A number of our MCH students attended the 2021 CityMatCH conference, online in December. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.
By Jade D. Zachery, BS
The 2021 CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference was an amazing conference full of information that is crucial to the work of Maternal and Child Health. In the closing plenary session, mental health and wellness were the focus of the conversation. With the unknowns of the pandemic, the stress of working from home and having to stay home, having things happen in your personal life and work life, even now with a new variant on the horizon, stress levels have skyrocketed. I loved how this session talked about the symptoms, treatment, and prevention of burnout.
My favorite quote was by Audre Lorde, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” For a long time, self-care was not something that I deemed to be important. Self-care was not a big thing in my Black household. I was taught to always be doing something and not to have any idle time. Before this session, I knew the importance of self-care and some ways to achieve it, but after listening to this presentation and the discussion, I know to put more of a focus on self-care, not just for me, but also for the communities that I will be serving once I start working. I strongly believe that we need to put an emphasis on self-care more in the Black community. In 2021, Black people and POC have been hurt, isolated, silenced, and much more. We have to remember and share strategies for support, resilience, and grounding. And creating safe spaces for Black people and other people of color are so important for their self-care and wellness.
This was such a great conference, especially with all the knowledge regarding the Maternal and Child Health world. I am very happy that I was able to attend and put what I learned from all the sessions into what I want to do when I look for a career. My attendance at this conference has further affirmed my passion for Maternal and Child Health.
Jade D. Zachery, BS, is a second-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in May 2022. Her interests include maternal mortality and morbidity, sexual and reproductive health, and child health. Her hobbies are reading, shopping for plants, candles, and perfumes.
