Health and Education. Her research interests include mental health and well-being, qualitative and community-based participatory research, social and interpersonal relationships, and early childhood development among children, refugees, and displaced populations.


Resources

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Health Communications 101 with Nutrition Communicator, Brett Otis11 May 202200:42:13

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Brett Otis, the Communications Project Manager in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. They discuss Brett’s work at Harvard Chan on “The Nutrition Source” and the responsibilities of those presenting health information to the public. 

You’ll Learn

  • Brett’s career path and how he came to work in public health communications 
  • What a day as the Communications Project Manager in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan looks like
  • What “The Nutrition Source” is and the process of producing this source
  • Tips from Brett on how to consume health information from media
  • Some lessons that Brett has learned about communicating public health information
  • What the biggest challenges for individuals working in public health face when communicating health information
  • Brett’s observations about public health communication during COVID-19 and what he has seen working well vs. what could be improved
  • Advice from Brett for individuals who might be interested in a similar career


Today’s Guest

Brett O. Otis, ALM, is a Communications Project Manager in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health where he lends strategic support to multiple initiatives, including the department’s primary public-facing website, The Nutrition Source, and annual Healthy Living Guide. He also serves as a key guest lecturer in the MPH course, Nutrition Communication in Practice. Additionally, he is a co-author of Eat Well and Keep Moving (3rd edition, 2016), a school-based nutrition and physical activity program developed for upper-elementary school children. Merging education and training in journalism, health communications, and sustainability, along with professional experience in public health nutrition communications, his work is all about making research accessible and useful to a range of audiences—from policymakers and educators, to the general public. 


Resources

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The importance of volunteering and how they shape your public health career, with Christina Ricci08 Jun 202200:36:30

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Christina Ricci, an epidemiologist with the Public Health Agency of Canada and an avid volunteer. They discuss the importance of volunteerism and what motivates Christina to keep volunteering.

You’ll Learn

  • How Christina got into the field of public health
  • Christina’s volunteering journey and what motivated her to continue seeking out volunteer roles
  • How Christina’s early volunteer experiences shaped her interest in public health and vice versa
  • What some of the most rewarding volunteer positions have been for Christina and what skills she learned - both expected and unexpected
  • Why it is important for Christina to continue volunteering, even after she landed a full-time public health job  
  • How to identify and land volunteer experiences, both formally and informally
  • How to integrate volunteer work into your resume
  • Factors to consider before taking on a volunteer role
  • Tips on how to balance volunteer work with other work and play
  • Advice from Christina for students and early career professionals as it relates to public health volunteer work


Today’s Guest

Christina is an Epidemiologist with the Public Health Agency of Canada and completed her Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology at the University of Toronto. Outside of work she volunteers with various universities doing systematic reviews, as a program manager for an NGO improving disability services access and disability inclusion stigma in West Africa as well as with the United Nations to name a few. She has also started her own program for newcomers to Canada to connect them to resources through webinars and workshops.  


Resources

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Pursuing an MSW/MPH dual degree at Columbia University, with Tieisha Walters01 Jun 202200:37:43

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Tieisha Walters to discuss her experience with the Master of Public Health / Master of Science in Social Work program from Columbia University. They chat about what the dual degree is like and what doors it has opened for Tieisha.

You’ll Learn

  • How Tieishia found her way into the public health field
  • What motivated Tieisha to pursue the dual MSSW/MPH 
  • Tieisha’s experience with the MSSW/MPH program and what she would have done differently
  • What Colombia’s dual MSSW/MPH program is like including:
    • How courses are structured 
    • What practicum opportunities may be available
    • How social work and public health learning was integrated throughout the program
    • Main advantages of doing a dual degree 
  • Advice from Tieisha for others who might be considering an MPH/MSW degree
  • Tieisha’s experiences working around the world and how her knowledge in both social work and public health has benefited her
  • Tips from Tieisha on searching for jobs with a dual degree


Today’s Guest

Tieisha Walters received a Master of Public Health and a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University in 2017. After graduating from Columbia, Ms. Walters served one year as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Zambia. During her time in Zambia, Ms. Walters focused on reducing the prevalence of maternal and neonatal deaths. Upon returning to the U.S., Ms. Walters worked as a Resource Coordinator teaching sexuality education to high school students. However, when covid-19 was declared a pandemic, Ms. Walters decided to utilize both her MPH and MSW skills to assist her city (NYC) in combating this virus. Ms. Walters worked as both a Contact Tracer for NYC Health + Hospital and as a Public Health Analyst contractor for CDC. Presently, Ms. Walters is working as a Licensed Social Worker/ Community Partnership Manager for the Economic Opportunity Commission of Nassau County. Ms. Walters believes that her purpose on earth is to be in public service and to help improve the lives of others, one individual at a time.   


Resources

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A Day in the Life of a Public Health Attorney, with Joanna Suder04 May 202200:30:20

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Joanna Suder, a deputy attorney general representing the Division of Public Health for the state of Delaware. They chat about what tasks public health attorneys may be responsible for, how it was like working through the pandemic, and Joanna’s experiences writing “Pandemic for Babies”.

You’ll Learn

  • How Joanna entered the field of public health law
  • How health specialized law programs differ from regular law programs
  • What public health law entails and what a typical day may look like for a public health attorney
  • How Joanna’s workload and the cases she works on have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • What other professionals Joanna collaborate with in her work
  • Other paths that people specialized in health law may go on to do
  • Joanna’s experience co-authoring the book “Pandemics for Babies” and how she balanced writing a book along with her regular workload 
  • The importance of understanding tech in public health law
  • What advice Joanna has for others who are interested in following a similar path


Today’s Guest

Joanna Suder is a Deputy Attorney General in the Civil Division of the Delaware Department of Justice. She is currently the Unit Head for the Health Law Unit and supervises a team in addition to her work representing the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services as well as the Division of Public Health. Joanna was the lead health attorney responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. In her ample free time, Joanna co-authors articles and children's books with her husband, an infectious disease epidemiologist. A true lawyer, Joanna wants you to know that nothing she says necessarily represents the views of the Delaware Department of Justice of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. 


Resources

  • Listen to the previous episode with Neal Goldstein, the co-author (and Joanna’s husband!) of “Pandemic for Babies”
  • Purchase “Pandemics for Babies” from the publisher or from Amazon

Other PH SPOT resources:

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Quick Career Tip: Networking - To create opportunities for yourself, you need to create opportunities for others28 Sep 202200:12:24

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This is a QUICK CAREER TIPS episode: short podcast episodes spotlighting a career tip for public health professionals.

Today’s career tip is on how to create and sustain your network of public health professionals.

Whenever people talk about career growth, the word “networking” is bound to come up. It’s become a standard part of our career culture, but it’s not always a straightforward process: it tends to require a lot of work, especially building and maintaining that network. In today’s Quick Career Tip episode we’ll be talking about what it takes to do exactly that, and how you can do so in a way that eventually pays off.

What You'll Learn from this Episode:

  • How to create a public health network through the spaces and people you already know
  • Why the key to strengthening your public health network is to “give before you receive”

Featured on the Show:

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Other Resources:

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Behind the scenes at PH SPOT with Kajanth and Sujani14 Apr 202000:44:35

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Show Notes

This is the second episode we are recording since the COVID-19 pandemic. As we all try to navigate this new way of life, we at PH SPOT wanted to switch things up and produce a few podcast episodes that are different from our original show.

