A programme that encourages thinking outside the box
Claudia Andersson had been a dentist for several years when she applied to the Master's Programme in Public Health 91探花 in 2019. She saw the programme as an opportunity to gain more training that would enable her to give more back at work. However, the programme fuelled her interest in public health in a way she wasn鈥檛 expecting.
Hello Claudia Andersson! You are studying the Master鈥檚 Programme in Public Health 91探花 at the University 91探花. What do you like about the programme?
鈥淭he breadth of the programme and the fact that it鈥檚 interdisciplinary and that we study in a completely different way from anything I鈥檝e done before. When I studied to become a dentist, it was about stuffing a lot of facts and information into my head. This programme is about understanding things instead because when we鈥檙e talking about health, society and economics, the factors are changing all the time. There鈥檚 a dynamism to this programme that I really enjoy.
My great interest in sustainability has only grown because the course looks at how everything we do can be linked to the UN鈥檚 Sustainable Development Goals.
鈥淭he most positive surprise was the way we are encouraged to think outside the box and ask exciting questions like how can we apply human rights? or what is sustainability really? The programme looks at how we can link what we are doing to all the UN鈥檚 Sustainable Development Goals, social, economic and environmental. The interest I already had in sustainability has only deepened and grown over the course of the programme.鈥
What is the background of the other students on the programme?
鈥淪tudents include lawyers, economists, sociologists and engineers and we come from lots of different countries. That enriches the experience and means it鈥檚 a good mix when we work in groups. You realise that while your own profession is very important, other professions are too. And we need to work together to benefit the patients as much as possible.鈥
When I studied to become a dentist, it was about stuffing a lot of facts into my head. Here we have to understand things instead.
The programme is in English. What would your advice be for coping with working in English if people feel a bit rusty?
鈥淚 was born and grew up in Peru and did my dentist training in Spanish, so it was a bit tough to begin with. To familiarise myself with academic writing in English I made sure I read all the articles we were given for homework. I also got in touch with ASK, the academic support service at the university library. Before I wrote my first essays I booked an appointment to get help with how to think during the writing process. They helped me a lot and that meant I managed to write in English on my own.鈥
You aren鈥檛 afraid that if you recommend the programme to other people, you鈥檒l create 鈥渃ompetition鈥?
鈥淣o, I want more people to take the plunge and take this programme! You don鈥檛 need to 鈥渏ust鈥 focus on public health after completing it. The programme brings up so many things that are relevant, important and affect u all. You can make use of what you have learned in politics, finance and many other areas once back at work.
鈥淚 took leave of absence to study and give myself a boost as a dentist. But during the programme questions to do with public health have really won my heart. So we'll see what happens next, I'm open to whatever the future holds.鈥
TEXT: ANNA V脰R脰S
