At a school like Waterloo where Engineering and Math programs dominate by the numbers, being in a program like Public Health can leave you feeling forgotten or like the odd one out.
As an impressionable teenager, there weren’t many things I knew for sure, but going into my first year of university I knew that Public Health was exactly where I needed to be. After applying to an array of programs in diverse fields, I found UW’s Public Health and anxiously waited for my acceptance. I have always been interested in the world of health and medicine (and Grey’s Anatomy) but knew the sciences weren’t my specialty. That Grade 11 chemistry mark traumatized me and I knew I had to find my niche elsewhere. Cue the Public Health theme song.
P-U-B-L-I-C, Public Health’s the place to be! (this sounds a lot cooler in a crowd full of first-years mid orientation week, trust me…)
Public Health looks at population level health issues rather than individual patient care, like what your doctor delivers. Think Outbreak from 1995, which sparked interest into infectious disease outbreaks, or Contagion from 2011 that looks at what can happen when a country isn’t prepared for disaster. In this program, we learn about how to prepare for, prevent, and deal with health crises on a large scale, like the obesity epidemic, the SARS outbreak, vaccinations, and how health systems run.
With that being said, I still get a lot of questions and snide comments about my program, so here are a few observations I’ve made in my first year…
Being Asked “What do you even do?”
This one usually takes a little thought. What do you mean, what do I do? I do school work, I study, I take exams, just like you. I think that the question is more concerning the subjects I take, but I still cock my head sideways every time someone asks this.
Being Called The Easier Program…
Within the AHS Faculty, Public Health and Health Studies students take some of the same courses, but PH students take their own modified, more introductory science courses. They aren’t necessarily easier, they are just different. I also don’t think Waterloo offers an “easy” program – it’s university!
Being Told All I Can Do Is Go To Medical School….
Medical school is an option, but not the only option. Public Health can offer a wide selection of career options, like working for individual rights organizations or social work. So, to the student who told me med school was my only option, thanks but no thanks.
Being Asked To Explain What My Program Is…
No one asks you to explain what Psychology is, or even Mechatronics Engineering, but not many students or family members know what Public Health entails. I feel like I’m trying to sell them on a box of girl scouts cookies rather than explain my own program. Sometimes I get a slow nod and other times I get the quizzical look of complete misunderstanding, it’s a 50/50 chance.
Overall, being in Public Health has taught me alot about the world of health promotion and disease prevention and I will never let someone else’s opinion tell me that my program isn’t important! At the end of the day, no matter your program, we are all just trying to pass here and should support all programs! Happy studying Warriors!