Alumni Survey – Department of Population and International
Health, Harvard School of Public Health
Preliminary results
Introduction
This document contains preliminary results from a web-based survey of alumni from the
Department of Population and International Health, Harvard School of Public Health.
15 responses have been received to this questionnaire. Initial results will be used to encourage
more alumni to respond to the survey.
Purpose
The research is intended to help understand the impact of PIH, and to explore ways of
improving the effectiveness of the training provided to current and future students.
It was primarily designed as a complement to the course for Masters students, “The
Knowledge Network – International Public Health and the Future of Work.” This is the first
attempt to survey PIH alumni. The research’s main objective, therefore, was to give
suggestive, rather than definitive results.
The questionnaire
Respondents were asked 21 mostly qualitative questions (see appendix 1 for a copy of the
questionnaire). Questions covered their relationship with the Department and the School; their
objectives in attending HSPH and whether these objectives were met; their career subsequent
to graduation; their current perception of international public health and how it is changing; and
their advice to current students.
Quantitative results
Of the 15 students, 7 students took the Doctoral course, 8 students MS2 and 2 students MPH
(two students took a Doctorate after their Masters).
The students had a range of objectives in choosing to take at course at PIH (see next section).
Generally, their most important and second most important objectives were met – though they
were less successful in meeting their third most important objectives (see figure 1). Alumni
were weakly positive on the idea that the training PIH provides has an impact on the
department’s objective “to improve global health problems through education, research, and
service from a population-based perspective.”
Most PIH graduates are working in public health (see figure 2, where respondents categorize
their current and last two jobs). They have gained an average of 7 years field experience and
consider this highly relevant to their career (rated an average of 4.33 on a scale of 0-5).
They continue to think international health is an important development priority, ranking it
second to education.
Qualitative results
The survey has already generated considerable qualitative material, which is briefly reported
here.
Respondents arrived with a number of objectives, summarized at figure 4. Attainment of
technical skills is highly rated, while career advancement is an important secondary and
tertiary objective. Few respondents report objectives that are specific to the department (i.e.
working with particular members of faculty or networking within the student body).
There were two questions asking respondents which areas they now wished they had studied
in greater depth – one covering courses then offered as part of the program, and one covering
courses not offered. The results are summarized at figure 5. Analytical, practical, policy and
economic skills are all seen as needing more focus.
Respondents were asked what they thought were the main challenges currently facing
international public health. The results have been broadly categorized as political, economic,
social and technological, and are summarized at figure 6.
Respondents were asked to give details of their current and last two jobs (see figure 7). They
gave a variety of strategies for career development, emphasizing flexibility and adaptability;
building skill sets; on-going learning; risk taking; publishing; field experience; networking;
curriculum development and teaching; clear motivation; and keeping up to date with the
literature. Respondents had overwhelmingly found jobs through personal contact of one kind or
another. The majority had received some help from HSPH faculty in finding a job.
On the whole, alumni expect careers to change in the next five years, with jobs becoming more
flexible and less secure, and consultancy continuing to rise in importance. Technical and
management skills are generally seen as becoming more valuable, and some respondents
raised questions about the need for on-site work to be carried out by on-site workers.
Alumni offered the following pieces of advice to current students:
–
Vision: “Hold yourself to a high standard of excellence in your work.” “Meditate each and
every day, on what you want to create, why you really want to create it… and what things
you want to do well.“ “Understand the ethical basis of your work and why you are
motivated to contribute.”
–
Approach: “Don't look at problems through a disciplinary lens: consider all approaches
that will move towards solutions… have skills and experience in a variety of disciplines.”
“Learn about health systems and integrated approaches to public health.”
–
Learning: “Work for a professor with research interests similar to your own.” “Prepare
papers and research for publication, even if you are not planning on becoming an
academic.” “Find mentors, READ, and commit yourself to doing projects well.”
–
Skills: “Take practical courses – think about what you would actually do in a job.”
“Develop at least one specific sets of skills while at HSPH.” “Know early on what specific
skills you need for a job and make sure you get them.” “Take plenty of Quantitative
coursework.” “Have some focus in your interest area.” “Imagine the job you want when
you graduate, find out what skills you need for that job, and then gain those skills while
you are in school.”
–
Experience: “Get practical work experience – develop a mentoring relationship with a
professor who can give you work overseas as part of a grant or some other funding.” “Try
to get field experience, as difficult as it can be to find such assignments.” “Start
networking early to line up appropriate fieldwork experience.” “Look across the ocean.”
“Get as much international experience as you can.” “Try to develop a wide range of
contacts in the field.” “Volunteer to help on projects to develop that network.”
–
Careers: “Only apply for jobs you are serious about taking, prepare exhaustively for
interviews.” “Start thinking about your post-graduation job the day you start the program developing relationships, applying for jobs, etc. takes a long time.” “[Don’t underestimate
the] challenge of balancing personal and professional objectives in an international
career.”
–
Money: “Pick a school that gives you value for your money [i.e. not Harvard].” “Don't take
out too many loans, work part-time if necessary.” “Realize that jobs outside of the US
market are not likely to allow you to support loans.”
Alumni generally seem to think PIH needs to make much more effort to keep in contact with
