Student blogs

Hello! I am Sakura, a 2nd-year student in the Public Health Program. As I thought it would be helpful for those who are applying for the program, I invited 2 students from the Epidemiology track to hear about their experience at KI and why they chose to study here. This is not official information from KI but individuals’ experience to help you picture what it is like studying at KI?

1. Why did you decide to study for your master’s at KI?

Alexandra: I was interested in Epidemiology specifically, looking at Etiology and the spread of diseases. Therefore I wanted to compliment my foundational studies with this. That’s why I decided to do my master’s in Epidemiology. I also knew a few people that had gone to KI and they recommended me KI. After some research, I saw how well-reviewed KI was and their high quality of research. It was a natural transition to do my master’s here since I was already studying in Sweden for my bachelor’s.

Maëli: While doing my medical internship, I realized that I didn’t like the clinical aspect of medicine and was more interested in public health and research. So I started looking for a master’s program focusing on public health within Europe and I discovered Sweden as free education. Then, I looked at a lot of universities in Sweden but I liked the program at KI the most because it is a 2-year program and KI has a pretty good reputation.

2. What do you like about the program and KI?

Alexandra: We have a really diverse class that comes from all walks of life and from very different backgrounds which really enriches the whole educational experience. And I think it really makes my time here worthwhile. Also, we have a lot of researchers coming in lectures and talking about their research, so it feels like you have a lot of practical knowledge on the field. The campus is also beautiful. Unfortunately, in the first year, we spent a lot of time on zoom, but the time we did spend on campus was definitely appreciated.

Maëli: I like the program mainly for the other students that are coming from diverse backgrounds both regarding education and professional experience, but also country-wise where classmates are coming from and provide a lot of different perspectives to me. And that is super interesting.

3. What was your favorite course and why?

Alexandra: The courses all are very different, but I think my favorite course was Applied Epidemiology 2 because there you get a taste of the different types of epidemiology. It’s like a taste tester in the different fields of epidemiology, introducing new topics every week. Although, it is a little late in the program (fall semester in the 2nd year) and it would be nice to have a little bit earlier.

Maëli: My favorite course was Applied Epidemiology 1 because it was the first time that we had a very practical course at least directed towards our stream. And it also focused on infectious diseases which are my specific interest. I think it was our first time actually having to write a research protocol and analyze data with a dataset, and I really liked that. It was super interesting and the teacher was also great.

4. How busy is the coursework?

Alexandra: Some courses are maybe more intense than the others and it really varies course by course. But all are manageable and relatively calm. The teachers usually give you enough time to finish your assignments and readings within a workday period. If you are like me, a chronic procrastinator, or if you are doing a lot of activities on the side then maybe you have to spend some time on the weekends or after traditional work hours.

Maëli: It depends on the course. But in general, the first year was definitely not too busy. At least for me, coming from a medical school, it was pretty chill. However, the second year is a bit more intense than the first year. Some courses were more demanding than the other courses but you definitely have time to explore Sweden and Stockholm and participate in extracurricular activities.

5. How do you manage your schedule?

Alexandra: I keep a calendar. I have an actual physical planner which is kinda old fashioned but I love it.

Maëli: The course schedules provided on Canvas are pretty complete because they also include the time for readings and assignments. So, I mainly base my schedule on that. And lectures always end by 5 pm.

Thank you for reading. I hope this was helpful to get to know student life as Epidemiology students. Please contact me if you have any questions 😉

Sakura