In today’s episode, Sujani sits down with someone special. You may have heard his name in our intro episode, or in some of our email communications. If you guessed Kajanth, you are absolutely right.

Kajanth, as introduced in our intro episode, is one of the unsung heroes of PH SPOT. He is responsible for how all of the content is delivered to you. He is behind the building of our websites (PH SPOT and Infographics101.com), podcasts, and online course, to name a few…Name a PH SPOT product, and Kajanth is probably the reason you can access it on your devices. (Kajanth is also Sujani’s husband!)

For this episode, we thought it would be fun for the two of them to record an unplanned and unscripted episode about PH SPOT. This was an exciting and equally nervous episode to record as neither knew where the conversation was going!

You’ll Learn

  • Who Kajanth is, and his role at PH SPOT (as a non-public health person, what he thinks of public health)
  • The moment PH SPOT began to feel like more than a blog
  • The journey of how PH SPOT came to be
  • The different moments that Sujani and Kajanth remember about building PH SPOT – the fun and the difficult moments
  • The small and big dreams they’ve dreamt up for the future of PH SPOT

Support the show

Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.

Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!

Try the Career Club for free!10 Apr 202400:11:13

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Welcome to the Public Health Career Club. From sitting down with accomplished public health professionals who will spill the beans on making the most of your degree, to personalized career advice during our office hours – it's all happening here. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. We've packed our calendar with monthly resume clinics, mentorship sessions, and social mixers to spark lifelong connections. Stay tuned for our weekly workshops and special talks that promise to keep your professional growth on a constant upswing. If you're listening from April 10th to 12th, 2024, don't miss this golden opportunity to become a part of the Public Health Career Club. Let's roll up our sleeves and make a difference together!

Featured on the Show:

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Why you need a personal brand, with Richa Bansal21 Feb 202400:33:53

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Imagine catapulting your career to new heights by harnessing the transformative power of personal branding. That’s exactly what we're unpacking today with leadership coach Richa Bansal, whose insights into professional presence are nothing short of game-changing. Our conversation delves into the nuances of how you're perceived and the pivotal role of aligning your self-image with external perspectives. And for those just starting out, we lay out a blueprint for building a strong personal brand that paves the way to leadership and innovation.

You’ll Learn

  • What personal branding is and why it is important to understand your brand
  • How to figure out your brand and use the POWER framework to shift it to advance towards your career goals
  • Advice for early professionals on building your personal brand and envisioning where you want to be
  • When perceptions can limit progress and tips on starting fresh 
  • How having allies in the workplace can help with shaping your personal brand and learning to “box the ask” for help 


Today’s Guest

Richa Bansal is a leadership and job search coach with a decade of experience excelling in the corporate world on her own terms. She previously worked with Amazon, leading large-scale programs to help the company hire the best talent on earth, and with Schlumberger, leading a large engineering team to deliver multi-million dollar projects for global oilfield clients like ExxonMobil, Shell and BP.  

As one of the only women in the room for most of her career, Richa has seen first-hand the struggles of women as they navigate the corporate ladder. In 2019, she founded Pinkcareers to deliver actionable, no-fluff career advice to ambitious professionals and accelerate their career growth. Richa has partnered with over 20 Fortune-500 companies, universities, and the Government of Canada to deliver her leadership programs, and coached 100s of high-potential professionals on how to ditch limiting beliefs and leverage the power of personal branding to 2X their career, compensation and impact.  

Richa earned a Bachelor’s from IIT Delhi in India, a Master’s from Purdue University, and an MBA from Rice University. When she is not working on Pinkcareers, she loves to travel the world with her husband and two little boys

Resources

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Networking is everywhere, with Sujani03 Apr 202400:12:48

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This week Sujani unveils the transformative power of weaving relationship-building into the very fabric of your daily life. From striking up a conversation with a colleague to reaching out to a professional you admire online, I'll demonstrate the omnipresence of networking opportunities. Whether you're taking your first steps in public health or you're a seasoned expert, this episode promises to revolutionize your approach to building relationships and expand your professional network in ways you never imagined. Let's get ready to transform the way you think about networking in public health. 

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Health educator to CEO of About Fresh/Fresh Connect, with Josh Trautwein12 Jul 202300:51:26

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Josh Trautwein, the co-founder and CEO of About Fresh. They discuss what sparked the creation of About Fresh, Josh’s experience with bringing the company to life, and how About Fresh has been evolving and broadening food access to improve the health of more and more communities.

You’ll Learn

  • What About Fresh is and what sparked the company’s conception 
    • What About Fresh’s mission is and how it aims to improve the health of communities
    • What the early stages of starting About Fresh looked like and tips on navigating finances and other barriers with a new project or startup
    • What services About Fresh offers and how Fresh Connect has evolved over time to incorporate technology and improve food access to even more communities
  • What steps Josh took to identify a public health issue, brainstorm a solution, and successfully bring the solution to life
    • The importance  of drawing from similar pre-existing programs and engaging with the communities you want to serve 
  • How you can support or partner with About Fresh


Today’s Guest

Josh is the co-founder and CEO of About Fresh, a Boston-based company that combines food retail, technology, and community- driven activism to empower people to access and afford healthy food. He was inspired to start About Fresh in 2011 while serving as a community health worker at Mass General Brigham where he often encountered food insecurity among his patients. Josh is responsible for leading his team and board through mission-driven growth grounded in About Fresh core values. Outside of work, Josh plays and coaches soccer, grills, skis, and surfs. Josh grew up with his mom, grandmother, and a small extended family in Milford, MA, and currently lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kate.

Resources

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Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.

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Post-grad job search tips & getting into the private sector, with Jennifer Mandelbaum28 Jun 202300:38:25

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Jennifer Mandelbaum, a healthcare economics consultant at Optum and lecturer at Tufts University. They discuss job search and application tips for public vs. private sectors and what factors to consider if you are thinking about pursuing a postgraduate degree.

You’ll Learn

  • How Jennifer found her way into public health
  • What personal and professional factors you should consider when thinking about pursuing a postgraduate degree
  • Job search tips for those interested in the private sector of public health including how to navigate networking in the digital age
  • How applying for jobs changes in the public, private, and academic fields and how to tailor your resume and cover letter for each field
  • Job search tips for new graduates and things to start considering even as you are finishing your degree including:
    • Being open minded about potentially not landing your dream job right away
    • Building a mentorship network around you and joining professional organizations
    • Developing transferable skills
  • How academic work can differ between institutions and determining where you would fit best
  • What a day in the life of a healthcare economics consultant looks like


Today’s Guest

Jennifer Mandelbaum, PhD, MPH is a public health researcher and healthcare economics consultant at Optum whose work focuses on chronic disease prevention and mental health care across the life course. Dr. Mandelbaum has experience working across sectors (e.g., academia, government, industry) to understand and address root causes affecting issues of health care access and equity. In recognition of her efforts to improve chronic disease outcomes, she received the Rising Star Award from the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (2022) and the Dr. Rick Foster Leadership Award from Live Healthy South Carolina (2020). She serves as a Governing Councilor for the Public Health Education and Health Promotion (PHEHP) section of the American Public Health Association (APHA) as well as a member of APHA’s Education Board. Cultivating the next generation of public health professionals is important to her, and she is currently a part-time faculty member in Tufts University’s Department of Community Health. Dr. Mandelbaum holds a BA from Brandeis University, an MPH from Yale University, and a PhD from the University of South Carolina.