them – their attitude is best summed up by the comment “get organized”:
–
Contact: “Track places alumni have been BEFORE and AFTER graduation.” “Keep their
regularly updated contact details on a web site for current students to access w/queries,
etc.” “Have local HSPH seminars.” “Do more stories in the HSPH journal on alum
projects.” “Direct mailings and information from the PIH department could be helpful in
generating interest and employment.” “Send updates, newsletters; e-mail
list/newsletters.” “Regular update on projects and related results of PIH.” “Sponsor
PIH/HSPH reunions and professional meetings.” “Letting alum know what HSPH
faculty/students are doing in their home country.” “Do more stories in HSPH journal on
alum projects.” “Start an HSPH listserv for alums of PIH.” “Have the HSPH register book
online and send a link via email to alums.” “Access to contact information for alumni if
needed would be a useful service.” “Regular newsletter - some sort of update would likely
foster a greater sense of community among alumni than currently exists.” “Regular job
listserv.” “Tell us who's going to be in town by e-mail.” “It also might be nice to alert
alumni to publications of faculty, and to share alumni publications or other work with
students. Publish an annual review of work by alums in the field of Harvard PIH.”
–
Alumni/Students: “Alumni to distribute job announcements as they come up and
identifying job opportunities for post-graduation.” “Ask alums to be actively involved in
identifying summer/school year positions/organize field projects; use them to host
students during the summer break.” “Ask alums to mentor students (even via email would
be fine).” “Alumni come in to do brown bags on what they are doing now and how they
got there; to discuss their jobs and opportunities in the field.” “Alumni list which indicates
whether alums are willing to be contacted about jobs, careers, etc.” “Set up an internship
program for graduate students with alumni.” “Inform alumni if students are interested in
their particular area.” “Have an active seminar series of lectures by alum who happen to
be in town and want to talk on their topic.” “Share information on current students more
actively with alums so that we can help them as they graduate - names of students who
are looking for fieldwork would be useful.” “Hire students, facilitate their networking with
your contacts.” “Provide opportunities for student research support and co-authoring.”
–
Development: “Have more adjunct professorships and guest lecturers.” “Make a list of
books by alums for "good reading" and start a book club to read a book once a
semester.” “Make sure the Dept., faculty, etc. are truly international and not dominated by
US perspectives.” “Professors in the department should be rewarded for spending quality
time with students.” “Helping with the challenge of balancing personal and professional
objectives.”
Generally, respondents seem to welcome the survey initiative. One commented: “thank you for
starting this effort. I sincerely hope you continue and follow through, and do not abandon this
project part way.”
Figure 1
Effectiveness of Program Studied
Achieved
Achievement of Personal Objectives
4.33
Assessment of contribution of program
studied on PIH objective - "seeking to
improve global health problems."
4.00
3.08
MS2
2.83
MPH
Doctoral
Not
Achiev
Main Objective
Second Objective
Third objective
Impact on PIH objective
Figure 2
Type of positions held
11
Public Health an element
Indirectly related to public health
Specialist public health
20
2
Figure 3
Importance of public health against other development priorities
Most important
7.73
7.57
6.60
5.93
5.87
5.67
5.13
4.53
3.93
3.40
Ec
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Li
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Bu
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En
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M
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G
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M
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In
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ea
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Least
important
Figure 4
Alumni Objectives
Attending PIH
Main Objectives
General
Knowledge of field
Primary
"Enter into field"
"Improve knowledge"
"Getting a degree"
"Doctoral level training"
"Broad understanding of issues"
"Understanding basics"
Secondary
"Up to date on the literature"
"Learn about int health"
"Learn about substantive issues"
Technical
Gaining skills
Primary
"Tools & methods"
"Quantitative analytical skills"
"Acquire skills"
"Technical/analytical skills"
"Analytical research skills"
"Research skills"
Secondary
"Improving analytical skill set"
Tertiary
"Practical skills"
"Epidemiology & biostatistics"
Career
Getting a job
Secondary
"A promising career path"
"Becoming a... researcher"
"Making contacts"
"Obtain a marketable degree"
"A career in academic research"
"Skills needed for career"
"Networking"
Tertiary
"Finding a mentor"
"Building a resume"
"A marketable degree"
"Network building"
"Network"
"Network and make contacts"
"A network of contacts"
Specific
Knowledge of area
Primary
"Sexual & reproductive health"
"Women's public health"
"Health financing & economics"
Secondary
"Health economics"
"Gender as focus of study"
Tertiary
"Entrance to medical school"
Experience
Field work
Secondary
"Int health experience"
"Research experience in DCs"
Course
Style of study
Secondary
"Be part of cohort of students"
Tertiary
"Flexibility to design program"
"Meet interesting people"
Figure 5
Focus
Wish studied in greater depth
Economics
"Health economics"
"Economics"
"Health economics"
"Applied economic"
"Health economics"
Policy
"Decision-making models"
"Health policy"
"Health policy"
"Policy decision-making"
"Health policy"
"Health policy"
"Donors"
"Health care reform"
Practical
Specific
"Disaster management"
"Program development"
"Program design"
"Program implementation"
"Program development"
"Fieldwork"
"Practical skills"
"Nitty gritty of setting up a clinic"
"Malaria... HIV/AIDS"
"TB, malaria etc."
"HIV/AIDS"
"Infectious diseases"
"Nutrition"
"Reproductive physiology"
"Medical sociology and anthropology"
Analytical
"Analytical methods"
"More biostatistics"
"Epidemiology"
"Event analysis"
"Data analysis - real world"
"Biostatistics"
"Methods"
"Statistical and data analysis"
"Advanced epidemiology"
"STD epidemiology"
"Qualitative research approaches"
"Qualitative methods"
"Qualitative research"
Other
"Behavior change"
"Disaster management"
"Health communications"
"Designing a clinical trial"
"Searching the Internet"
"Working with cross cutting issues"
Figure 6
Challenges Facing Public Health
Political
Economic

