The MCH Section likes to highlight student fellows and student authors as a way to showcase the outcomes of these programs and to continue the connection with the students. We asked the students to write about how the research presentation and receiving the award has influenced their professional as well as personal lives, what they are pursuing now, and how to encourage other students to submit abstracts to the student sessions.
Impact of the APHA MCH Section Outstanding Student Paper Award
When I applied to attend graduate school almost a decade ago, I knew I wanted to conduct research in women’s and children’s health. This was due to my experience and interests in reproductive health policy during my undergraduate years and my U.S. Student Fulbright Scholarship to Australia. At that time, I knew very little about national and state organizations dedicated to professional networking and exchange of research ideas. In fact, I knew nothing about APHA nor the Maternal and Child Health Section. Since then, many professional and personal events have transpired, most of which are due to my relationships and experiences through the APHA MCH Section.
When I started my doctoral studies in MCH at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I was a research assistant for Dr. Anita Farel. While working for her, I oversaw the research of a MCH masters student. We examined rates of screening and diagnosis of depression and anxiety in pregnant women in three obstetrics/gynecology residency program clinics in the North Carolina. It was then that Dr. Farel and Dr. Jonathan Kotch introduced me to the APHA MCH Section by encouraging me and my colleague to submit an abstract to the student section. To our surprise, our paper won the student award.
A couple of years later, I submitted part of my dissertation research to the APHA MCH student section. In November 2007, I won the APHA MCH most outstanding student award for this research, which was the first study to ever examine the timeliness of services among children with orofacial clefts (e.g. cleft lip and/or palate). It was at this meeting that I met many prominent MCH advocates and public health professionals, such as Dr. Milton Kotelchuck. It has been through the APHA and MCH annual meetings that I have collaborated and networked with other colleagues.
Since winning the award, I have become involved in many aspects of MCH service. I currently serve as a manuscript reviewer for several journals, the Epidemiology Section Editor for the Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, and an abstract reviewer for the APHA MCH student section. I am also involved with several other national organizations dedicated to children with special health care needs like children with birth defects. For the past two years, I have been teaching maternal and child health classes, such as epidemiology, health policy development, and statistics to undergraduates and graduate students as an assistant professor in public health.
Becoming and staying involved with organizations like the APHA MCH Section is vital for a myriad of reasons. It encourages individuals to network and provides a nurturing atmosphere to exchange ideas and collaborate on research projects. Students and public health practitioners can receive peernreview and feedback on research that might not otherwise have been reviewed. It also allows students to be aware of the most up-to-date research and become advocates on a variety of health policy topics, including health care reform and stem cell research. Most of the American Schools of Public Health hold a reunion for current students and alumni at APHA annual meetings. This is definitely one of the highlights of the annual meetings and is a great way to network.
I recommend all MCH students get and stay involved with the APHA MCH community. In particular, I would like to encourage all MCH students to submit abstracts to the APHA MCH student section, which will hopefully greatly enhance careers as it has mine.