Many of the CEMCH Scholars attended this year’s meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA), held in Denver, October 29 – November 2. We will be posting their reflections and highlights this month.
By Jordan Stephens-Moseley, BA
Before attending APHA, I had never gone to an academic/professional conference of that magnitude. The conference was overwhelming at times and inspiring during others, but overall I took away many learning experiences.
Each session drew in different crowds which allowed me to meet different people, but networking was not the easiest task. Most of the time I felt like I was a student in a classroom but I had to save my questions until the end. Other times I felt like I could have a stimulating conversation with the presenters of each session. Most sessions did not invite conversations among professionals even after the sessions were finished. The mixture of haste to attend as many interesting sessions and the recurring element of running out of time made it nearly impossible to meet new people.
I found that the most stimulating talks were the roundtable discussions and scientific sessions on refugee health and displaced persons. In the roundtable discussions, I had stimulating conversations that discussed studies that allowed me to see what other possibilities I could explore in my field in connection with refugee health. The complexity of displaced persons and refugee health is intriguing because it involves knowledge about history of these persons and an understanding of politics.
At the end of the conference, I was delighted by the possibilities that await me in public health. The sessions in the conference allowed me to broaden my conception of maternal and child health. I will still focus on my passions in women’s health, infant & maternal mortality, and reproductive rights, but I have now expanded on the populations I wish to serve.
Jordan Stephens-Moseley is a first-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in May 2018. Her interests include women’s rights, birthing practices and outcomes, reproductive health, and health advocacy of disadvantaged populations. She loves to dance, watch movies/tv, read, and travel for relaxation and public service.
