Student blogs

Happy October! I’m currently in denial about summer being officially over while appreciating the beautiful autumn landscape in Stockholm. Anyways, this blog will cover a brief interview I had with Oscar, one of my classmates in the Public Health Sciences programme at KI. Oscar shares with us his experience at KI, his interests, and future prospects regarding his professional life. I hope this blog will provide greater insight into one of the many student profiles of a KI Global masters programme student.

Meet Oscar!

Hello Oscar, tell me about your work and/or academic background.

“I’m from Colombia and I did my bachelor’s degree in Psychology but I’ve been mainly working in public health. So I’ve done quite a few things, but I’ve been involved with research on migration health systems and policy in Latin America. So policy research! I’ve also done some qualitative work on vaccination uptake and hesitancy, as well as surveillance using syndromic surveys using mobile phone random digital dialing. And right now I’m working with a university in Colombia on aging. It’s basically about dementia prevention and cognitive rehabilitation.”

Journey to KI

What draws you to public health?

“I mean mainly because I just wanted to do research after my graduation. But I didn’t go into any clinical field. Instead, opportunities opened up in public health research and methods.  So I’m guessing that that’s what got me there.”

How did you get into public health?

 “I think that knowing and participating in interesting research got me into public health. As previously mentioned, I’m not interested in doing any clinical work. Rather, I was interested in its “counterpart”, which is population-level research.”

Are there other favorite parts of public health that you’re drawn to alongside the research aspect?

“I actually would like to do something more in public policy design, health systems research, and capacity building if that makes sense. So work with the public sector and help LMC’s (lower- and middle-income countries) to strengthen their health systems. And I see myself strengthening healthy systems in an international context, compared to local initiatives.”

Student experience at KI

Why did you choose to study at KI? 

“I didn’t know much about Sweden before coming here! But what brought me to Sweden was KI, and the institution is pretty well-known worldwide for its research. It also specializes in Health Sciences and medical science. I found some of the breakthroughs in research compelling and innovative, which ultimately made me choose KI.”

What has been a highlight of studying here, in terms of the programme and with the school in general?

 “I think the main thing that I liked about KI is the diversity of backgrounds and nationalities. I think the diverse profile contributes to the prestige and competitiveness of the university. In line with this, I think a highlight with the programme is that I am surrounded by people with vastly different experiences, backgrounds, and areas of expertise. I also think the collaborative aspect of the programme structure enriches my experience.”

Are you currently involved in any student organizations?

“I’m currently the chair of the Public Health section. We basically conduct activities for students in the Global Public Health department for them to engage more with other students, expand the student network, and enhance their curriculum. We also focus on leisure/social activities for students to engage with other classmates, people from other programmes, and network for potential job opportunities.”

Personal challenges, interests, and future prospects

What has been a challenge for you here in Sweden?

“Mainly the winter. I can tolerate it but it’s not enjoyable (Oscar is from the south of the equator so this is perfectly understandable). In the programme, I also think we have a lot of things to do and I’ve found it highly time-consuming than anticipated. This depends on which course we are taking, and it has prevented me from doing other activities at times.”

Now that you’re a second-year student, what is something that you would tell yourself one year ago? 

“I would maybe tell myself to focus on one thing (at a time). Maybe I would still encourage myself to be curious and try new things, but focusing on one at a time would help me to stay organized and focused!”

What’s your favorite Swedish word?

 “I think one of my favorite Swedish words is “pommes” (french fries in Swedish). I like the word because I think it was one of the first words I learned here in Sweden. Also, I’m always looking for some pommes!”

What is your dream profession?

“I would like to work at the international level in helping governments to strengthen their health, their health systems, and public policy. I also see myself researching on either a university level or other international organizations.”

Final remarks

Thank you Oscar for the lovely and insightful chat! I hope the blog helped to create a better picture of how a student at KI can look like. Please stay tuned for more interviews this upcoming year. Until then, stay in school (or not)!