"Research"
"Atmosphere"
"Excellence"
"Innovation"
I remember my first day at the School
meeting people just over coffee at a welcome reception
and already just the stories about where people had come from -
There were a couple of people who had been working in South Sudan
before they arrived at the School that month
There was someone from Kenya
There were people from Asia
I would describe the student body as being very eclectic
very diverse
I think everyone who applied and got into the School was very excited to just learn
I really like how I’m constantly exposed to like-minded individuals
who are passionate and genuinely committed to the improvement of health
not only in their respective countries but also worldwide
I really learn a lot from all the different cultures and people
It expands my world view
There’s also a nice balance between medical professionals
and people who come from non-medical backgrounds like myself
so I don’t feel out of place at all
I chose coming here because –
it was about a decade ago
I met this very influential Canadian
who runs an NGO that’s very world-famous
and she was giving a speech and she mentioned the School actually
This was so long ago, before I even had any idea I would get into public health
and I thought, that sounds like something really amazing to do with your life
The reputation of the School is first-class throughout the world
Whenever I mention to people that I’m studying at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
people are often impressed, they want to know what it’s like
They want to know if it’s as good as its reputation
which I’m glad to say it is
I chose to study at the School because I think it is the best institution in the world
to study public health and health economics
I chose the London School because of its excellent reputation globally
not only in the UK
It compares very well to all other public schools internationally
So it’s really been like a dream come true, actually
I think the teaching quality has been universally excellent
I’ve come in as a mature student
but I’ve been really impressed with how the teachers are really willing to engage with the students
They’re really keen, they understand the core subject matter
and they’re not just teaching to the exam
They really want you to understand what you’re being taught
I never used to really like going to class at university
but now I don’t want to miss a class
Some days you’ll just have some of the most world-famous lecturers
come in and give you a talk
and then the next day you’ll have a sex worker who works down the road
come in and give you a discussion
So you get the varying viewpoints from people who are the most respected people in the world
to people whose voices rarely get heard
I think for me it’s still surreal
to find the prime movers and shakers in the health policy field in the classroom
Prior to my attending the School I was just citing their books or reading their articles
or listening to their online talks
and now I’m actually learning from them first-hand
So it’s very exciting to be in this environment
I think one of the things that attracted me to the School
was the excellence of the research
The fact that they’re doing so much fantastic quality work
that makes a real impact on people’s lives throughout the world
Also the research output, and only of the individuals in itself, it’s amazing
My tutor for example publishes about three or four papers a month
Being one of the world’s top universities in collaborative research
I appreciate how my mentors, my supervisors and my lecturers
have all been engaged in different kinds of research with external organisations and international institutions
It’s really, really helpful to just take a look at what is going on in the School
and it’s very easy to connect and link and discuss with these profs
who are doing such amazing research in the world
It’s certainly one of the major draws for me of the School
I think there’s probably a couple of things
One is the people who I’ve been around, both the students and the lecturers
I think there have been some really fascinating and interesting people
who hopefully will become lifelong friends
The most memorable thing that I will take away from the School will be the friends that I’ve made
and the connections that I have
and I think you might not see it in a month or two but I think you’ll see it in three or five years’ down the road
when we’re all doing international development work
or you’ll meet School alumni around the world
and I feel like that’s just a strong link and bond, that you’ve been through the same thing
What I’ll remember most about my time at the School will be
the friendships I’ve made, the networks I’ve gained and the interactions I’ve had
with really the prime movers and shakers in global health
People, friends, excellence
Just amazing tutors, amazing supervisors, course directors
Everybody’s just driven by passion
I think that’s the one thing that flames the fire within me -
their passion is just contagious