Finals Week

So finals week is upon us (actually started yesterday, Monday the 12th) but nonetheless it is still stressful for all, including professors who have to grade all of them after we're done handing them in! Luckily this week becomes a little less stressful with some FREE lunch from the College of Public Health Student Association (CPHSA) from a local restaurant called Oasis, which is a Falafel joint....what is Falafel you say? Well, I didn't know either, but everyone states it when you say the name Oasis, so I looked it up and stole right from their website:

This classic Mediterranean staple begins with chickpeas that are soaked overnight, then ground with garlic, onion and spices, formed into patties and flash fried. At Oasis, we use trans fat-free soybean oil that is GMO-free and low in saturated fat.

Go figure, I'm learning even with a free meal ;)

Happy finals!

Ryan

Stand Together: 2.0

I am not sure why the sign reads backwards, but I wanted to get it up as soon as possible and couldn't stand one more moment that I didn't support such a wonderful cause and public health mission :)

Ryan

Stand Together!

So I had gotten home from a long day of working on assignments and going to meetings Friday and turned the TV on for some background noise, when Extreme Makeover: Home Edition came on and it was about how a 11-year old boy committed suicide because of bullying and how the family had been struggling ever since. It absolutely broke my heart and I definitely had some teary eyed moments watching the two-hour special episode that had a strong public health message of ending bullying across America!

The mother of the 11-year old boy created a foundation to STAND TOGETHER to end bullying, and I went online to join the cause and I hope you do too! The information is found at this website to join and I hope you help take a stand against bullying to prevent such tragedies from happening in the future:

Stand Together

Ryan

PS - Also here is a very powerful performance by Demi Levato, "Skyscraper," that was featured on the episode:

Meetings!...AIDS

Hello all,

So to go along with the new year and an executive seminar I attended today with my department, MEETINGS seem so basic, but if you really think about it they can fail miserably and I think we've all been to a meeting before where it didn't go well or we thought it could have gone better.

Mr. Staley, Sr. Associate Director UIHC presented on the topic and gave his advice as well as took advice from those attending. There were definitely come comical moments along with some serious discussion on how to effectively have a meeting or simply decide when not to have one. For example, if there needs to be a vote or dissemination of information, most likely than not, this can be done electronically, either through email or another form of electronic communication.

Either way, I learn a few new things and took-away a lot of great information and connected again with Mr. Staley, who I was introduced to while working on the Public Health Emergency Management plans for the University of Iowa with State Hygienic Laboratory director, Chris Atchison.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Ryan

PS - World AIDS day!

I was unable to attend a lot of the events going on yesterday for World AIDS day, but wanted to state my stance that this is an increasing issue within the United States, even though I feel like a lot of the attention tends to be international:

AIDS in America

I would bring your attention to the number of new cases and would encourage you to look at this movie that I watched in my Media and Health class:

“Out of control: AIDS in Black America” A documentary that aired on ABC’s Primetime show on Aug. 24, 2006. To date, the only TV hour devoted to the topic.

"Out of control: AIDS in Black America"

Time Management

In the middle of my third year here at Iowa, this has been the semester that has stretched my time management skills the most. Everything from coursework, work, interviewing and a social life have all come to an extreme this semester...so how am I still sane at the end of the day: Calendar, Priority Setting and Communication!

Calendar:

If you don't already use an online calendar (i.e. Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, iCal) then start! It has been my savior and lifeblood to keeping me sane and on task when it comes to projects, coursework and deadlines. I obviously have my course schedule and meetings scheduled, but I also put my due dates and "pre dates" to the due dates so if hiccups come up on a paper, project or teamwork I can address them early on, instead of at 3AM the morning before the project is due. Also, I use my calendar to communicate with others my schedule and to schedule personal time with friends and family.

Priority Setting:

Looking at your deadlines, groups your in and projects your working on are very important, especially when it comes to priority. You have to decided yourself which may be more important based on timeline, severity and social responsibility. Either way, a calendar can help you out with this along with the next topic, communication!

Communication:

This is key to figuring out the answers to the two previous ways of time management. Talk with those on your team or those involving the projects you are working on to get more information about priority of the project or timeline of it.

