Grad School takes the Cake!!

Grad school was definitely no cake walk… but it definitely takes the cake home as one of the greatest times in life.

If you’re considering going back to school after a hiatus, maybe you’re already in grad school and wondering why you made that decision in the first place, or if you’re considering going back for an additional graduate degree.. then this piece is for you!

I honestly had a plan.. I mean doesn’t everyone?! Just like every other Biology major in college, I planned on going to some kind of professional school — dental school, specifically. I always had a passion for dentistry, but being a clinician was not my true calling. Through my studies, I was able to understand that there was a great need for prevention and how prevention can decrease dental health disparities and THIS is where I wanted to be — at the forefront; being able to help save lives before health diminished, being able to save healthcare costs and time, and being able to educate communities on how to take care of themselves to enrich their lives.

Thus, I decided to pursue my graduate degree in Public Health. Always undermining myself, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine attending a Top 5 program for my field & it was the best decision I could have ever made.

While at Emory, my concentration was Behavioral Science and Health Education with a specified interest in Dental Public Health (DPH — not Department of Public Health for my PH nerds!!) and I loved every minute of it. Every class. Every friend I made. Every opportunity I got. You know why? They all taught me something valuable about me.

Grad school taught me that it takes getting out of your comfort zone to find what you love and want in your career. For this reason, I made it my mission to take any opportunity and never say no! Sure- I was stressed all the time, but it was worth meeting new people, trying new industries, and constant learning from experts in the field.

Here’s my advice/Go-To-Guide for all of you future grad school peeps:

1. Do your research: Find important aspects of what you want out of a graduate degree — whether it’s a strong, didactic curriculum and course options, capstone/thesis options, practicum opportunities, or even job opportunities available after graduation. You know the saying — it’s never too early, well this is 100% true; grad school will flash in the blink of an eye.
2. Try different industries: Grad school is a pivotal time in one’s life — even if you’re a tad older and going back to school, you would be AH-MAZED at how much you grow by the industries, colleagues, classmates, and courses that you take and surround yourself with and by. I tried a multitude of industries myself: government, not-for-profit, hospital, private sector and through each industry found the one that fit what I was looking for longer-term and which one also fit my personality best, where I would be able to thrive and grow professionally.
3. Establish connections: One of the best pieces of advice that was given to us at orientation was to never burn a bridge & this can pertain to any and every industry that you are in — whether it is public health, medicine, business, etc. Attending networking events really help put oneself’s name and reputation out in the field, as well as putting a name and showing interest for the event and/or cause that you are in attendance. Practice your elevator speech, learn how to give and receive a proper, professional handshake, and practice being engaged in conversation. These small skills that one can work on can take a partnership and professional relationship to the next level!
4. Have mentors: This concept should ideally stick with you through life — having personal, as well as professional mentors is essential for growth. Additionally, having multiple mentors allows for growth in different areas by learning more in their area of expertise, acquisition of knowledge — learning from others’ mistakes, and being given advice and understanding career trajectories. As you enter the workforce, this is a piece of advice I would remind to yourself as you take on different stages in my career; the learning never stops!

5. Find your crew: I found my crew of lifelong friends in grad school, and I bet you will too.. Those who work just as hard as you, want you to succeed, encourage and motivate you, hell even suffer with you as you write a thesis and cry through all the Biostats homework assignments. I love my crew — they come from all walks of life, different experiences, different parts of the world, and I have grad school to thank for bringing me some of life’s best friends. These people grow with you throughout the course of your program and learning from each other is what grad school is all about.

I can go ON and ON about grad school, but as you can tell already… it takes the cake!! If you’re feeling indecisive about going back to school or maybe it’s been awhile and you’re feeling the jitters; know that this cake is worth all the calories and 5am early morning workout you’ll have to suffer through & know that you can have the cake and eat it too — contrary to popular belief.

With Love, Yas