Carolyn came to the CoE as a 2nd year student. She joined the team in order to facilitate the launching of the Leadership Training Program. She worked closely with Dr. Vyas to design a comprehensive training program that would equip future leaders in MCH with the competencies and skills that they were not otherwise learning in classes.
Soon after that, her involvement quickly expanded:
“I was brought on for one reason, and then I was able to do a lot more, which was awesome.” She became involved in research, assisting with an evaluation of Dr. Vyas’s AIMIcare physician burnout project, and later worked as a teaching assistant for an undergraduate course. This wide range of experience gave her valuable exposure to program implementation, research, and teaching.
What Drew You to MCH?
Carolyn grew up with a love for science. Also, having grown up in the D.C. area, Carolyn’s interest in public health was shaped by her early exposure to politics and health equity, particularly women’s health equity. She was especially passionate about reproductive health. MCH felt like the perfect intersection of both her passions.
“I found a perfect intersection of health, equity, and science in maternal and child health.”
However, her time in the MCH program broadened her perspective on what the field could encompass. Over time, she grew increasingly interested in systemic issues like OB/GYN shortages, primary care access, and provider burnout. She now focuses on higher-level structural challenges in access to care for women, children, and birthing people, with a particular interest in how student loan debt and systemic burnout contribute to the primary care crisis.
Where are you currently working?
Carolyn now works in the Research and Evaluation Department at UMass Chan Medical School as a Health Policy Researcher. She conducts both qualitative and quantitative research on Massachusetts’s Medicaid program, MassHealth. Her work involves evaluating programs, collecting stakeholder feedback (from patients, providers, and hospital staff), and making policy recommendations for improving care. Projects she’s worked on include evaluations of coverage and eligibility changes, such as retroactive eligibility policies that impact postpartum individuals and children.
Reflections on the Job Search Process
Carolyn landed her current role shortly after graduating from the MPH program. She described job searching during her final semester as stressful but rewarding. Support from the Center of Excellence faculty, especially regarding recommendation letters and advice on applying to and choosing jobs, played a big role in her success.
Her advice to current students? “Don’t underestimate yourself or undersell yourself when you are applying. If you feel like a job is a good fit, even if you don’t meet every qualification, apply anyway. The worst that can happen is they say no or don’t get back to you.”
She also emphasized that students should count graduate school projects and internships as real work experience when applying for jobs, especially if they involved implementation or community engagement.
The Most Useful Skills from GWU and the Center of Excellence
Several courses stood out to Carolyn as being particularly helpful in her current role:
- Program Evaluation: Critical for her day-to-day work in conducting assessments, and especially, she still uses quantitative skills from the class
- Population Health and Data Analytics and Policy: Helped her learn how to use data persuasively to inform policy decisions.
- Epidemiology & MCH Core Courses: Gave her a strong foundation in both research and maternal-child-specific content.
She also appreciated workshops from the Center of Excellence that focused on professional development topics, including how to be an effective early-career employee, communicate with supervisors, and take initiative.
Unexpected Lessons from Post-Grad?
One unexpected lesson Carolyn has learned since graduating is how to balance ownership and collaboration in a professional setting. Coming from an academic background where she often took charge of group projects, it took some adjusting to work with new teams and government systems where progress can be slow and reliant on senior employees.
“There’s a happy medium… I am not the sole person responsible for pushing this along.”
Share a personal or professional win!
Carolyn recently became an aunt, and it’s given her a newfound appreciation for the “child” side of maternal and child health.
We hope you make all the best memories Auntie Carolyn!
CoE Shoutouts!
Advice from Dr. Vyas, who still mentors Carolyn today, still sticks with Carolyn. Dr. Vyas made sure to remind Carolyn not to say sorry for no reason, which is often something many women are socialized to do.. Carolyn now makes a conscious effort not to apologize unnecessarily, especially in professional settings, a small but powerful mindset shift!