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The beauty of public health, with Doug Taylor17 May 202300:44:09

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Doug Taylor, the Director of Operations and Finance for Fact Forward. They discuss Doug’s career journey, how public health and health education has changed over the years, and the different paths that public health can take you.

You’ll Learn

  • How Doug became interested in health and wellness after serving in the military health corps and a medical event in the family
  • Doug’s experience with his undergrad and graduate degree and what extra value an MPH provides 
  • How public health in the 90s differed from today’s environment
    • How sexual health education evolved as a result of the HIV pandemic
  • The importance of being engaged in public health communities and societies and making connections 
  • Why Doug pivoted from working in government to nonprofit
    • Doug’s experience stepping into a leadership and management role
  • How to deal with the more abstract nature of getting results and making change in public health 


Today’s Guest

Doug Taylor is the Director of Operations and Finance for Fact Forward, a statewide non-profit in Columbia, SC, focusing on adolescent reproductive health. His role includes ensuring operational efficiencies, compliance with federal, state, and foundation rules and regulations, and collaborating with the CEO and Directors to secure financial resources that support the agency’s mission. He joined Fact Forward in June 2011 as the Director of Community Programs and Evaluation and oversaw all community-focused programming and the agency’s research and evaluation activities. The Department managed over 3 million in federal and private foundation funding to support youth-serving professionals in providing age-appropriate, medically accurate sexual health education to teens. Previously, Doug worked at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), where he coordinated the implementation of DHEC’s Health Services statewide performance management system and led quality improvement teams in process improvement projects. Doug also served six years active duty in the United States Army, and six years with the Texas Army National Guard. Doug has a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion and Education from the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Education from the University of North Texas. 


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The public health resume, CV and more, with Career Coach Alison McAlear26 Jan 202200:55:21

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Alison McAlear to talk all things CVs and resumes. These documents are tools we all need in our careers, whether it's related to the public health field or not. Alison explains the differences and similarities between CVs and resumes and gives us some helpful tips on how to create successful documents specific to public health jobs. 

Grab a pen and some paper and let's learn together 


You’ll Learn

  • What the differences and similarities between CVs and resumes are and when to use one vs. the other. 
  • How CVs and resumes can vary at different stages of your career. 
  • What the main sections of a resume typically. 
  • How to choose and format which experiences you include, especially for students looking to bulk up their resumes and CVs. 
  • The importance of tailoring a resume to a specific job and what this could look like. 
  • What general formatting is recommended for students.
  • What specific things public health professionals should keep in mind when preparing their resumes and CVs.  


Today’s Guest

Alison McAlear is Assistant Director of Career Coaching and Education for the Office of Career and Professional Development at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Alison coaches alumni and students through career exploration and the job search process, and she develops educational programs to help her clients build professional competencies to support their individual career goals. Before coming to Harvard Chan, Alison worked in corporate recruiting and employee training and development, and spent over eight years dedicated to graduate program admissions and recruiting at Boston-area universities. She has a BA in English Literature from Smith College and a MS in Communications from Simmons University.


Related Resources


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New year. New you. New job? Introducing a new mini series & Career Workshop.05 Jan 202200:21:08

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 This year, January 14th to be exact, PH SPOT celebrates 5 years. It’s unbelievable that 5 years have gone by already. Sujani created PH SPOT in 2017 after seeing a gap online for a career development resource dedicated specifically for public health professionals. Since graduating from her public health degree, Sujani spent countless hours between 2013 – 2016 guiding public health students and new grads one-on-one with their careers. As this was not a scalable solution, nor a sustainable one she decided to create PH SPOT to reach, inspire and support a larger number of public health professionals. The platform also ensured that a more diverse set of experiences and advice was being shared. In today's episode Sujani tells you about the different programs and products PH SPOT has built over the years, and on a more exciting note, introduces the new mini-series on the podcast that will run throughout January and a bit into February, called NewYear. New You. New Job?, as well as a Career Workshop!

What You'll Learn from this Episode:

  • Three pillars that PH SPOT's products and programs are focused on: studying public health, getting hired in public health, upskilling for a competitive edge (mainly focused on health communications)
  • The types of content found on the Blog and the Podcast, the downloadable tools and resources available for each of the three pillars, and the virtual programming (courses and workshops offered)
  • And update on the podcast and how we will have a weekly release in 2022
  • The new mini-series in January focused on getting you hired in public health. Topics of discussion will include informational Interviews, setting yourself up with LinkedIn for job success, and resumes/CVs.
  • One of the most exciting launches of 2022: Jumpstart your public health career Workshop.

Featured on the Show:

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Getting out of your comfort zone: teacher to public health researcher, with Stephanie L. Verna19 Oct 202200:47:17

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Stephanie Verna, a former physical education and health teacher and current public health professional. They discuss Stephanie’s career journey, how she took the leap of pursuing public health, and the importance of living without regret.


You’ll Learn

  • Stephanie’s experience as a teacher and a coach and her passion for education
  • What motivated Stephanie to change career paths and pursue public health 
  • Stephanie’s interest in sports health and preventing injury
  • How the pandemic impacted Stephanie’s education and career
  • Stephanie’s experience going back to school, the biggest challenges that she faced, and how she managed them
  • The importance of fully utilizing resources available to you in educational institutes, such as career centers
  • How networking can open doors for you to get to your dream career
  • Advice for others who are thinking about taking the next step in their career path


Today’s Guest

Stephanie Verna is a Program and Research Manager at one of the CDC’s currently funded injury control research centers-Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory University located in Atlanta, Georgia. Stephanie’s research interests include a multitude of injury topics such as traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and transportation safety. In addition, she is working on a phase 3 national exercise clinical trial, SPARX3 that investigates the effects of moderate and high-intensity aerobic exercise on disease progression in untreated patients with Parkinson’s.

Previously, Stephanie was a middle school Physical Education and Health teacher for over a decade and a women’s lacrosse coach at the middle/high school levels for 18 years. She left her wonderful education and coaching position at a middle school to attend graduate school at Emory University during the pandemic in the fall of 2020. She graduated in May 2022 with a master's in public health from the behavioral, social, and health education sciences department with an injury prevention certificate. Additionally, she acquired her certified health educational specialist (CHES) certification. 

Stephanie’s passions include educating, mentoring, and coaching other graduate and undergraduate students. She hopes to continue working within the space of injury and violence prevention but hopes to reach her goal of participating in sports related TBI/concussion research in the future. 


Resources

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Clinical medicine to environmental epidemiology, with Inyang Uwak10 May 202300:40:03

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Inyang Uwak, an environmental epidemiologist with a background in medicine. They discuss Inyang’s experience with her MPH and DrPH program, how to succeed in environmental epidemiology, and how Inyang’s clinical background has helped her in her current career.

