Tag Archives: public health

Thesis Excitement and Inspiration

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Hope everyone is having a relaxing and rejuvenating fall break! We’ve officially passed the half-way mark for the semester—insane. And scary. Insane because time is literally flying, and scary because thesis is becoming ever more pressing as the work piles up and deadlines loom nearer. Even though I am just now beginning to get a sense of the real scope and immensity of thesis, I am SUPER excited about my project and topic (now there’s a line you never hear). I think the reason for my enthusiasm for thesis has everything to do with the fact that I carefully and actively sought out a project that genuinely interests me.

Thesis is an intense commitment. Essentially, by the time you have a finished product, you will be the resident Scripps expert and master of your topic. Hence, for your own happiness and well being, it is in your favor to select a project that intrigues or impassions you, because otherwise thesis can become a soul-draining and rather unpleasant burden on your senior year. Personally, I figured out pretty early on in my college career that, as much as I love Keck and the faculty and science in general, counting fruit flies or growing mold in a lab would be a painful experience for me. My future (hopefully) and ambitions lie in the realm of public health and human rights, and I wanted a thesis that engaged my true interests.

So, I began seeking out alternatives to a lab thesis early junior year. I was ecstatic to find out that Keck recently partnered with the CGU School of Community and Global Health (SCGH) to offer science majors the option of conducting their thesis with a SCGH adviser. Through the application process, I was even able to indicate preferences for specific faculty and project areas. I feel very fortunate in that I ended up with a perfect match—I am working under the guidance of a SCGH faculty member on tobacco use among young adult South Asians. My end of the project is actually much more narrow and focuses on emerging polytobacco (the concurrent use of multiple tobacco forms) trends and the contextual factors influencing such decisions and usage. I am still fine-tuning the details, but much of this first semester has involved building a case for the research and obtaining all the necessary stamps of approval from review boards. (Hint: submit IRB requests as early as possible! Your life will be infinitely easier because you cannot start data collection with human subjects/many animal species without authorization.) Because I hope to pursue a Masters in Public Health (and possibly concentrate on health promotion and disease prevention), this project directly aligns with my goals and is invaluable research experience that will benefit me beyond graduation. I am fascinated with this area of study and am eager to dive in to the interview/ data collection part of the project. Hopefully that should begin soon—I will be sure to keep all you dedicated readers updated on the progress!

In the meantime, here are three tips that helped direct me when I first began thinking about thesis. I know it can seem daunting and distant for non-seniors, but investing a little time now will aid you immensely in the future, promise.

1) Think about your favorite classes, the ones you have absolutely loved or found inspiring. What subjects were those classes? Who taught them? Are they related (or could you relate them) to your major(s)?

2) What are your potential post-graduation plans or career goals? However vague or uncertain they may be, thesis is a fantastic opportunity to become the expert of a topic that could help expand your understanding or knowledge of a particular field and later give you some leverage in the outside world. Could you craft a topic that has some sense of a trajectory to a possible career path?

3) Take advantage of your department’s website and investigate what projects faculty are working on or areas they have researched. Reach out to faculty you find interesting—they are a wealth of ideas and support!

Fellow seniors, what other tips to you have to add to this list? How did you go about choosing a topic? Everyone else, what are your concerns and thoughts about thesis? Happy Halloween—stay safe and have fun this weekend! 

It is Officially Application Crunch Time

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I think I heard a collective sigh of relief emanate from Claremont Monday at 5:00PM as several seniors hit the ‘submit’ button on their Fulbright/ Watson fellowship applications. I am so incredibly thrilled to be applying for an English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Fulbright in Malaysia, but I am also looking forward to nearing the end of the Part 1 of the process (Part 2 is the interview with a Scripps committee). It has been hard to keep focus on thesis and school work because all of my free time these past couple of weeks has been devoted to application editing, editing, and oh yes… more editing (I think I can recite my statements from memory at this point).

My decision to apply for a Fulbright was prompted by several reasons. First, I knew I wanted to take a couple years off before applying to graduate school for my masters in public health. I think it’s important that I give myself the time to gain a full and deep understanding of global health through experimenting with different jobs, internships, and research projects before I dive into a specific grad program. Because right now I am learning towards international health, being abroad after graduation was a high priority. As I was investigating the range of possibilities to gain international experience, the ETA Fulbright program in particular stuck out as a fantastic opportunity. Not only would I get to explore a country I’ve never been to, but I would also get to teach English and propel a mission that I feel really strongly about. My time studying in India evolved this passion. Working in rural villages (which is where 70% of India resides), made me confront and accept that reality that mobility and advancement is only imaginable and truly achievable through knowledge of English. Language access is a HUGE barrier to breaking the cycle of poverty and marginalization, something I had never completely understood prior to studying abroad because I come from a privileged position where English and all the opportunities it affords were never questioned.