Lack of governance

Promoting health in the context of fiscal constraints

Globalization and health

Rising input costs (esp. pharmaceuticals)

Lack of political will for fighting preventable diseases

Inefficient and regressive spending

Health care reform

Scaling up interventions

Maintaining values and evidence-based approach in
face of political pressure (esp. over AIDS drugs
therapy)

Lack of human and monetary resources

Setting priorities

Addressing inequalities

Documenting the payback from investment

Health equity and access to health care


US government’s americocentric rules for governing
the world

Social

Domination by Eurocentric, judaochristianic, marketbased economic models and structure and function
Funding structures
Technological
Reproductive health – more than “getting down the
numbers”

Drug-resistant communicable disease

HIV/AIDS – wiping out gains everywhere else

Infectious diseases – crosses borders

Weak infrastructure

Gender inequality

Rise in infectious diseases

Complexity of factors affecting health


Profession finds it hard to see the big picture
Applying existing to knowledge to the problems with the
greatest impact

Gender inequities in accessing services

HIV/AIDS in Africa

Maintaining a focus on values


Creating and sustaining behavioral change
Developing affordable and accessible strategies
(including new technologies and behavioral
interventions) for HIV prevention

Removing hierarchies from the profession

Translating knowledge into real improvements for poor
people

Working in a multisectoral manner

Health education


Accessing the norms that contribute to poor health
status of women
Lack of creativity

