Mentorship Collaboration Inspiration

My mentor and I are both teaching ourselves more about using R Studio and have shared the current resources that we are using. That in itself has been a learning experience, but my mentor has also taught me about how the Louisiana Department of Health works (a quick overview of the structure) and how it differs from my agency (the Minnesota Department of Health).

My mentor shared potential point of contacts that could help me with my transition from the field of substance use to the field of vector borne epidemiology/infectious disease :) Really excited to start dipping my feet into those waters! My mentor also discussed the importance of learning technical skills with softwares that are free such as R/Rstudio especially when working for cash strapped local health departments. 

My Mentor, Caleb, and I discussed resources for improving my data analysis and GIS experience. Aiming to start with R/R Studio learning via Coursera and 1on1 discussion with final goal of replicating an older data report with improvements to the displayed mapping. So far learning how big the world of public health is but also how closely connected it all is.

Please ignore the previous comment from "Katie Kleimola" - it looks like my email was listed incorrectly in the participant list, so there is someone else who has been receiving notifications for this post and responded to it. 

To answer the question - my mentor and I discussed strengthening my statistical analysis skills in SAS through a mini research project. I haven't had much opportunity to conduct complex analyses or use SAS while working in local public health, so I'm excited to sharpen these skills. 

My mentor and I discussed my self-assessment and also future job opportunities in Louisiana. I learned quite a bit about how some jobs translate better when moving from a state position to the private sector. I also learned about access to Coursera as it could help me learn mapping and provide many useful tools.

My mentor and I discussed additional skills that would be useful in an epidemiologist's career--things like GIS, courses in urban planning, and sustainability credentials. This also tied into a broader conversation about paths within public health and where different degrees, credentials, and skills can lead. Through the mentorship relationship I am already gaining a stronger understanding of what an epidemiologist's career trajectory can look like and how to stay inspired and effective over time.

At the start of this month, I had multiple opportunities for my practicum experience come up at the same time. I discussed these options with my mentor and got advice on which one might help support my future career goals, exploration of different public health areas, and skill building in terms of working with data. 

My mentor and I talked about the importance of having support at any stage of one's professional career. We also shared out professional and personal struggles and victories, and the importance of maintaining a strong balance between duty, responsibility, and collective goals. 

My mentor has offered insights in job search !

My mentor and I have discussed looking for jobs, applying to jobs, and doing practicum research. She has provided me with real insight into the public health field through her experience. 

My mentor and I have discussed what topics within public health interest me, and then using networking as a way to explore practicum opportunities within those interests. We also discussed skills I can learn outside of my classes that would help me with data analyses. Additionally, she has shared her insight into different routes within public health that I had not heard of before!