You’ll Learn

  • How Inyang found her way to public health and specifically epidemiology and environmental from a clinical background
    • What considerations and support she used to make her decision to switch to public health
    • How her clinical experience has helped her in her public health career
  • Inyang’s experience with the Johns Hopkins MPH program and juggling school work with family life and motherhood
  • Why Inyang chose to pursue a DrPH over a PhD 
    • How she was able to incorporate an interest in research work into her program
  • What a day in the life of an environmental epidemiologist looks like
  • What skills are necessary to succeed as an environmental epidemiologist
  • What opportunities there are in different sectors for environmental epidemiologists


Today’s Guest

Dr. Inyang Uwak is a Senior Epidemiologist with the CDC Foundation, an independent nonprofit created by Congress to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s critical health protection work. Dr. Uwak provides her expertise in the field to the City of Houston Health department’s Bureau of Pollution Control and Prevention. She received her DrPH from Texas A&M University in Epidemiology and Environmental Health, her MPH from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, and her Medical Degree from the University of Calabar, Nigeria. She currently serves as the APHA’s Environment Section Program Planning Co-Chair. When she is not working, she enjoys running in the park with her family and creating healthy treats in the kitchen.


Resources

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How to start a public health podcast, with WHO's Global Health Matters Podcast host Garry Aslanyan29 Mar 202300:47:45

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Dr. Garry Aslanyan, the Manager of Partnerships and Governance with the World Health Organization and host of the Global Health Matters podcast. They discuss what the TDR is, how the Global Health Matters podcast came to be, and advice for anyone thinking of starting their own podcast.


You’ll Learn

  • What the TDR is and how they are helping to connect and advance public health around the world
  • How the “Global Health Matters” podcast came to be
    • Highlights and topics of interest that have been covered on the podcast
  • The advantages of using podcast as a medium for knowledge dissemination 
  • What skill sets and team members may be needed to run a podcast
  • What costs and resources should be taken into consideration
  • Advice on pitching a new podcast project
  • Other advice for anyone thinking of starting their own podcast


Today’s Guest

As Manager of Partnerships and Governance, Dr Garry Aslanyan is responsible for TDR's wide range of engagements with global health stakeholders, including mobilizing programme resources and TDR's governing bodies. TDR has a unique relationship with co-sponsors: UNICEF, World Bank, UNDP and WHO. This includes applying research evidence in global health programming of the co-sponsors and collaborating with six regional WHO offices which is overseen by Dr Aslanyan, including the highly successful impact grants tackling public health challenges in those regions. In addition, Dr Aslanyan is the Head of the ESSENCE on Health Research Secretariat that provides support to its Steering Committee and funding agencies which are members of ESSENCE to move forward on various activities.

Garry is also the host of the highly popular Global Health Matters podcast and leads its production team.

Dr Aslanyan is Canadian, with a background in dentistry, public health, research/innovation management, health policy/systems as well as global health diplomacy. Prior to joining TDR, Dr Aslanyan has taken on various roles that allowed him to lead various organizational and technical innovations and is a recognized leader in global public health. As well as holding senior executive positions within Canada’s federal government and as the past President of the Ontario Public Health Association, Dr Garry Aslanyan has experiences living and working across the world including in Brazil, South Africa, Armenia, Barbados and Vietnam.


Resources

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Rural health Epidemiology, with Krysta "McKenna" Luzynski22 Mar 202300:49:23

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Krysta McKenna Luzynski, a district epidemiologist at the Virginia Department of Health. They discuss gaining perspectives on different healthcare systems around the world, the responsibilities of a rural epidemiologist, and McKenna’s experience working through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

You’ll Learn

  • How McKenna found her way into public health through a youth leadership camp and an interest in healthcare
  • How the pandemic has altered the public perception of public health
  • Why McKenna chose to pursue higher education abroad to gain new perspectives on public health
    • How her experiences abroad impacted her career opportunities back home
    • A brief overview of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s MSc in Public Health program
  • What a day in the life of a rural epidemiologist looks like
    • How working in a rural setting differs from urban settings and what unique challenges may arise
    • McKenna’s experience working through the COVID-19 pandemic and what she has learned from it
  • What skills are essential to succeed in applied epidemiology
  • McKenna’s goals and where she hopes to take her career in the future


Today’s Guest

A native of Roanoke, VA, McKenna Luzynski is a magna cum laude graduate of Furman University with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Spanish and a minor in Latin American Studies. She attended the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for her Master of Science in Public Health. McKenna has been employed by the Virginia Department of Health as the Senior District Epidemiologist for Southside Health District since October of 2019. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Directors for VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital. McKenna resides in South Hill, VA.


Resources

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What is a Community Health Worker (CHW) and how to become one, with Tasha Whitaker14 Feb 202400:44:25

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Embark on a transformative journey with Tasha Whitaker, a seasoned Community Health Worker whose heart beats for public health education and advocacy. From her initial dreams of trauma nursing to becoming a beacon of hope and change within her community, Tasha's story is a testament to the power of passion and persistence. Uncover the nuanced dynamics of Community Health Workers, the unsung heroes who bridge gaps between healthcare systems and the people they serve. Our conversation is a deep dive into how these trusted liaisons navigate complex webs of resources, while also highlighting the serendipitous nature of career opportunities that can arise from the most unexpected of places.

You’ll Learn

  • What a community health worker (CHW) is and how they work to better community health through building relationships within the community
  • Tasha’s experience with landing a job as a CHW right out of undergrad 
  • The skillsets needed to be successful in community health work
    • Qualifications needed to become a CHW and how they differ depending on where you’re located
  • Other pathways that are available for CHWs such as in research, clinical roles, and management and how skills learned from being a CHW prepare you for other roles
  • Tasha’s transition from ground work to training others to starting her own professional development company and the work she does now with Crew Wellness LLC


Today’s Guest

Tasha Whitaker is the CEO of Crew Wellness LLC, a Wellness Education Training & Professional Development Company which she founded after a decade of work experience leading in healthcare roles that have impacted federal, state and local public health organizations. Tasha has been featured on ABC 25, KYTX, CBS DFW and highlighted in magazine and print articles for her community engagement and public health expertise. She is sought after for her ability to improve community engagement outcomes through wellness interventions, strategic processes, and training thousands of Community Health Workers to deploy health education for  communities nationally. Through her company Crew Wellness she is impacting not only the communities being served, but also the Crew (staff) providing the services to ensure wellness is prioritized so they can continue to contribute to the positive health outcomes for communities. Tasha regularly consults for companies wishing to gain deeper connections with communities by providing relevant, fun and engaging  professional development training to the crew so they can serve equitably and provide a stellar service to the communities they serve.

Resources

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An international student's public health career journey, with Nikita Sandeep Wagle06 Jul 202200:46:41

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Dr. Nikita Sandeep Wagle, a physician-researcher from Mumbai, India who is currently working and studying in the US. They talk about Nikita’s experience as an international student and give advice for others who may be thinking about pursuing higher education in a different country. 