Overall, this has been on my mind and wanted to push it through in terms of my blog, cause as a grad student things only fly by just that much faster and time management get stretched just a little bit more than undergrad.

Ryan

Reflection

It is my 3rd and final year at the University of Iowa for grad school, which is a bittersweet moment because I am looking ahead to the next chapter in my life and progression of my career while also ending and soaking up what I can here at Iowa.

I am applying for Health Administrative Fellowships currently and have already gone through many phone interviews and recently completed an on-site interview. Through this process you really start to reflect on how much you have accomplished and how much you still have to learn and grow as the years move forward. It is hard to believe, just recently turning 24, that life is really just getting started, at least it seems that way. I have now been in school for almost a quarter century of my life and now I am applying for positions across the country to begin a career in healthcare. I'm nervous about the future but at the same time excited to put my training into practical use in my career as a health administrator.

I feel like the past years have flown by, and seriously they fly by faster and faster each year. I encourage those reading to take advantage of every opportunity you have and to take risks early and even later, but learning mistakes in school I've been told by mentors is easier than trying to learn them in the 'real world'.

I wish you all the best of luck during mid-terms and will keep you posted on my career search as the weeks fly by :)

Ryan

October and Fall Weather Activities!

Starting Fall is very important to me for many reasons, including the fall of the leaves and changing of the colors, festive drinks and eats and my Birthday! I have been consumed with coursework and applying for health administrative fellowships that a visit from my parents this past weekend was a much needed break. Sooo, what did we do this weekend you ask....let me tell you!

Friday: Wedge Pizza

My parents came in late and I was exhausted from the week so we stayed enjoying some of my favorite pizza in town, the Wedge! The speciality pizza, "The Nutcracker" is what I was craving, which includes their original pesto-basil sauce with pistachios, red pepper and mozzarella!

Saturday: Shopping, Apple Orchard, Movies and Orchard Green

Saturday was up bright and early at 8:30AM to meet the rents at the Holiday Inn Express to indulge on some breakfast to get some energy in for a full mornings worth of shopping at the outlet mall 20 minutes west of Iowa City in Williamsburg, which also has a fabulous winery, but that is for another blog entry. After shopping our wallets out, which I ended up with a book, while my parents had at least 5 bags worth of shoes and clothes...we headed over to the Wilson's Apple Orchard to meet with my friends and professional group the Iowa Student Association of Healthcare Leaders (ISAHL), which is part of my department of Health Management and Policy. We roamed the fields of apple trees and filled ourselves up on apple turnovers, apple-cider slushies and donuts!

After walking around all morning and afternoon, we decided to go see "Moneyball" at the theaters, which was amazing...coming from someone who is not a huge sports person to begin with, but definitely recommend going to see it! After the movie we headed to my family's favorite spot for dinner, Orchard Green! They buy local, even from the Apple Orchard we were at and have a seasonal menu that is simply to die for, well maybe when I am in the last stages of life, but you know what I mean ;)

Sunday: 5K for Dance Marathon!

I signed my whole family up for the 5K for Dance Marathon, which is an organization that raises money for the University of Iowa's Children's Hospital! A lot of my friends within the department and ISAHL were participating and it was the perfect end to a weekend of amazing weather and to celebrate my birthday!

I hope this gave you a little insight of how much there is to do in Iowa City and participate in, at least on a nice fall weekend when there is no Football occurring and the variety of choices there is for families and friends!

Wishing you a happy start to Fall and October!

Ryan

"Contagion" and Sept. 20th!

If you haven't seen the movie, go! Especially if your a public geek like myself and I am assuming you are some level of public health scale if you are reading this blog. I just went to the Cinema to watch the movie and it was very good at highlighting how public health would take a role in such a disease outbreak or in any type of emergency preparedness situation.

I have been interested in Emergency Management/Preparedness since I did an internship at Rock Island County Health Department, where I went to Augustana College in Rock Island, IL ('05 graduate). I would suggest if you are an undergrad or simply interested in learning more about public health to visit your local county health department to see the variety of services they provide to your community. In addition, ask how they connect with state and federal agencies in emergency preparedness situations.

