Several of our MPH students attended the 2018 CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference, held September 12-14, in Portland, Oregon. What follows is a post from one of these attendees.
By Kiley Mayfield, BSW
Prior to my CityMatCH arrival, I was a ball of nerves. I was anxious and nervous about what to expect, how to act, what to do, and even what to say. As a true over-thinker and over-analyzer, I knew the feelings would not dissipate until I arrived. I had to put my best foot forward because these were potential employers and coworkers that I was going to meet. If I needed to be perfect at any conference, CityMatCH was the one because it was about maternal and child health (MCH) in urban environments — the exact area of MCH that I want to work in. I would be surrounded by professionals who may currently, or in the past, do the same things that I aspire to do. So, to soothe my anxiousness I rehearsed lines to say and ways to react to different scenarios. Spoiler alert: when the curtains opened none of my rehearsed lines or actions were used, but I didn’t freeze. I used the things I practiced as references. My prepared script included my interests in public health, where I was from, why I’m interested in public health, school, CEMCH, etc. — basically everything I needed to make a great first impression.
When I arrived at CityMatCH, and especially after witnessing the Keynote Speaker — Dr. Galea — speak, I knew everything would go just fine. Dr. Galea set the tone as he made his speech on equity and the importance of health versus health care with a relaxed, personable, and humorous tone. Everyone that I came in contact held the same demeanor as he did — relaxed, personable, and sometimes humorous. The speakers covered heavy topics with a lightness that provoked my thought and piqued my interest. One session, in particular, that stood out immediately was the Collectively Building the Table: Lessons Learned from Engaging Multi-Sector Partners and Residents session. There were three speakers, two from Best Babies Zone and one from Baby Booster. Each speaker covered ways to include non-MCH sectors and engage communities to address social determinants and reach MCH goals. They provided tips on breaking down barriers and gaining trust to create sustainable programs. This session was important to me because I want to work with the people I serve in some capacity.
All in all, every session that I attended caused me to think about how the topics related to what I ultimately want to do, and how I could implement that information into my work. I left with a wealth of knowledge and a few new contacts in the MCH realm. CityMatCH matched my expectations, then quickly surpassed them.
Kiley Mayfield is a second-semester MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in August 2019. Her interests include Black maternal health in marginalized and oppressed communities, health equity, breastfeeding advocacy, postpartum care and community support, and mandated paid parental leave. She also loves singing, poetry, and laser tag.
