Public Health Blog | Master of Public Health

Enhancing Wildlife Surveillance in Canada Through the Wildlife Health Tracker

By: Mark Reist, Posted: July 14, 2017

Over the summer, I have been completing my practicum placement at the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC), and for those who are unaware, the CWHC is a national organization dedicated to generating knowledge needed to assess and manage wildlife health. A large portion of what the CWHC does is centered around wildlife disease surveillance to detect emerging health threats to wildlife, including risks posed to humans and livestock.

The Undertakings of Data Collection in the Philippines

By: Jessica Helwig, Posted: July 12, 2017

Grabe– the Tagalog expression to describe something serious, extreme, or exceptional, which is exactly how I would describe the first half of my practicum experience working with the Foundations for Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC) at the project site in the Philippines.

A Midterm Reflection of my Time at PHAC

By: Rachelle Janicki, Posted: July 11, 2017

This summer, like several of my fellow MPHers, I am completing my practicum placement at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) in Guelph, Ontario. I have to echo what others have said – I cannot believe summer is over halfway through!

An Update from Cancer Care Ontario: Evaluation and Report Development

By: Robbie D'Addazio, Posted: June 30, 2017

In my last post, I discussed how I was currently building an evaluation matrix for the CCO SEER*Stat Package – Release 10. This matrix has now been finalized and I have begun developing a questionnaire for a survey that will be sent out to external users of the package in the coming weeks. This has definitely been a fascinating process, as it involves conducting stakeholder consultations to ensure the questionnaire satisfies the information needs of each audience.

My Summer at PHAC

By: Nicole Pachal, Posted: June 29, 2017

My practicum placement at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is now halfway completed and I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone. Within PHAC, I work in the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) in the Public Health Risk Sciences division. The focus of my project is to complete a scoping literature review on a mosquito-borne disease. I have already completed several stages of the review such as drafting a protocol, completing the literature search, and screening the identified documents for relevance. Currently, I am in the data characterization stage of my project.

Using a One Health Approach to Protect Mountain Gorillas

By: Emily Denstedt, Posted: June 27, 2017

Have you ever seen a gorilla in a zoo? Most likely you have. They are pretty remarkable, aren’t they? I will tell you though, walking deep into a quiet forest and finding yourself mere meters from a family of critically endangered mountain gorillas…the feeling is unparalleled. When a silverback gorilla stares straight into your eyes, this is a result of decades of tireless work by many dedicated individuals.

Reaching Priority Populations in the Region of Waterloo

By: Courtney Bell, Posted: June 27, 2017

Now halfway through my practicum placement at the Infectious Disease, Dental and Sexual Health (IDS) division at the Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services, I have began to feel more comfortable and at ease in my position as a Health Promotion Research Analyst. I am enjoying all the workshops and learning opportunities I have access to enhance my knowledge and learning in Public Health.

Translating Research to Action in Southwestern Uganda

By: Mackenzie Wilson, Posted: June 26, 2017

After six weeks spent in Buhoma, I have arrived back in Kampala. Reflecting on my time in Buhoma, it feels like a whirlwind of meeting new people, incredible learning experiences and long, busy days of research! It is hard to believe the bulk of the field work is done and I am beginning to wrap up my time in Uganda. In total, I conducted 8 focus group discussions in different communities within Kanugu District, including both Batwa and Bakiga women, concerning their perspectives and experiences surrounding antenatal care.

Community Veterinary Outreach

By: Andreas Demelo, Posted: June 20, 2017

For the past few weeks, I have been completing my practicum placement with the Community Veterinary Outreach Clinics, primarily located in Ottawa. The Community Veterinary Outreach is a non-profit group that offers veterinary care to pets of individuals that are considered homeless, or are at risk of experiencing homelessness.

My Practicum Experience at Oxford County Public Health

By: Stephanie Duench, Posted: June 13, 2017

On April 24^th, I entered the first week of my practicum placement at Oxford County Public Health unsure of what to expect, but I was excited to get started. On the first day, I was introduced to my main project revolving around the new food premise risk assessment procedures. In 2015 the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care released a new food premise risk assessment with a standardized weighing system to make risk categorization more consistent across Ontario.