You’ll Learn

  • Nikita’s journey into health care and what sparked her interest in public health
  • Nikita’s research interests and what she is currently working on 
  • Why Nikita was interested in pursuing her graduate degrees in the US as opposed to other countries
  • What factors international students may want to consider when they’re thinking about pursuing higher education in the US
  • Tips from Nikita on the application process and the process of moving to a different country
  • Nikita’s experience as an international graduate student at UNC and Texas A&M
  • The importance of having a support system and building a strong network in a new country
  • Where to find academic and financial resources as an international graduate student 
  • How Nikita’s Instagram page came into being and what she hopes to achieve from it


Today’s Guest

Dr. Wagle holds a PhD in Health Services Research from Texas A&M School of Public Health and a Masters Degree from Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC-Chapel Hill. Prior to coming to the US, she practiced briefly as a Physician in India. Her research focuses on cancer health equity. She is an incoming Principal Scientist in the Department of Surveillance and Health Equity Science at the American Cancer Society. 


Resources

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Quick career tips: Offer up your skills - Strategies to gain public health work experience (Part 2)18 Aug 202100:09:03

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This three-part career tips series is inspired by a blog post written and published in 2019 by Sujani titled: 3 strategies to build up your public health work experience, tested and proven by me.

Today’s career tip spotlight is the second of these three strategies: offer up your skills!

Prior to starting PH SPOT, a common question that Sujani would receive from students and new grads she was mentoring was related to gaining work experience early in their careers. This question has remained one of the most popular questions even amongst the PH SPOT community.

In this episode, Sujani talks through the second strategy she used in order to gain public health experience. These experiences became the foundation of her public health career.

You’ll learn:

  • Jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities may not always be posted.
  • Offer up your time and skill, in return for public health experience.
  • Be proactive: reach out to an organization that is aligned with your interest, develop a proposal for work you can contribute to and present it to them.
  • Two stories from Sujani on how she built her public health work experience.
  • Steps Sujani took to reach out to an organization to present a proposal for work she was interested in doing.

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 Resources

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Dentistry, public health, and entrepreneurship, with Daniel Faber17 Mar 202100:40:22

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Sujani sits down with Daniel Faber to talk about his public health journey. Dr. Daniel Faber started his professional career as a dentist where he developed as a clinician and entrepreneur. He started his dental practice from scratch, where he learned skills in business, marketing, branding and a focus on effective patient communication which has helped scale into other types of ventures. And 10 years into his practice, he felt this desire to do more, and that’s when he pivoted into public health pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Health at Yale University. Daniel speaks about the journey he’s taken, from dentistry to public health, and his passion for entrepreneurship.

You’ll Learn

  • How Daniel became interested in dentistry, and the entrepreneurial spark he has always had
  • About being a dentist, and what that role entailed: an individualistic profession that allows you to build relationships with patients
  • What pushed Daniel to explore public health, including the frustrations of not being able to prevent disease/problems; how his pivot into public health came from a desire to evolve his career
  • The decision to pursue a Master of Public Health degree, and how it felt like a natural evolution for his career
  • Why he chose to pursue a Master of Public Health (MPH) at Yale University and a bit about the MPH program there
  • With his global health concentration, dentistry background and entrepreneurial interest where he hopes to go with this career
  • His passion and interest in entrepreneurship, including a discussion on social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship
  • Using technology to improve access to care to underserved populations
  • About his dream job: to create something

Resources

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Why all public health professionals should know how to design an infographic, with Sujani Siva25 Aug 202000:13:20

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Show Notes

After writing the Opinion piece on the PH SPOT blog, The rise of infographics, and why I believe all public health professionals should know how to design one, Sujani wanted to get behind the mic to explain why she believes this. In this solo episode, Sujani tells you what infographics are, how infographics have been used in public health, and why public health professionals need to have excellent communication skills, including visual communication. She also encourages listeners to take the first step by joining PH SPOT’s 6-day Infographic Planning Challenge so that they too can begin to build the confidence and skills to design public health infographics.

You’ll Learn

  • What is an infographic, including the definition of an infographic
  • You’ll be introduced to words such as “data visualization”, “information design”, and “information architecture”, and what they mean
  • Who is using infographics in public health (in the past and present)
  • Sujani’s favourite use of infographics in present-day: universities including infographic design as part of student assignments! By integrating infographic design within the curriculum of public health courses, students leave the course with infographic design skills that will be welcomed and sought out for in the workforce.
  • Why infographic projects that share public health information or data are best led by public health professionals – and how the communication and/or marketing teams can get involved
  • And she shares her bottom line, which is: We have a responsibility to ensure that public health information is displayed and communicated accurately. If we can’t get rid of the bad information out there, we should saturate it with good information.

Resources

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Fuelling your leadership drive in public health with Nadia Akseer24 Mar 202000:44:29

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Show Notes

Leadership is fascinating. From the way movements are formed by a single individual to how that single individual is able to inspire change amongst others. Undoubtedly, we can argue that leadership is very important in public health.

In thinking about how we, as public health practitioners, can ensure that leadership is a skill that we constantly think about building on, we want to have conversations with our peers so that we can not only be reminded of our roles as leaders, but also to learn from and be inspired by them.

In this episode, Sujani speaks Dr. Nadia Akseer, an Epidemiologist-Biostatistician who has spent over 10 years leading research and analyses of clinical and population health datasets in the areas of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, as well as nutrition in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ethiopia and other low- and middle-income countries.

In 2018, Nadia was identified as a Canadian Women Leader in Global Health, and in March 2019, she was awarded the 2019 Emerging Public Health Leader Alumni Award from the Public Health Alumni Association of the University of Toronto.

We speak about the leadership drive Nadia possesses, when she decided she wanted to become a leader in her space, and whether you need to be in a management position to be a leader, amongst other topics. And of course, I couldn’t let her go without asking about her multiple meetings with Bill Gates, to present and collaborate on some of her work.

You’ll Learn

  • The leadership drive, and what it is
  • What leadership means to Nadia
  • How and when Nadia decided that she wanted to become a leader in this space she was passionate about
  • Whether one needs to be in a management position to be a leader (hint: absolutely not)
  • Natural born leaders versus people given the right opportunities to become a leader
  • How Nadia goes about seeking new opportunities (as she is someone who thrives on being challenged and stimulated)
  • A glimpse into the career path she took: from Biostatician at SickKids, to Global Health Research at SickKids, then to Harvard, and now at Gates Ventures
  • How her view of leadership has changed over time
  • Verbal Communication and its importance in good leadership
  • A leader Nadia looks up to: Dr. Zulfiqar Butta
  • Reflections from her meetings with Bill Gates to present her research and work together on countries that have managed to reduce child stunting

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Contemplating consulting in public health, with Leah Roman11 Feb 202001:05:41

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Consulting has gotten a lot of interest in the public health space recently. For many reasons, public health professionals have chosen to explore consulting and have built careers around it.

We have even seen interest within our PH SPOT community, and have been asked for resources by you to help you take the first step. Until now, we were not able to provide you with any resources or support around this topic because we hadn’t found anything specific to public health.

This changed last year when we met Leah Roman! We came to find out that Leah was becoming the “connector” of public health consultants around the world. Not only that, she was also supporting aspiring consultants to take the first step into consulting! We knew right away when we met Leah that she was the right person to bring in front of you all.

