Ignore your perceptions of limits. One of the keynote speakers (and my personal favorite) of One Health Day was Sumiko Mekaru, DVM, PhD, MPVM, MLIS, current VP of Epidemico and former analyst at HealthMap. Dr. Mekaru has a lot of letters after her last name - and a great story behind each step in her career path. But one of the biggest messages she left us with was not to worry about being stuck in a certain career path based on your degree. Giving the example of veterinarians, Mekaru explained that the experience of a DVM program provides so many versatile, marketable skills that can put you in a position to do much more than you'd think. By pursuing a variety of programs that each brought her closer and closer to what she truly wanted to do, Mekaru was able to reach a career that she loves - the goal of any professional.
Think broader and you'll go farther. The other keynote speaker, Michael Romero, PhD, MS (also known as Professor Romero in the Bio department here in Medford) presented some of his research on stress physiology and endocrinology. Romero has studied organisms ranging from marine iguanas to lemmings, traveling from the northern coast of Alaska to the Galapagos islands - and the similarities he's found in the adaptive significance of good stress responses across these species are profound. By looking at the bigger picture and making unlikely connections, Dr. Romero has been able to do amazing work in the field of biology. Even if you don't plan to go into biological research, the classic challenge to "think outside the box" is one that everyone should rise to in their career. And who knows - it just might take you to the northernmost point in the United States (or preferably, an island off the coast of south America).
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| Dr. Romero's work with lemmings brought him to the arctic tundra of Northern Alaska, including the northernmost point in the US, Point Borrow. |
Think critically about where your next steps will take you. Throughout the day, I met graduate students in almost every kind of health-related degree program I could think of - MD/MPH, DVM, DVM/MPH, DVM/PhD... the list reads like an unfortunate Boggle game. At some point, I have thought about entering each of these programs, but I never really understood the differences between them until I talked to current students about their goals. And that's when I realized (finally) that any degree you obtain should help you in your personal career story. A degree (or degrees) should not be the goal - it should be the tool that helps you achieve your goal. Before I apply to any form of graduate school, I now know that the most important question I should ask myself is "what do I want to do with this degree?" instead of "how can I get this degree?"
All in all, One Health Day was an amazing opportunity for personal, intellectual, and professional growth. And, it is a great example of campus programming where you can explore careers outside of Career Center events (although let's be honest, they're one of the best resources available to discuss what you learn at events like these). If you're interested in health in any aspect, be sure to check out Tufts One Health Day next year.
Until next time,
Sean Boyden
Class of 2017