As was noted in the movie, it takes health communication specialists, epidemiologists, administrators, homeland security, bio-staticians, and many more to coordinate efforts for public health and to consistently prepare and drill for all types of public health situations.

'The Nation's Health" by APHA put out a story to highlight the public health implications of the movie and to remind readers that September is Emergency Preparedness month and September 20th is 'Get Ready' day, so if you haven't already, GET READY! BE PREPARED! and learn more about PUBLIC HEALTH!

~ Ryan

Exclusive: Behind the scenes of ‘Contagion’ with The Nation's Health:

http://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org/content/41/7/1.4.full

Epi-Genetics

On Thursday this past week, I attended the 2011 Richard and Barbara Hansen Leadership Award and Distinguished Lectureship, which was presented to Dr. Kenneth Olden, professor and founding dean of the City University of New York School of Public Health and former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Dr. Olden discussed the topics of EpiGenetics, which was something I knew nothing about let along heard of. I had taken Genetics in Undergrad at Augustana College (Rock Island, IL) and loved it during my Biology courses for my major. EpiGentics looks more at how the environment influences how our genes are expressed. Examples include nutrition/diet, stress, chemicals and many other factors which can induce epigenetic changes that result in disease.

The main reason for studying the epigenetic genome he stated was due to epidemic of chronic diseases. "Unlike the human genome, which is relatively constant throughout life, the epigenome changes." He pegged that understanding the role between epigenetic mechanisms in human health and disease is one of the highest research priorities in medical research.

As a MPH in Policy student I was very interested in learning more about this field of genetics I had no awareness before the lecture. Public health implications could be huge from such a field, because it could give policy makers and the public more concentrate scientific data to point to on how the environment influences disease.

Ryan

PS - I'm hoping to have time next weekend to go see the new movie "Contagion"...if you saw it this past weekend, let me know how it was. It was slated by APHA as bringing Public Health to the silver screen and bringing awareness to the public of how important public health plays a role in improving and controlling the health of many!

First week reflection and then some...

By the time the first week (Monday, August 22nd) arrived, I was ready to start classes and get back on class schedule. It was exciting the weekend before catching up with everyone getting back into town that had been gone over the summer months (June-August), since I had been here in Iowa City interning in Emergency Management at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

I was able to meet a lot of the first-year graduate students in my department of Health Management of Policy (HMP) through an HMP picnic in the middle of the week and some friendly kick-ball competition between incoming Master's students and those returning. In addition, I was able to meet all of the incoming Master of Public Health (MPH) students from all the departments through my role as a graduate assistant (GA) with the MPH Program Orientation on Friday (August 19th). There were a variety of backgrounds represented and a good mix from all the different subtracks, which I am in Policy.

Overall, I am glad to be back in the swing of things, even if the first week or I should say weekend after looking back over what I wrote ;) The first week was stressful in terms of getting organized, figuring out assignments/projects and the simple fact of getting back on school schedule and not being on a 8-5 model.

I will have more to report in the coming days as the Fall Semester begins, but for now wanted to check back in and let you know I am alive and excited/sad that this will be my final academic year going for my Master of Health Administration (MHA) and MPH in Policy.

Ryan

Work/Life and finding the balance:

So today I realized it is already one week into August and I can't believe it's been awhile since my last post. Things truly do fly by, faster and faster as each year goes on, it's like a speeding train with no end in sight, except for the whole end of life thing, but we as young people don't like to think about that, at least those that have a living will, which if you are reading this right now and do not have one, stop reading and get one, ASAP!

To get back on track, life passes you by quickly for one of two reasons (1) because the years are getting shorter (2) you love what you do and enjoy life! I'm thinking that number one isn't proven yet, but had to throw it in there. I was reminded this week of how addicting work can be and also having good friends, family and those that make you happy. I didn't even want to leave work today because I couldn't stand that fact that what I was working on wasn't completely finished at the VA, but the beauty of work is to know when you get to a stopping point and you can pick up where you left off the next day. I would say that is one of the most challenging areas I struggle with and you may too or might already have, how to balance your work with life (family, friends, etc.).

