Sacramento Executive MPH Students Visit Philadelphia
May 1, 2014
What started as just an idea in a student town hall meeting of Executive MPH degree students at Drexel University Sacramento became a reality in April when six first-year students and one second-year student from Sacramento trekked cross country to Drexel University in Philadelphia.
While in Philadelphia, students met fellow students, alumni, staff and faculty from the School of Public Health. Jonathan Purtle, the research director at the School of Public Health's Center for Non-Violence and Social Justice, described his program Healing Hurt People, which provides violence victims the tools, resources, and education to stop the cycle of violence and trauma in Philadelphia.
While touring the oldest street in the United States, Michael Yudell, PhD, MPH, an associate professor, recounted various epidemics that plagued Philadelphia and the historical lessons that we can apply to modern public health (see photo). Craig Newschaffer, PhD, and staff from the AJ Drexel Autism Institute described their ongoing cohort study with mothers and children and the research gaps. Students also visited the bookstore, met with advisers, and soaked up the local sites.
Catherine Gumbo, a second-year student, said "seeing the main Drexel campus and hearing about some of the programs from the staff and students actually running them reinforced my belief that I chose a great institution to study public health."