I learnt finer insight into what it means to be in the public health field at IIPH, says Dr Chitra Tiwari

I remember applying for the PGDPHM course at PHFI Delhi - Indian Institute of Public Health, writing the SOP and reflecting upon the reasons why I wanted to get into this field and what my expectations were from this course. The time has flown real quick since the day I gave a telephonic interview to Preeti and Rajesh Nair in the admissions team to the final segment of the internship that we are in now. So much has changed yet so much is exactly the same. My outlook on life has changed. I have become a more open and understanding person and I have learned many valuable life lessons. I have made many great memories and I have learned to appreciate everything I have because nothing is permanent.

Studying at IIPH has been truly a privilege because of multiple reasons, the most important being the highly enthusiastic faculty and I just can’t resist mentioning Dr Shifalika Goenka for her super energetic, super passionate lectures on NCDs. Her mantra of some physical activity in every 20 minutes is my new healthy habit. The interactive sessions that we’ve had, all the videos and games that used to be refreshing and yet teaching us multiple life skills at the same time. The valuable field experience that the faculty brought to the class gave us finer insight into what it means to be in the public health field and the stark difference that exists between the books and the on-ground reality.

I learned how health decisions and policies are made at the state and the federal levels and what all factors contribute to the same.

It gave me a comprehensive understanding of health care through a factual and functional standpoint and helped me to learn how to be innovative, make an impact and add value to any assigned task. The constant emphasis on ethics and integrity that has been there as the unanimous message from the teachers will always be the driving force for us to do the right thing, no matter where we are after this. That is going to be one thing that will be carried forward as a hallmark of the institution.

The experiential learning helped me to enhance my practical health care knowledge. Exploring the real-world applications of health and policy through the concept of case studies, group project discussions, guest speakers and what not. The tasks given to us in the class were based on real-time situations, making us familiar with various government platforms and databases for our better understanding of the peripheral health systems.

Since, I have never stayed out of Delhi and my schooling and college has been from the same city, so, the diverse group of people coming together has in itself been so enriching for me personally, having peers from varied backgrounds, bringing in assorted thoughts and opinions from almost all age groups and academic fields. Also, since I am the youngest one in the whole batch, in terms of age and experience, I literally had to be like a sponge and absorb so many things that were going on, just by being around such people has made me introspect on a lot of things. It was kind of fun to see the government-sponsored candidates of our batch to relive their college life. I have received so much warmth and care from the IIPH family in such a short span. It has truly been a vibrant and memorable journey.

Now that we are in the final segment of the course, our Internship, it really feels too early to leave this wonderful family.

About the author

Dr Chitra Tiwari is a student at PHFI Delhi - Indian Institute of Public Health.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha