"Dartmouth has positively impacted my view on public health as it’s encouraged me not only to view public health through numerous lenses but also to use my personal experiences as a way to understand the field. Dartmouth’s curriculum offers a variety of courses spanning different topics and aspects of public health, creating a holistic understanding that allows us to consider numerous perspectives when tackling public health challenges."
Student Spotlight: Kathryn Giordano, MPH'24
“You can look at public health from a healthcare, policy, or a quality improvement perspective,” says Kathryn Giordano. “Here at Dartmouth, I’ve been exposed to a variety of courses that expanded my understanding of public health, including many things I did not think of as public health issues. And when all of that is tied together, it creates a holistic public health education that thoroughly prepares you for the future.”
A community health worker who worked with epilepsy patients, Giordano saw first-hand how many issues can influence a patient’s access to care and an effective treatment plan tailored to their needs.
“Our patients had chronic conditions and needed to interact with the healthcare system in many ways,” she explains. “While working with them on care management—helping them with their appointments and managing other comorbidities of epilepsy—I became curious about how the intersection of medicine and public health worked together to enhance a patient’s experience of healthcare and make it a bit easier for them to get the care they needed.”
This inspired her to pursue an advanced degree in public health. Giordano knew she wanted a community-oriented learning environment that brought together people with diverse backgrounds and experiences to learn from each other as well as from faculty.
She was drawn to Dartmouth’s program because of its unique inclusion of medical care epidemiology in the curriculum, which looks at how the performance of a health system influences patient experience.
“The faculty here have devoted a significant amount of time to this issue and have incorporated it into a public health curriculum that is so well intertwined with other issues affecting our health systems it builds a strong foundation in public health,” she says.
Rooted in her interests, Giordano’s independent research project is focused on standard seizure-safe legislation that targets behavior and action through educational intervention for teachers and others in public schools to help children with epilepsy. Giordano says only 23 states have policies to create safe environments, so she’s planning on turning her research into a policy paper advocating these protocols.
“There are many avenues to a career in public health,” she notes. “Look at everything that’s offered and tailor your education to what you are passionate about, then you will be prepared for life after Dartmouth.”
Written by: Susan Green
POSTED 3/27/2024 AT 02:22 PM IN ##studentspotlight