December 12, 2023

Faculty panel offers interdisciplinary perspectives on global careers in health

The Population Health Initiative, School of Public Health, and Department of Global Health hosted a panel of faculty members on November 2, 2023 who discussed their unique paths to a global career in health. Throughout the event, panel members Sarah Iribarren, Ferdinand Mukumbang, Sarah Masyuko and Coco Alarcon shared their career journey and offered advice to students, in particular the importance of following one’s intuition and the value of mentors.

Many of the panelists did not expect to go into higher education. Rather, they fell into academia after identifying an issue and positioning themselves to address it. Coco Alarcon, an architect from Peru, was asked by a professor to help with the design of a clinical outpost in Lima. When he realized it was inefficient to have a clinical outpost without a greater local system in place, he advised the professor to conduct further research. Unexpectedly, the professor saw his passion and encouraged his help. This event catalyzed Alarcon’s career shift into public health. Similarly, Dr. Mukumbang, a public health scientist, was not originally focused on academia but was enticed by the idea that “the role of academia is empowering people to solve problems.” He noted that this route is especially fulfilling when one does not have other direct connections to practical public health issues.

In the second half of the event, the panel emphasized the importance of applying your learning and seeking out mentors. Some student attendees reported feeling stuck upon graduating, unsure of what to do and the timing of their next steps. The panelists offered the advice to not overthink it, follow your passions. “Think about what you want to do and pursue it,” Dr. Masyuko, a global health expert, shared as she described her experience of having to apply to her PhD program several times before being admitted with a scholarship. Dr. Iribarren, a nurse, agreed with this sentiment and encouraged students to get involved. She also expressed the importance of intentional learning, telling students, “If you are learning something, try to apply it. That will help you solidify your learning.”

For each panelist, there was at least one mentor who was instrumental to their success, guiding them along their path with the wisdom of experience. Many noted that they are still close with their mentor, even after many years. Others noted that you can have several mentors. “You can have several micro-mentors in different areas but there will be one person who is your macro-mentor,” Dr. Mukumbang remarked. The terms micro and macro mentors resonated with the students, lowering the stakes of finding one mentor who can fit every interest.

At the conclusion, attendees reported being driven to take new initiative while also feeling a bit more at ease. Please subscribe to our newsletter to be notified about future events of this nature.