It's an ongoing "struggle" but a good one. Find those that respect your work and also that you would want to make time for. You only have one life to live, so pick people and the type of work you love doing, being around and that makes you happy and motivated to keep at it everyday.

If you're reading this blog I assume you have an interest in Public Health. I hope you have found an area that makes you happy and that you continue to be motivated to learn about and is rewarding.

Ryan

PS - Picture of a summer trip to see some of my undergrad friends. I would have posted a picture from work, but can't take pictures on the VA property, hopefully will get the official Media person the VA campus take a photo of me so you all know I'm doing actual work this summer ;)

Emergency Management and Debt

So as you all know there are a lot of issues on in the U.S.A. right now, everything from weather to debt debates in Washington. All too real are the issues that hit close to home, and one of those that myself has been dealing with and I hope to make a future career out of, is Emergency Preparedness or Management.

As you might have read before, there are a lot of branches that stem from the base of Emergency Management (EM). EM is very vital when it comes to weather related events, which occur almost every week and can affect a location in a matter of minutes, leaving destruction, displacement and a team of professionals hard at work to deal with immediate response issues and long-term recovery. Some issues, are not always weather related. For example, working at the VA here in Iowa City I have learned very quickly how construction projects can cause unanticipated internal flooding and how the temperature alone can affect an entire hospital's ability to cool itself. Many hospitals rely on "chillers" to cool their facilities by running cold water through pipes and having ventilation to circulate the air. The factor of heat and humidity together puts enormous stress on these systems which had forced the VA to conserve energy, by shutting off lights, equipment and heat producing devices that were not needed or limiting their use in non-clinical areas. This not only releases strain on the cooling system, because it spends less energy having to cool a space, it also saves money and can produce a calming effect in the work environment, which are great benefits I realized and others did I work with.

All in all, I hope you have pushed the boundaries a little during times of high stress and could realize the benefit of doing things differently or chipping in when it's needed. You can take what you want from this and apply it to the national debate on the debt occurring in Washington. I leave you to interpret what you want and make your own choice, but remember to stay vigilant and always stay open to new ideas and to listen to both cases for any argument, whether it be how to deal with the heat of a debate or the literal heat outside.

Ryan

4th of July and News!

As I read the morning paper while spending time at home I can't help but notice the top story on the front page of the Chicago Tribune stating "E. coli test of produce may be cut."

If only I weren't a public health nerd I would probably glance over this story or think to myself, what is going on with our food system and government? Are we about to cut a program that helps protect our produce here in the United States?

I read more into the article and thankfully the Senate still needs to vote on the bill, but the House had already approved the bill that would end funding for the Microbiological Data Program. Now I am now epidemiologist or aspiring lab analyst, but I can appreciate the public health work done in those fields and help bring the policy to fulfill such roles. I like the Chi-Tribune article because it gives you the background story of why such a bill would even be thought of, which comes down to special interests, which mainly lay with the commercial produce industry in this case. Wether it's deciding what to eat tonight, what politician you might vote for in 2012 or arguing why we have might have a law that would cut safety testing for our nation's produce, make sure to dig a little deeper than the outside cover of something that you might find to be quite juicy inside!

In any instance, I hope you all enjoy your 4th of July and make sure those burgers are cooked to the right temperature, produce washed properly and of course, fire safety in mind ;)

Happy 4th of July!

Ryan

Fun in the Sun!

The weather has finally "cooled" off here in the midwest, but I kind of liked the warm middle to upper 90's! Sometimes the sun and heat feel good when lying next to the pool, which I try to do as much as I can! I worked at a pool in high school for over 5 year (3 as a lifeguard) and sunscreen was a major deal then as it is today.

There was a recent article in the New York Times (NYT) that just broke that the F.D.A. will be unveiling new regulations on sunscreen, specifically the controversy of words like "sweat-proof" and "waterproof." In addition, they wanted to make sure that a sunscreen protected against both UVA and UVB rays, which are both damaging. This is a huge public health push and one not to be taken lightly. With the University of Iowa being in the midwest, there no beaches, except for those plots of sand on lakes we like to call "beaches" ;)

Public Health is all around us, whether we like it or not. Let's take the pool, there are regulations on the chlorine and other chemicals that go into the water, temperature of the water, signage around the pool, entering/exiting spots for the pool, etc. Without public health, many of these areas maybe unsafe or not held accountable when there are issues at hand.

