What are the most impactful things you have done during your graduate program at Simmons?
I was drawn to the Simmons’ master of public health (MPH) program for its focus on health equity and the in-person learning experiences. Although most courses were virtual, the most impactful education was during the immersions and my Health Equity Change Project.
The Boston and Arizona/Mexico Border Immersions offered real-life exposure to how historical factors influenced current social determinants of health. During both immersions, we not only studied the impacts of racism on health, but reflected on our own privileges and disadvantages. By visiting different neighborhoods in Boston and the regions along the Arizona border, we could see, smell, touch, and feel how the physical, socioeconomic, and political environments helped or harmed the community members and migrants.
For my Health Equity Change Project, I explored how the blood pressure inequity in the local Black population is influenced by lived experiences, healthcare accessibility, racism, and levels of trust in healthcare professionals. Inspired by the local community’s resilience and needs, I developed a creative booklet with information on health, diet, and healthcare access.
What was your favorite Simmons course and why?
While I learned valuable information and skills from all of my classes, my favorite course was “Socio-Structural Determinants of Health” (MHEO 420). This course truly gave me the perspective that where people are born, live, learn, work, and play can help or harm their health.
Coming from a career in healthcare where the focus is ordering tests and prescribing medications, this class allowed me to comprehend, from a bird’s-eye view, how people’s living conditions affect their health before they even enter a medical facility. These insights shaped the entire public health program.
Who was your most influential Simmons professor/mentor and why?
Associate Professor of Practice and Director of the MPH program Leigh Haynes has been my most influential professor and advisor. She taught the Boston Immersion and a wide range of classes throughout the program. I have been enlightened by her broad expertise in public health equity, social justice, advocacy, community organizing, as well as international and US law. Her teaching style involves a balance between relatability and firm expectations that challenge you to reach beyond your comfort zone.
I was honored when Professor Haynes asked me to contribute to the Simmons Body Electric project with Associate Professor of Practice Dolores Wolongevicz to study the health benefits of movement breaks from sedentary work. Through all my interactions with Professor Haynes, she has provided a safe space to explore solutions to unjust practices and challenging systems that lead to health inequities.
How has Simmons prepared you for your intended profession?
Although I am an Internal Medicine physician, this program has given me the tools to consider how to change how healthcare systems treat people who have been systemically marginalized and have experienced discrimination. This requires work from the institutional side, such as educating providers on social determinants and equitable treatment, as well as listening to patients who report lack of trust in healthcare systems.
I aspire to reverse the health effects of unfair or inadequate treatment of patients, such as those from the Black, Brown, LGBTQ+, and disabled populations. For instance, I have started to work with my hospital to build trust with patients and community members who do not feel welcome or have experienced harm in health systems. Simmons has taught me that revising institutional practices and building community partnerships can foster innovative and equitable treatments.
What is your favorite Simmons memory?
My favorite memory was the Arizona Immersion. Through the humbling experience at the United States-Mexico border, my classmates and I learned what influences the health of people who have lived in, and newly arrived to, the region. Because we were “immersed” in the physical environment, we used our senses to gain knowledge about the socioeconomic and geopolitical factors that affect migrants and borderland residents.
We discovered the root causes that motivate people to move, such as systems of violence, poverty, oppression, and environmental destruction in their homelands. Cultures and spiritual connections of the Indigenous peoples near the border have been interrupted by forced relocation to reservations, land development, mining, and required assimilation to non-Native practices, which have affected their health. The immersion not only created invaluable connections with my classmates, but encouraged honest conversations and deep reflections that fostered personal and academic growth.
What advice do you have for current and incoming Simmons students?
I recommend that students ask questions of and listen to other classmates. I have learned just as much from my fellow classmates as from my professors. Each person has a unique background, strengths, and interests. My friends in the program have pushed me to grow in creative ways.