I lived, I learnt, and I am sharing my experience, says Dr Swati

Sharing your adventures, achievements and experiences do inspire others because with these stories we tend to learn and connect ourselves in a better way. I am sure there would be students and professionals who like to experiment with the ongoing trajectory of the career and transform lives. And I was also one of them.

Being a graduate in homoeopathic medicine and a general physician by practice, I had a plain sailing life. With further exposure to NGOs, charitable clinics, and corporate, I realised I had a bigger purpose in life than just sitting in a cubicle providing curative care. So, to channelise my energy towards bigger societal issues, I began looking for a broader career perspective in the field of public health. Therefore, to equip myself with more skills and knowledge in the relevant field I started to explore public health courses. Being in a state of dilemma after giving entrance exams for Master of Public Health (MPH) and clearing them at almost all the institutes, I opted for PHFI Delhi - Indian Institute of Public Health as their motto ‘Knowledge into Action- working towards a healthier India’ is aligned with my vision and long-term career goals.

After finally landing up here at IIPH-Delhi, I could say that I reached the right place and well in time. IIPH-Delhi has a plethora of resources and opportunities. The institute has a rich culture of imparting educational excellence, value-based learning, and opportunities for the overall development of a student. The curriculum is designed as per industry requirement with weightage given to all practical aspects of learning such as educational field visits, seminars, conferences, and internships. The module-based approach with a keen focus on learning and shaping up skills which are much required in today’s competitive healthcare and research industry aiming at overall professional and personal growth. The institute put its students through a series of group work, assignments, and presentations along with co-curricular activities to enhance team building, leadership, and management skills. MPH is a multidisciplinary course having professionals from every background, which is why studying here is more of lifetime learning than just graduating with a degree and job.

My experience at IIPH- Delhi was enriching not only in terms of research and technical skills but for my overall development. I witnessed a window of opportunities to groom myself, a token of thanks to my enthusiastic and dedicated mentor who carved the best out of me. Active participation in a wide range of extracurricular activities ensured the all-round progress. One of them was the project-based course from the University of Toronto which provided a platform to interact with cross-cultural groups and know their stance on various public health issues. This course changed my outlook, enhanced my current skills by working in an interdisciplinary team and a matrixed environment in different time zones.

Additionally, the dissertation work concentrated around public health nutrition was a roller-coaster ride, which nourished me and gave me an opportunity to define myself. I joined PHFI to develop my competencies and domain experience that helped me to work with some of the best minds in health economics. In a nutshell, I would say education imparted at IIPH- Delhi has boosted my confidence and has given me a direction towards a successful life. I have a family like attachment with the institute, which is more than a campus. IIPH-Delhi is all about to learn, grow, innovate, make friends, meet public health professionals, but most importantly come out of the shell, expand your comfort zone and try to think out of the box. Studying at IIPH-Delhi has thus proved to be a very well executed precursor for my career in public health.

About the author

Dr Swati Bachani 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