I hope you all have gotten in a little pre-summer dip, cause we all know that Summer doesn't officially begin till June 21st :)

VA Internship :)

Started my first day at my internship today at the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Iowa City! I hit the ground running with an 8:00AM meeting with administration and toured the hospital and got oriented to the new work environment. I'll be working with an alumni of our program (MHA) in the College of Public Health and with the Associate Director of Operations (i.e. COO) of the VA Medical Center. Everyone is very energetic and willing to answer questions, in which I had a lot being my first day and will probably be the case throughout the summer.

Learning the structure and how the VA works is definitely a task in itself, but it helped me respect and realize how much is offered through the Department of Veteran Affairs. If you ever have a moment, I would highly encourage you to look (www.va.gov). No matter the health system, new place of employment or just starting out grad school, you should always spend time getting to know how the structure or governance operates and functions. These become important when working with others, how decisions are made and when you might need to request funds for a project.

To wrap up this up with some more advice and just things I have learned thus far on my journey through life, I would have to say that "First Impressions are Lasting Impressions", this is true most of the time and the VA certainly made a great impression on me and I hope I gave the same back :)

Ryan

Tornados and Emergency Preparedness!

So if you were watching the news the past day and a half, you probably heard about the major storm system that ripped through the midwest. Rockford, my hometown where I am currently at visiting the family, was one of those places. Yesterday was the first time I had actually heard the tornado sirens go off in face of a line of thunderstorms rolling through the region and also the first time my family and I have used our tornado room in our basement.

Not everyone has a tornado room, but we were sure glad to have it yesterday. As my Mom, Dad, lil sis Lexie (rat terrier) and I tried to squeeze in the space that had become a dumping ground for wrapping paper, storage and unused items, I sighed and told my Mom that this was not the way the space should be used. I can't even count the number of times I had cleaned that room out when I was in middle and high school and back home from college vacations, but had not recently cleaned it out.

It was another reminder to have an emergency plan and supplies in place. Can you identify what to do, where to go and have supplies ready on a moments notice when an emergency arises, if not then you should probably have this conversation. Myself working on various Emergency Preparedness projects at the University of Iowa have been immersed in the culture, but others out there depend, sometimes too heavily, on others to take care of them.

Please be ready and visit http://www.ready.gov/ for more tips :)

Hope you all were not too affected by the storms and are thinking of those that were,

Ryan

It Gets Better!

So as I was watching "Dancing with the Stars" with my parents this evening, a commercial came on with the Google Chrome logo and then headlines stating "Bullied for being gay" and "The suicides of gay teenagers." It was a commercial highlighting the IT GETS BETTER PROJECT, which a guy named Dan Savage created a YouTube video with his partner Terry to inspire hope for young people facing harassment. Within two months it was a worldwide movement, inspiring thousands of people that It Gets Better!

I watched the commercial with my loving parents there with me, who I had only come out to right before I started my MPH at Iowa two years ago. I was dating my boyfriend Cody at the time, who had been out since high school and had gone through so much more harassment and struggles that I couldn't even begin to relate to. I was never "out" in high school and even went to a pretty liberal college, but knew when a community advisor (CA or RA equivalent) got harassed by guys on his floor for being gay that it prevented me from coming out earlier to my friends and family. I eventually came out to friends my senior year in college, but wish I would have sooner, it was so much easier to be myself and not have people wondering "Is he gay?"

I want to share the commercial I saw, because it inspired me to pledge and be reminded that there are so many others out there that are going through many more struggles of trying to fit in and being harassed for who they are.

Please help reduce teen suicide (Public Health message ;) and contribute your pledge: http://www.itgetsbetter.org/

With love,

Ryan

Finals and Geriatrics!

So I have my last presentation today for finals week, at least for this semester, haha...I still have one more year in my dual masters programs and will be spending the summer working at the VA Medical Center here in Iowa City, IA.