In this episode, we speak to Leah about her journey into consulting and ask her to explain to us what public health consulting is all about. Additionally, towards the end, I tell you about a webinar that Leah and PH SPOT are hosting, as well as where to go for more resources on public health consulting.

You’ll Learn

  • About Leah and her story/journey into public health consulting (Fun fact: In the early years, if you had Googled public health consulting, Leah was the one who showed up
  • What it means to be a consultant in public health
  • Different terminologies to use to explain the work you do (consultant, contractor, freelancer); clients’ reactions to language
  • Mindset is key: you are running a business, not just taking projects
  • What a day looks like for Leah (taking client work), and how she then moved into supporting other consultants
  • Services one may offer as a consultant and industries to find prospective clients
  • The benefits of niching down versus being a generalist (jack of all trades)
  • Whether an online presence is a good idea
  • When it’s the right time to get into consulting
  • Differences and similarities around the world in public health consulting
  • How to deal with financial fluctuations
  • The best part about being a public health consultant (for Leah)
  • (The most exciting part) How to take the next steps into consulting, including additional resources and training

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Quick career tips: Tap into your network - Strategies to gain public health work experience (Part 3)15 Sep 202100:06:10

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This three-part career tips series is inspired by a blog post written and published in 2019 by Sujani titled: 3 strategies to build up your public health work experience, tested and proven by me.

Today’s career tip spotlight is the third of these three strategies: tap into your network!

Prior to starting PH SPOT, a common question that Sujani would receive from students and new grads she was mentoring was related to gaining work experience early in their careers. This question has remained one of the most popular questions even amongst the PH SPOT community.

In this episode, Sujani talks through the third strategy she used in order to gain public health experience. These experiences became the foundation of her public health career.

You’ll learn:

  • Reaching out to individuals in your network for an introduction to prospective employers is a great strategy to begin a job search.
  • It’s only appropriate to reach out to individuals within your network with whom you already have a previous relationship with - not a LinkedIn connection you just added.
  • Don’t hesitate to leverage your network for job searches. (It can be awkward at first.)
  • Building your network early on goes a long way when you really need help and support. (Listen to this episode for more on this: Episode #33: Quick Career Tips: Invest In Your Professional Relationships.)

LEAVE A REVIEW! 

If you are listening to this on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast or Spotify (if the platform allows for it), please do leave us a review so that other public health professionals know what to expect and also for us to know how you are enjoying these episodes! 

 Resources

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Adapting to the future of online learning and teaching during a pandemic, with Siobhan Hickling & Gina Arena08 Sep 202100:44:30

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Show Notes

In this episode, Sujani sits down with authors of the paper “Adapting to Teaching during a Pandemic” Siobahn Hickling and Gina Arena. Together, they talk about different models of teaching public health and what they have found to be most effective ways to relay information to students.


You’ll Learn

  • About the changing visibility of public health education
  • How the pandemic and lockdowns have affected university classrooms in Australia
  • The effect of real time vs time delayed lessons has on education
  • The potential challenges and benefits of self-directed learning
  • Tips on how educators and students can thrive in new learning environments
  • The importance of peer to peer interactions in education
  • Best practices for educators and ways of moving away from a one dimensional classroom
  • Tips for capturing students attention and engagement
  • The benefits of intensive learning model
  • The ways that rapport can be built through virtual teaching

Resources

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Quick career tips: Don’t take yourself out of the game - Strategies to gain public health work experience (Part 1)21 Jul 202100:07:28

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Show Notes

This three-part career tips series is inspired by a blog post written and published in 2019 by Sujani titled: 3 strategies to build up your public health work experience, tested and proven by me.

Today’s career tip spotlight is the first of these three strategies: DO NOT take yourself out of the game!

Prior to starting PH SPOT, a common question that Sujani would receive from students and new grads she was mentoring was related to gaining work experience early in their careers. This question has remained one of the most popular questions even amongst the PH SPOT community.

In this episode, Sujani talks through the first strategy she used in order to gain public health experience. These experiences became the foundation of her public health career.

You’ll learn:

  • At times, we can become our own limiting factor by restricting the jobs we apply to.
  • There are many filters, literal ones on the job search websites, and the ones we have in our minds, that we apply when searching for a job.
  • Choose filters that are deal-breakers to you; be intentional when choosing these (i.e. location, salary).
  • Don’t let filters stop you from even throwing your name into the hat.

LEAVE A REVIEW! 

If you are listening to this on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast or Spotify (if the platform allows for it), please do leave us a review so that other public health professionals know what to expect and also for us to know how you are enjoying these episodes! 

 

Resources

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Inspired by the blog series_ What I wish I knew before I started my Master of Public Health (MPH) degree, with Sujani Siva03 Dec 202000:09:36

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Show Notes

In this episode, Sujani talks about MPH (Master of Public Health) program prep! Applications for this graduate program are often due at the end of the year or early the following year. As students gear up to apply for the MPH degree of their dreams, Sujani shares two tips for those prepping for the MPH program, inspired by a blog post that we published in early 2019.

You’ll Learn

Resources

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Reflecting on a year of growth and looking ahead to 202412 Jan 202400:21:07

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Navigating the ever-evolving landscape of public health, Sujani reflects on the past year's growth and anticipates the exciting new horizons that await in 2024. This episode is a celebration of the milestones achieved and a teaser of the novel ventures on the horizon for PH SPOT. It's a narrative that intertwines personal growth with professional development, underlining the importance of taking a step back when needed and returning stronger. The community is invited to join in this celebration and look forward to the new opportunities that 2024 promises in the world of public health.

Key messages from this episode:

  • The year 2023 was a period of significant growth for PH SPOT, one marked by the phspot.org platform reaching over 43,000 global users in 2023. Among the most sought-after pages on the website were the Public Health Career Club, a downloadable comparison of Canadian MPH programs, and a popular blog post comparing MPH and MSC degrees.
  • Sujani also candidly shares the pressures that come with managing a growing platform while balancing the demands of motherhood and a full-time job. 
  • She extends her gratitude to the dedicated team members, Lis, Stephanie and Janice, who have been instrumental in keeping PH SPOT thriving, emphasizing the collective effort behind the platform's success.
  • Looking ahead, PH SPOT aims to continue its trajectory of growth with ambitious goals, including increasing the reach of its weekly public health newsletter to over 10,000 subscribers. The podcast, which has published 47 episodes in 2023 and boasts over 22,000 downloads, will take a more intentional approach to programming, seeking to cover a diverse range of topics and stories that resonate with the public health community.
  • The LinkedIn network has also seen remarkable expansion, quadrupling in size to over 10,000 members. This surge in engagement is a testament to the power of community and the shared passion for public health that brings individuals together from around the world.
  • The Public Health Career Club, which celebrated its first anniversary, has been a cornerstone of PH SPOT's offerings. With 190 active members participating in weekly virtual talks, training events, and in-person meetups, the club fosters a supportive environment where public health professionals can grow and thrive. Guest mentors and speakers contribute their expertise, further enriching the experience for club members. 

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Preparation meets opportunity: career strategies to land dream jobs and the importance of mentorship, with WHO Epidemiologist, Alice Simniceanu26 Oct 202200:57:32

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Alice Simniceanu, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the World Health Organization. They discuss Alice’s career journey and current work, the importance of mentorship, and advice on how to land your dream public health job.
 

