Geisel School of Medicine Welcomes New Class of MPH and MS Students to Campus

Continuing to celebrate the start of a new academic year, this week, the Geisel School of Medicine welcomed 97 students in its residential and hybrid Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Science in Healthcare Research (MS) programs to an intensive learning week packed with information sessions, team-building activities, and social gatherings designed to familiarize the students with Dartmouth’s campus and foster interpersonal relationships.

Extending an enthusiastic welcome to those gathered, Craig R. Westling, DrPH, MPH ‘09, MS, associate dean of health sciences education, talked about his own roots in public health, which began at the Good Neighbor Health Clinic in Vermont, and the importance of being part of a learning community of shared values and independent thought within a culture of collaboration.

Westling then invited students to share what brought them to public health and to Dartmouth. Their stories revealed lived experiences that inspired their desire to pursue careers in public health—such as injustices in access to healthcare; a realization that public health is broad, and its fundamentals apply to life; differences between U.S. and global healthcare systems and what can be learned from that; and how their shared core values connect to public health and a desire to make a difference.

He also presented an overview of the history and current state of public health and articulated the vision and values the Geisel programs embrace—collaboration between public health and medical care delivery; eliminating the unjust variation in health and healthcare, and the drivers of health and well-being; being open to change and to creating space for continuous personal and professional growth, improvement, and resilience.

“It’s important to create a healthy learning community that invites and supports vigorous and open debate of ideas across all of our interactions—marked by respect, listening, patience, tolerance and humility,” Westling told the students.

“While you are here you may encounter something that will make you uncomfortable and opinions you may disagree with or may shock you. All of that is okay if it is done within a constructive learning environment, because we need to learn from other points of view even if we respectfully disagree,” he said. “Understanding where others are coming from helps us be more empathetic and strengthen our own arguments.”

Noting the advantage of being part of a small college where students and faculty develop close first-name relationships, he explained how the MPH and MS programs fit into the Geisel School of Medicine.

“Here you have a unique opportunity to focus on clinical care both inside and outside of the clinic as well as cross-campus collaboration with the broader Dartmouth community,” he said. “The best part about our smaller learning community is that you get to learn so much from your peers.”

As the warm summer day waned, the students ended their first day on campus on a lighter note, taking their first steps toward building lasting interpersonal relationships during a scavenger hunt—a fun activity leading students to important or historic places on campus, including the Student Life Office, Occom Pond, Alumni Gym, the Hood Museum of Art and various campus sculptures, and the Geisel Dean’s Office—followed by an ice cream social.

Written by: Susan Green

POSTED 8/8/2024 AT 01:42 PM IN #Master of Science in Health Care Research #mph #Master of Public Health #MS #Orientation