Part of the reason I chose the VA was due to the presentation I am giving today! Through my Medicare and Medicaid class, I was paired with two others in the class to research, write and present on geriatric marketing and education, specifically geriatric health literacy and engagement. We have been able to meet with health professionals and researchers in the Center on Aging, the Iowa Geriatric Education Center, School of Nursing and the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics (UIHC). The picture above kind of summarizes the technologic advancements occurring in the healthcare field while trying to make sure the aging population is able to still understand the literacy of materials and innovations. In addition, most people want to stay in their home for healthcare, so utilizing technology in the home is one of the most important and most prevalent type being researched. Examples include monitored medication dispensers in the home that notify care givers and health professionals when medications are not taken, just another way to help the elderly stay at home.

Well I got to get back to go over the presentation a couple more times and then it's SUMMER!

Good luck to all your finals and finishing up the semester :)

Ryan

May 1st and Kickball!

Good Morning May!

I can't believe it is already May 1st! With only a week left of classes and finals, it seems like things have just flown by this year, which isn't that the case every year, things seem to move faster and faster each year. There has been a lot that has happened this past week but a highlight was playing Kickball for Cancer yesterday afternoon for the College of Public Health!

There was a faculty/staff team, and pretty much one from every department, including two from Health Management and Policy (HMP), in which I was part of one of them. It was a long day of tourney, but ironically it came down to the the two HMP teams for a domination round that was full of competition, music and sliders from both teams. Even though I was not on the winning team, it was great to have an event where you can relax and have fun with everyone in the College outside of classes, computer labs and projects.

With it being May 1st, it is so nice to get outside again and have it be sunny and the fact you can get sunburnt again, haha...

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend and hopefully were able to make it outside for a little fun in the sun!

Ryan

Happy Easter!

In the event of Easter and Earth Day, enjoy this beautiful video :)

Ryan

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

IPHA Governor's Conference on Public Health

Hello all!

So the last few weeks have been crazy busy with Governor's Conferences on Public Health to award ceremonies to just about everything in-between. The main highlight I want to get across is the Iowa Public Health Association (IPHA) Governor's Conference on Public Health I attended. This conference was held in Ames, IA, which is about an 1 1/2 to 2 hours going northwest from Iowa City. In a nutshell, it is located pretty much in the middle of the state of Iowa just north of Des Moines.

This was my first time attending the conference and definitely not my last. The first thing on the Agenda for Tuesday April 5th was to arrive at 4:30PM for a IPHA Finance Committee meeting. I was nominated for the position by one of my peers who previously served on the committee. The meeting was more of a greet and meet, because most of the meetings held throughout the year are over the phone. You get to accomplish a lot during the meetings, but it's always nice to meet face to face. Even being in Iowa, there were so many small world connections made, especially with people traveling, living or working within my hometown of Rockford!

Moving on, there was a networking dinner later that night that was well attended by state and local public health officials, including one of my bosses/mentors Chris Atchison, who is the director of the State Hygienic Lab (SHL). After a long day of traveling, meeting and dinning, I pretty much passed out for the night to get ready for the 7:00AM start the next day. Throughout Wednesday, I attended seminars that ranged from implementing a state-wide Health Information Exchange system to learning about epidemiological case studies of diseases that people brought back to Iowa from traveling abroad and how the SHL handle each case (very interesting and kind of scary stuff!). The short 2-day conference ended with probably one of the best speakers I have seen in awhile, Magda Peck. She touched on the "Being the Powers that Be." Her main point was to make sure we were not passive in public health and to learn how to put power to the fore front and how it can influence people. This sounds so basic, but with her stories and examples, it was a fresh reminder of how powerful you can be by making simple adjustments and kind of what motivates you to do something, or someone motivating you to do that action.

All in all, a great experience and did I mention all paid for (except for food :() by the MPH program! If there is one thing I have learned more how to do, is to seek out the opportunities and how to write submissions/grants for payment, it's essential for any future public health or health related professionals out there!

Have a good week!

Ryan

Fridays and Joel McHale!