Environmental issues
Figure 7
Current Job
Title
Organization
Responsibilities
Last Job
Title
Previous Job
Organization
Responsibilities
Title
Organization
Responsibilities
PRB Fellow
US Agency for
International
Development
Demographic &
health surveys, chair
adolescent
reproductive health
working group
International
Trachoma
Initiative
Program
management,
internal and external
relations, workshops
Doctoral
2000
Director,
Pfizer, Inc.
Epidemiology.
History of disease studies;
Design & conduct trials; Risk
management strategies
MS2 1996a
Health
Specialist
Inter American
Development
Bank
Design loan programs in the Research
areas of health and social
Specialist
protection.
HSPH
Coordinator National
Health Accounts
Latin America
Initiative
MS2 1995
Consultant
Various
Evaluation, establishing
databases, training,
business development
New Business
Coordinator
Chemonics
International
Consultant database, Program
developed M&E
Associate
plans, proposals
MPH 1997
Project
Manager
Swiss Centre for
International
Health
Project management,
consultancies, research
Urban Health
Adviser in
China
DFID
Planning of urban
CHS in China
MS2 2001
Associate
technical
officer
Family Health
International
Provide technical support to
the President of the AIDS
Institute
MS2 1995,
Doctoral
1999
Assistant
Professor
Boston University
SPH
International public health
research and teaching.
Development
Associate
Harvard Institute for
Int'l Dev.
International public
health research
MS2 1996b
Program
Associate
Population
Council
Research & evaluation on
safe abortion; approval &
registration of medical
abortion
Doctoral
2001b
Research
Associate
Chinese
University
Managing the research and
database at a Public Health
study at School of Medicine
Post-doctoral
Research
Associate
Hong Baptist
University
Conducted Cancer
research in the
Department of Math
Current Job
Last Job
Previous Job
Title
Organization
Responsibilities
Title
Organization
Responsibilities
Title
Organization
Responsibilities
Doctoral
2001a
Scientist
World Health
Organization,
Geneva
Design, analysis &
documentation of a 70
country survey on health
status; training/teaching
methods
Researcher
Cambodian
Researchers for
Development
Training on research
methods;
reproductive health
research;
coordination of allsector activities
Health Policy
Consultant
World Health
Organization,
Copenhagen
Support Ministries of
Health to develop &
update health
policies
MS2 1996c
Health and
HIV/AIDS
Adviser
DFID
Managing funds spent in
African countries on
HIV/AIDS & other health
problems
Technical
Officer
World Health
Organization
Expansion of
initiative on violence
against women
including a multicountry study.
Project
Manager,
Managing
Editor
African Journal of
Reproductive
Health & Study on
STIs and Young
People (at HSPH)
Research protocols,
project realization;
editorial &
production
processes
MS2 1996,
Doctoral
2000
Demographer, Farafenni Field
Reproductive Station MRC The
Health
Gambia
Programme
Research on health issues
Doctoral
including infectious diseases Student
and reproduction.
HSPH and MRC
Carried out surveys
on fertility and
marriage histories
MS2 1997
Program
Associate
Program of research on
reproductive health in
Southern Africa
Staff Program
Associate
Population Council
Implementation of
reproductive health
research projects
including clinical
trials.
Program
Manager
Population
Council
Implementation of
reproductive health
research projects
including clinical
trials.
MPH 1993
Attending
New York
physician,
Presbyterian
dept of family, hospital
community &
preventive
medicine
Director of development,
research, and education
Medical
Director
Innerdoorway,
holistic health
publishing
Review of journal;
database of
references;
acquisition of
journals &
publications
Medical Editor
Aperture
Foundation
Edit & compose
medicine and
healthcare books
Doctoral
1996
Assistant
Professor
Teaching, Research,
Service in International
Health Dept
Assistant
Professor
University of Texas
Teaching, Research,
Service in School of
Public Health
Post-Doctoral
Fellow
University of
Texas
Directed syphilis
prevention program
Population
Council
Johns Hopkins
University
Appendix 1: Questionnaire
Thank you for agreeing to complete this survey. We hope the results will help us
understand the impact of the Department of Population and International Health. We also
plan to use them to explore ways to improve the effectiveness of the training we provide to