While I’m trying not to put all my eggs in the Fulbright basket—given how competitive the fellowship is— it is still hard to invest so much of your energy and time and self into an application and not feel both hopeful and vulnerable. The last application I recall completing that was this extensive would be college applications, and similar sentiments of excitement and anxiety are resurfacing. However, I am trying to channel those feelings into being proactive. I just downloaded a Malaysian news application, ‘The Star ePaper,’ onto my iPhone and made it my goal to read at least two articles a day to make sure I’m staying current on the latest happenings in the country. Right now, I am waiting to meet with a friend from CMC who is actually from Malaysia so she can share any thoughts and insight she has. I also scheduled a mock interview this week with CP&R, so preparations for that are underway. I’m mentally racking through my closet as I type, trying to assemble an appropriate interview outfit. (Can I wear a black blazer with grey slacks? Help! Stay tuned for a later post on what concoction ends up coming together.) While the process can seem overwhelming at times, all of these actions have helped me feel calmer and more confident in my application, as well as more prepared for the upcoming interview.

Sending lots of calming, de-stressing vibes to all my fellow seniors! I had an orange jasmine tea with almond milk for the first time at the Motley yesterday, and it was very delicious, soothing, and of course, caffeinated. I HIGHLY recommend it for a little kick to push through the weekend. Hang in there and best of luck, friends 🙂 Please share any other tips you have for preparing and managing applications– I know I can use them!

I wish I had a time machine…

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I wish I had a time machine to rewind a year and begin again the incredible adventure that was study abroad. Just a couple of weeks ago marked the official One Year Anniversary of when my program began, and because of that I have been reflecting on my trip much more frequently. I find myself thinking about what I was doing this time last fall (planning a trip to the Taj Mahal) and wishing that I could re-live and re-absorb those incredible moments. The SIT program I chose was based in New Delhi, India with a focus specifically on the health and human rights of vulnerable populations throughout the country.

During the time when I began applying to study abroad, I was questioning and rethinking my decision to be pre-med. It was an internal debate that left me everyday feeling more conflicted, and I was slowly starting to think that I had made a premature commitment to medicine. I had very recently begun developing an interest in public health, but was too cautious to abandon my structured plans for med school in place of a field that was still really vague and undefined in my mind. I wanted to be able to experience public health issues and practices personally in order to determine if it was a field I actually found stimulating and fulfilling. It was this train of thought that led me to petition for the program I did. I was also beyond thrilled by the idea of returning to India (which I had visited several times growing up) as a student living in the country.

SIT is known for its experimental, field-based approach to learning. That could not be truer. For five months I was constantly immersed in the country’s dynamic spectrum of health disparities, not just through just textbooks and lectures, but also through direct connections and interactions with people and their communities. Another component of many SIT programs is an Independent Study Project (ISP), which you design and complete entirely yourself. My field study concerned the vulnerability of Kothis and Hijras, two high-risk sexual minorities, to HIV/AIDS and was beyond a doubt one of the most transformative learning experiences I have ever had. My program challenged me to face the scars underlying India’s wonders, but this only left me with a truer love for the country. I could literally go on for hours about my program and ISP, but to keep myself from writing a novel I will stop here and just say to please feel free to contact me whenever if you are interested in more details/ information.

Hanging out with adorable school kids in a rural village in Jamkhed, where we were working with an incredible organization called the Comprehensive Rural Health Project.

My friend Tania (also a fellow Scrippsie!) and me riding an elephant to the top of a fort in Jaipur, India.

To put simply, I left India inspired and impassioned to pursue global health as a career. But even setting this realization aside, I reflect on and treasure the seemingly unremarkable moments in which I felt truly integrated into the society. I loved eating street food, haggling in markets, learning to read and write Hindi, etc. Off-campus study was one of the highlights of my life so far, and I while I recognize that it is not for everyone, I would strongly encourage you to consider your options. There are few chances to live as a student in a new environment and gain an understanding of the place with a depth only afforded by complete immersion. From gaining a heightened sense of independence to a new appreciation of home, the personal merits of off-campus study are unparalleled. Take advantage of the amazingly strong and supportive Off-Campus Study department we have at Scripps! They make study abroad SO easy and accessible regardless of your major or financial aid status. Freshmen/sophomores: any ideas of where you may want to go? Seniors who went abroad, how do you feel about your off-campus study experiences? I’d love to hear your stories and thoughts— share away!

My lovely host family and me celebrating Diwali, the grand festival of lights that enlivened the entire city for nights.

And finally, a picture that I just love. The sign says “Smile and Serve” and was posted in an overcrowded, understaffed government hospital in Aligarh. You can see the long queue of patients waiting in the hallways.