You’ll Learn

  • How Alice became interested in the field of public health and more specifically, infection prevention and control
  • Alice’s career journey from working in a hospital setting to a global setting 
  • How reaching out can help you find your passion and open doors
  • Tips on how to sell yourself in interviews even if you may not have extensive experience
  • What a day in Alice’s life looks at
  • Alice’s experience working in infection control during the COVID pandemic
  • The biggest challenges Alice has faced through her career
  • The importance of finding good mentors in your career


Today’s Guest

Alice Simniceanu is a public health professional in global public health and epidemiologist in infectious and emerging diseases, outbreak preparedness and response at WHO. She has experience in hospital epidemiology and infection prevention and control in diverse health care organizations working at international, national and sub-national levels. She holds an MPH from Queen’s University in Canada and is currently doing her PhD in Global Health at the University of Geneva. 

Resources

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Public health job application tips from an HR Professional (resumes and interviews), with Kiriga Konalingam04 Feb 202001:00:29

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Today’s episode is not with a public health professional, but rather a “friend of public health” – this is what we are calling the individuals who can support us with the services, advice/tips, and value they are able to share.

Today’s friend of public health is Kiriga Konalingam, an HR recruiter who has worked in public health organizations hiring public health professionals. We wanted to bring someone like Kiriga on the show to talk about a topic we could always use some guidance on: job applications, specifically resumes and interviews.

We wanted to hear first hand from someone in HR about things to keep in mind when applying to jobs, preparing and submitting resumes, and even tips around evaluations or exams, and interviews.

This episode is a lengthy one because Kiriga is extremely passionate about these topics…and you’ll hear towards the end that we didn’t want to finish the conversation because there was so much more to talk about! If by the end of the episode you are still left with additional questions, please let us know through our podcast form (choose “I would like to recommend a topic and/or guest for the podcast” option) other questions/topics you’d like us to discuss with Kiriga (we would love to have her back on for another episode).

Podcast show notes available here: https://phspot.ca/public-health-job-application-tips-hr-professional-resumes-interviews-kiriga-konalingam

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Quick career tips: Standing out during student job interviews17 Feb 202100:06:27

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Show Notes

We are adding a series of a new type of episode on the PH SPOTlight podcast, titled QUICK CAREER TIPS. These episodes will be short, typically ranging between 5-10 minutes and will spotlight a tip for public health professionals.

Today’s career tip spotlight is on student job interviews and how to stand out during these sessions.

Recently, Sujani has been chatting with many students and new graduates about finding summer jobs, and while reflecting on these conversations she realized that there were students who really stood out more than others. She realized that the main thing that they did really well was that they were super confident and articulated well what they wanted from the experience, even if they still hadn’t figured out the specific direction of their public health career just yet. In this episode, she shares three tips to achieve this.

Resources

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Quick Career Tips - Here are the questions you need to ask at your next informational interview27 Jul 202200:22:13

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 Today’s career tip is on informational interviews! 

Knowing what kind of career you want to one day have can give you a strong sense of control and peace of mind. It might not seem easy to conceptualize something that far into the future, but today's Quick Career Tips episode will help you do exactly that.

What You'll Learn from this Episode:

  • What a career vision is
  • Why it’s important that you draft a career vision
  • How you can get started with drafting a career vision that guides your next career move!

Featured on the Show:

Other Resources:

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Tackling your fears head-on: why I started the podcast25 Apr 202400:09:20

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In this episode, Sujani delves into her personal struggles with speaking in public and how it affected her career in public health. She reflects on her initial reluctance to speak in various settings and her journey of self-improvement through the creation of her podcast.  Sujani shares that by creating opportunities to practice speaking, she was able to progressively build confidence and improve her communication skills. She emphasizes the importance of small, consistent steps toward facing and overcoming fears. Her transformation led to better engagement in conversations, more profound connections with colleagues, and the ability to speak up in meetings, which were once daunting tasks. By sharing her story, Sujani hopes to inspire listeners to embark on their own journeys of self-improvement and career advancement, proving that the challenges we face can become the catalysts for our triumphs.

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Quick career tips: Use this job satisfaction checklist as your career compass02 Feb 202200:07:22

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In this episode of Quick career tips, Sujani discusses job satisfaction. 

Depending on which study or survey result you review we know that not 100% of the population is satisfied with their job. This number ranges anywhere between 50% to 75% for job satisfaction in North America. We know that many things contribute to job satisfaction. While an organization/employer is responsible for some of these things, we also have a role to play in our own job satisfaction.

What You'll Learn from this Episode:

  • Why tackling job satisfaction is important to us here at PH SPOT.
  • Why job satisfaction should matter to you.
  • How you can take control of your job satisfaction.
  • Understand what is important to you, and how to take the first step.
  • How to use our simple worksheet to work through identifying the top 5 factors important to you

Featured on the Show:

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Why I will not be applying to medical school, with Sophiya Garasia26 Feb 202000:28:49

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At some point in time we have all been in a position where we ponder on what our next step is going to be in our career journey. Sophiya Garasia faced a similar inflection point where she was trying to identify her next step after her degree in public health.

In her search through self reflection, she discovered that medical school was not for her.  She shared this introspection via the post “Why I will not be applying for medical school” that she wrote for the PH SPOT blog a few years ago. We wanted to bring her on the podcast to dig more into this reflection she had and the framework she used to make her decision, so that we can use the same framework when we come to a similar point in our journey where we need to decide our next step.

You’ll Learn

  • About Sophiya’s journey and her decision to not go to med school
  • How introspection after each experience is key in helping you build your career
  • Why changing your career plan is okay
  • Advice for those who think they may like medicine (how they should go about this) 
  • Importance of finding a mentor to discuss the different options in your career
  • What to keep an eye out for when looking for experiences (i.e. do meaningful volunteer to understand what you like and dislike)
  • How to get public health volunteer experiences
  • The popularity of public health and how that’s changing

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Welcome to PH SPOTlight with Sujani Siva26 Jan 202000:07:58

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It’s January 28, 2020, and today we launch PH SPOT’s very own podcast show, PH SPOTlight.

In this first episode, Sujani Siva (the host of the show) tells you about herself, PH SPOT, and PH SPOTlight, and what this podcast means to us.

In future episodes, Sujani sits down with public health heroes of our time to share career stories, inspiration, and guidance for building public health careers. From time to time, she also has conversations with friends of public health – individuals who are not public health professionals, but their advice and guidance are equally important.

We believe that to build a successful career in public health does not mean that it has to live up to a certain level of standard set out by somebody else…or that we need to burn ourselves out in the process. We believe that you can craft a career perfect for you, and your unique life. The message we hope to get across through these conversations on PH SPOTlight is that building a career is not only about climbing up the ranks, but about crafting a life that you want, around your unique needs, and one that gives importance to your mental health, wellbeing, and building relationships and friendships: you can only do good in the world if you take care of yourself.