current and future students.
Please answer all questions if you can.
The survey should take approximately 45 minutes, depending on how provocative you find
the questions and the corresponding the length of your answers!
We will send all participants a brief summary of the report’s results by email.
Personal details
Please provide us with some personal details so we can record your participation in this
survey. All responses will be anonymized before analysis.
Details
–
First name
–
Surname
–
Street number
–
Street name
–
City
–
State
–
Country
–
Zip
–
E-mail
–
Date of birth
–
Male/Female
–
Nationality
You and HSPH
1. In which international public health program(s) were you enrolled? [Doctoral¦MS2¦MPH]
a. What was your year(s) of graduation?
2. Please tell us, in order of importance, your three main objectives in attending HSPH –
and then rate on a scale of 0-5 whether each objective was accomplished, where ‘0’
means ‘not accomplished at all’ and ‘5’ means ‘completely accomplished. [3 text boxes
(marked ‘most important objective’ ‘second most important objective’ etc., plus 3
numerical fields]
3. Please tell us if there are areas covered by the program in which you now wish that
you’d studied in greater depth. [3 text boxes]
4. Please tell us if there are any areas not covered by the program that you now wish
you’d studied in greater depth. [3 text boxes]
5. Please tell us how you secured your first job in public health.
a.
6.
What role did HSPH played in assisting you in this undertaking?
What would you suggest that HSPH do to improve its assistance to students in finding
appropriate jobs after graduation?
7. How would you suggest that PIH and HSPH use its alumni network to improve the
experience for the current students enrolled in PIH?
8. How would you suggest that PIH and HSPH use its alumni network to better
communicate with its alumni and include them more closely in the work that is being
done by PIH faculty and students?
You and Public Health
9. The Department of Population and International Health seeks to improve global health
problems through education, research, and service from a population-based
perspective. Please rate, on a scale of 0-5, how successfully you think the program you
studied was in contributing to this aim, where ‘0’ means unsuccessful and ‘5 means
‘successful’.
10. Please tell us how important you consider public health when ranked against other
development priorities. Rank the most important priority ‘1’, the second most important
‘2’, continuing down to the least important priority which will be ranked ‘10’. [Ranking:
Business development ¦ Economic liberalization ¦ Education ¦ Environment ¦ Human
rights ¦ Gender ¦ Governance ¦ Infrastructure ¦ Macroeconomic management ¦ Public
health]
11. Please tell us what you think are the three main challenges, in order of priority, currently
facing public health. [3 text boxes]
12. Please give us some details of your last three jobs. [3 lines, each containing – Job title
(text box); Organization (text box); Description of main responsibilities (text box); Type
of job [specialist public health¦ public health an element ¦ indirectly related to public
health ¦ unrelated to public health]
13. Please tell us how many years of public health field experience you have gained to date
14. Please rate on a scale of 0-5 how relevant your field experience has been to your
career where ‘0’ means ‘not relevant at all’ and ‘5’ means ‘highly relevant’.
The future
15. Please rate on a scale of 0-5 how likely it is you think you will be working in public
health in 5 years time, where ‘0’ means ‘highly unlikely’ and ‘5’ means ‘highly likely’.
16. What are the three main strategies, in order of importance, you use for developing your
career (whether you are working in public health or another field)? [3 text boxes]
17. How do you expect careers to change over the next five years? [text box]
18. What three pieces of advice, in order of importance, would you give to current
international public health students? [3 text boxes]
19. In what areas could PIH play a more active role in providing assistance and/or
information to its alumni? [text boxes]
20. Please indicate your willingness to be contacted by prospective applicants to our
degree programs [boxes for yes and no]. If yes, please indicate how you wish to be
contacted e.g. Email address
21. Do you have any other comments? [text box]
Thank you for your input.