So it is Friday and getting last minute things accomplished before I take my night to rest. Friday nights are usually the one night out of the week where I put the school work and projects aside and just enjoy and let loose. I learned this from multiple students who have mentored me as a way to actually stay sane when your really stressed and to dedicate a night to no worries :)

Tonight I have planned to go see Joel McHale on Iowa's campus IMU (Iowa Memorial Union). The Office of Student Life (OSL) and the Campus Activities Board (CAB) sponsors the event and brings the ticket price down to $5!!! This is truly a grad school students dream aka myself! I was out in San Diego this summer and it cost at a minimum $50 to see him, so I'm glad I will finally get the chance. He is on t.v. shows "the Soup" (E!) and "Community" (NBC)...which I mainly watch the Soup! If you have never watched, you need to ASAP!

and....in the event that it is Friday and that you've probably seen this video already, but if not enjoy! (probably one of the most ridiculously auto-toned songs ever) and remember to let loose every once in a while because sometimes you just need a break :) even in grad school!

Back in Action!

So Spring Break is over and got back from a conference in Chicago, titled the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Congress. It is an annual conference held every year and I think booked pretty much 10 years out! It is "the event of the year" in terms of the health management world and is the best place to network!

I attend Congress last year and reconnected with those I met and also gained valuable contacts for potential fellowships and jobs after I graduate in Spring 2012. I was actually able to gain a couple more leads for internships for the summer and added some more professionals in my Linked In account and also some informal ones too on Facebook, it's inevitable, at least those that have it (cough cough Maureen, my other counter part in crime for the MPH). Networking is key in the field I am going into with Policy and Health Management and it was definitely the best fit for me. I would never push this program on anyone, but you definitely have to think about what is best for you and how you operate.

I just did a student panel with other graduate students in the College of Public Health on the University of Iowa's campus for undergrads. It was exciting to see and listen to their enthusiasm for what their next steps in life will be and their journey trying to figure it out, which don't get me wrong I am still on that path, which I would beg to differ that most people, no matter how old, are always working toward some goal.

If you ever have questions about the programs in the College of Public Health, or grad school in general, definitely hit me up on email: ryan-landi@uiowa.edu

Hope you all are enjoying this warmer Hump Day!

Ryan

Mid-Terms...Spring Break!

So as I googled Spring Break, this was one of the first images that popped up, oddly I can only guess this a mob in Panama City that MTV typically displays...unfortunately I will not be going south of the Iowa/Missouri border but am enjoying the warmer 50's/60s headed our way this week! ;)

In addition, if you haven't noticed I have been a little MIA lately. Mid-terms definitely stole my time away but for good reason. They are always busy no matter how much I try to prepare for them. I faired pretty well and am glad to say that we are on Spring Break, even though I am still working on some homework for after break since I will be gone at the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Congress International Conference in Chicago. It is an exciting few days, but I will make sure to leave blogs about the experience later within that week.

Interviewing!

Some of the happenings that have been going on during mid-terms have been an MPH Seminar about improving interview skills, which came in really handy because I had an interview the day after (Wednesday) with a local hospital (St. Luke's - Cedar Rapids). Unfortunately I did not receive the interview, but was up against four of my classmates and was glad that someone from Iowa was able to be there. I am still keeping my hopes up for a couple more internship applications/interviews I have coming up and will definitely put the skills I learned in the interviewing seminar to good use, especially since I was kind of the "guinea pig" for the exercise. We used this program called "Perfect Interview," which is great online tool which video records your responses to interview questions. (1) I thought this was a great way for you to see yourself and all the little habits, whether good or bad that you do and (2) it can be sent to others for review (i.e. career counselor, practitioners in the field, etc.).

There were a couple other things that occurred but I will leave them for my next blog post tomorrow :)

Hope you all are enjoying this warmer weather, at least those of us in the Mid-West!

Ryan

Alumni, Networking and ....Mid-Terms

We all know they are coming, and yes they are stressful, but there is a certain satisfaction in accomplishing Mid-Terms. I named this post "Alumni, Networking and...Mid-Terms" and will certainly get right into the first couple titles...

Alumni/Networking:

So today the CPHSA (College of Public Health Student Association) hosted a meeting with Alumni from each of the departments with the College of Public Health. It was an eye-opening experience for me in terms of the variety of ages and paths each individual had taken in their Public Health journey. Some had been in the field and came back to get a degree (i.e. MPH) and others went right into a position (i.e. Health Analyst at Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Administrator at State Hygienic Lab, Epidemiologist and Strategic Planning at UIHC).