Podcast show notes available here: https://phspot.ca/welcome-to-ph-spotlight-with-sujani-siva/

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Launching the public health book reviews blog series, with Tasha McAbey03 Mar 202100:26:53

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Show Notes
In today’s episode, Sujani sits down with a fellow public health professional, Tasha McAbey, to announce the collaboration on a new series for the PH SPOT blog! Sujani met Tasha on Instagram through her page @Public.Health.Bookmark where she shares reviews on public health books she’s read. Knowing that the PH SPOT community would love this, Sujani and Tasha are launching monthly public health reviews on the blog! Before the launch of this series next week, Sujani sits down with Tasha to get to know her better and to let you know what you can expect in this series.

You’ll Learn

  • Get to know Tasha: her public health journey, her role at Boston Children’s Hospital as a professional medical illustrator/animator, and her interest in books (her love language is book recommendations!)
  • What got Tasha into reading so many public health books; and how she reads any book with a public health lens, thinking about how public health shapes the characters and the events
  • Reading!
    • How reading reminds yourself why you are interested in public health
    • How when course readings and writing assignments became hard to get through, reading kept Tasha’s energy level up!
  • Tasha and PH SPOT’s collaboration for the book reviews – what to expect!
    • These book reviews will serve as an inspiration for those in school and for professionals in public health
    • To highlight important public health topic areas; and if nothing is being done in these areas, how we hope these reviews encourage the PH SPOT community to take action
    • To provide insights beyond what one can look up online – commenting on the writing format and style for example, and going beyond summary and plot points
    • Suggested further readings to dive deeper into the subject matter; will be sharing other mediums (not just readings), such as videos and podcast episodes
    • How to get in touch with Tasha and provide book recommendations

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April 2025 Career Club Update: Events & Opportunities for Public Health Professionals31 Mar 202500:17:16

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This is a new monthly series to provide you with updates on events happening inside the Public Health Career Club community:

The Public Health Career Club has moved to an always-open enrollment model to provide support whenever public health professionals need it, with a new seven-day free trial available for both premium and light memberships.

Here's what to expect in April:

  • Four-part workshop series on "Launch Your Idea" for turning concepts into reality - Part 2 & 3 continues this month (April 1 & 12)
  • New member orientation (April 3)
  • Peer session on global mental health (April 5)
  • Monthly social hour for networking and connection (April 17)
  • Office hours with mentors specializing in job applications, industry transitions, and policy (April 23, 29, 30)
  • Special presentation on the Consumer Drug Take Back program (April 24)

Head over to phspot.org/club to learn more about the community and sign up for the seven-day free trial of either the premium or light membership.

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Using life circumstances to guide your public health journey, with McKenzie Schrank29 Nov 202300:49:41

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with McKenzie Schrank to discuss how her experience with leishmaniasis influenced her path, incorporating personal interests into public health and vice versa, and using every little experience to shape your journey. 

You’ll Learn

  • How McKenzie first discovered the field of public health
  • McKenzie’s experience contracting leishmaniasis on a study abroad trip and how this experience shaped her education and career path
  • Health communication is the cornerstone of public health
  • How snowboarding has made McKenzie a better public health professional 
  • Integrating your passions with public health and how McKenzie is incorporating public health into snowboarding and vice versa
  • Making your own space in public health


Today’s Guest

I earned my Master of Public Health at the Colorado School of Public Health in community and behavioral health and global health. I believe in strengthening communities by engaging community members with clear communication and connection and I hope to continue to foster positive change in health communication. 

I have previously worked with the Peruvian population during a study abroad to the Madre de Dios region in 2017. From this experience I found a passion for working with and providing information to under resourced communities after contracting leishmaniasis during this trip. I took the experience of being infected as an opportunity to share my experience and educate future travelers about the difficulty of treating a neglected tropical disease and the risk of infection. Additionally, I used this opportunity to highlight inequalities in the healthcare system in regard to cost and access. My published manuscript entitled "Leishmaniasis Through the Lens of the Host" won a King Award of Academic Excellence for its innovative and creative additions to the existing body of knowledge on leishmaniasis. The insight I gained from these experiences prepared me with compassion and enthusiasm for the communications work I am currently doing.

Resources

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Network like your public health career depended on it, with Sarah Martone28 Jan 202000:44:18

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Networking is undoubtedly one of the most important things you can do to build your public health career, but it’s a topic that doesn’t get enough attention or training in public health. It is also an activity that most people don’t enjoy (at least the conventional idea of networking). You’ll be happy to know then that when we say “networking”, we are not only talking about attending large events to pitch yourself to strangers. To us, you are always networking, and it’s about more than meeting someone once for a favour, but rather about building meaningful relationships with them.

Our guest today, Sarah Martone, shared networking as her number one advice in a University of Guelph feature of Graduate Students. When we read this, we knew we needed to get her perspective and dive into networking a bit more!

Podcast show notes available here: https://phspot.ca/network-like-your-public-health-career-depended-on-it-with-sarah-martone

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How did you get started in public health?, with Sujani [From inside The Public Health Career Club]05 Jul 202300:18:56

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This episode is from inside PH SPOT's membership community: The Public Health Career Club. 

You'll get to listen in on a training session where career club members got a chance to ask Sujani questions.

In this episode, we share one of those questions: how did you get started in public health?

What You'll Learn from this Episode:

  • How Sujani got interested in public health, and her undergraduate experience.
  • How to get work experience early in your public health career journey (part-time, casual, volunteer).
  • How to use all of your experiences (whether they are paid or unpaid) to tell a story about your abilities, skills, and knowledge to prospective employers.
  • About The Public Health Career Club, PH SPOT's membership community.

Today's Guest:

Sujani Sivanantharajah is the founder and CEO of PH SPOT. 

Sujani Sivanantharajah is a public health professional trained in Epidemiology. Her gift and passion lie in building relationships and using these relationships to create and cultivate spaces for people to find meaningful partnerships that can serve their communities. In 2017, this passion led her to build PHSPOT.org, a platform and community for public health professionals around the world to build their dream careers.

Sujani holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from the University of Saskatchewan and an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto.

Featured on the Show:

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Navigating Career Plateaus: What to Do When You Feel Stuck07 Apr 202500:39:19

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Career plateaus in public health are common experiences that leave professionals feeling stuck and unmotivated, but with reflection and strategic action, they can become springboards for renewed passion and growth.

What's discussed in this episode:

  • Four main reasons career plateaus happen: outgrowing your current role, lacking career clarity, not seeing growth opportunities, and experiencing burnout
  • Ask yourself key questions to recognize if you're in a plateau: Am I growing? Am I being challenged? Am I excited about my work? Do I feel clear about my future?
  • Reassess your career goals by considering how your interests may have changed since entering the field
  • Expand your skill set through courses or certifications that align with areas you're curious about
  • Seek guidance from mentors or career coaches who can provide perspective and help change your mindset
  • Network beyond your organization to discover new opportunities and paths within public health
  • Make small career moves like taking on new projects, volunteering, or applying for short-term consulting roles
  • Reconnect with your "why" – the values and motivations that initially drew you to public health
  • Attend conferences to meet like-minded professionals and immerse yourself in the energy of the field
  • Develop a passion project related to public health to channel creativity and reignite enthusiasm

Choose one action step from today's episode and commit to doing it this week. 

Share your experience or thoughts on LinkedIn or through the podcast feedback feature. 

Remember – don't navigate career plateaus alone, and be patient and kind to yourself through the process.

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