The one thing that I would say most important that I took away, was NETWORKING! I say this in terms of those Alumni that were there, about half obtained their positions by meeting people through their internship/practicum experiences while obtaining their degree. That is certainly how I have found and eventually obtained many of my internships and PH experiences the past few years and is something that I feel the College and personally my department of Health Management and Policy does well..

Mid-Terms

So it is Mid-Term season and things certainly are not letting up anytime soon, but I am definitely looking forward to tomorrow night for TGIT (Thank Goodness It's Thursday) because my department does not schedule classes on Friday's and it is the one night where I take a break from studying and go out and let loose a little before starting productivity for the weekend! Tomorrow a group of us have planned an unofficial St. Patty's Day outting where we will take over the down-town scene in our Green Gear and may or may not part take in some Irish traditions or at least what they have become in the U.S. of a couple drinks. It's always nice to know there is great downtown IOWA CITY to go to and get away from the academics sometimes and hang out with the family I have created with those in my department and in my terms, life-long partners in public health.

Hope you all are having a wonderful week and sending the Luck of the Shamrock with you!

Ryan

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

This was an awesome video of a family that literally creates ZERO waste!

Enjoy! ~ Ryan

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CPHSA Semi-Formal!

Friday was the College of Public Health Student Association (CPHSA) Semi-Formal. I am pretty sure this is the first one that the College of Public Health (CPH) has had. They are very popular, especially amongst graduate programs, because it's a night where everyone can dress up and try not to talk about school or homework ;)

The event was held at a restaurant downtown Iowa City, called ATLAS. There theme is a world grill with a sophisticated taste. It was nice to be able to reconnect with some other CPH students that I had class with last year when I started the MPH program and also get to know some new faces from other departments. If you remember from previous blogs, I am a Masters of Public Health (MPH) in Policy, which is under the department of Health Management and Policy (HMP), which is under the CPH. The point is, that you don't always get to know the other MPH students, along with Ph.D and other Masters students in the College and other departments. All in all, very awesome time and hope that CPHSA continues to hold the event next year.

In addition, I can't believe February is already almost over, I hope those of you that are thinking of applying to graduate school have already started, even if not to Iowa. Hit me up with questions, cause I know I had a ton when deciding where to apply.

Ryan :)

CPH Forum :)

Today I attended the CPH Forum, held once a month with Dean Curry. They are a great way to get updated on the latest happenings within the College of Public Health but also opportunities to learn more about our campus and community. Today we had the Office of the Ombudsperson and Threat Assessment Team (TAT) presenting. I'm going to focus on the Ombudsperson, because I was so intrigued by the issues they deal with on-campus!

Office of the Ombudsperson:

At first, all I could think about was what the heck is an Ombudsperson, and what does such an office do on campus. So before I tell you what I found out, I looked up the definition online:

"A public official who acts as an impartial intermediary between the public and government or bureaucracy, or an employee of an organization who mediates disputes between employees and management"

The two ladies, Susan and Cynthia, who run the office explained that they deal with disputes and issues surrounding them on-campus. They said some of the most common things they run across are "disrespect," which has a lot to do with the communication style of those in the Midwest (Indirect) and Outside the Midwest (Direct). These are generalizations, but on average those from the Midwest tend to be more indirect in their communication and can become offended when someone is more direct, and vice versa. One way is not better over the other, it is just the way it is and the root of some of the issues on-campus. On another note, they also talked about the issues surrounding email (i.e. forwarding messages that shouldn't be, CCing people on issues they don't need to be, saying things in email you would normally not say face-to-face). I'm sure as our lives become more digital, this will become more of an issue, but it was nice to know there is such an office that deals with such a topic of our social lives.

Well I hope you learned something new, as I did this afternoon, haha. Hope you all have a great weekend! Will blog about TAT next time :)

Ryan

PS - I included the header photo from the Office of the Ombudsperson because it reminded me of Spring and it's supposed to warm up in the 40's this week!