You probably wouldn鈥檛 be surprised to learn that students enrolled in the Master of Science in Public Health are studying infectious diseases, epidemiology, and health care systems around the world. However, you may be surprised to learn they鈥檙e also writing press releases, prepping for podcasts, and training for TV interviews.听
Those assignments are on the syllabus for course PPHS 614: Knowledge Translation and Public Health Leadership. It鈥檚 taught by Dr. Madhukar Pai, chair of the Department of Global and Public Health at the School of Population and Global Health.听
鈥淭he [COVID-19] pandemic taught me that it is critical for public health professionals to engage with the public,鈥� says Pai. 鈥淚 wanted to make sure our students know how to write, advocate, and engage with the public, media and policy makers.鈥�听
Judging by the results, his students are succeeding. In the past few weeks, they鈥檝e published six op-eds 鈥� in The Montreal Gazette, La Presse, and more 鈥� while several others are in the works. 听
鈥淭he students are excited,鈥� says Pai, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 what I think public health students should be doing.鈥�听
Hot off the press
The first op-ed appeared in The Montreal Gazette on February 21. Co-authored by Gabrielle Gosselin, Meghan Pritchard, Mariane Saroufim, and Charlotte Serrano, it encouraged readers to get COVID-19 boosters.听
鈥淚t was an opportunity to choose a topic that mattered to you, and I thought, 鈥榶es, this matters to me鈥�,鈥� says Saroufim. 鈥淣o one in my family is vaccinated, so I pushed our team to write about it.鈥�听
Pai invited as a guest speaker , an award-winning science journalist, to do a three-hour workshop on op-ed writing. She walked the class through what an effective op-ed looks like: writing a catchy title, choosing a hook, and deciding who to pitch to and when.听
Serrano appreciated all the feedback she got from Pai, Khamsi, and The Gazette, and admits that seeing the final version in print was very exciting. 鈥淚t really motivated me to advocate for the subjects I鈥檓 passionate about,鈥� says Serrano.听
Saroufim says the online article garnered both positive and negative comments. 鈥淲e see it as a sign of success. It means people are reading and thinking about it,鈥� says Saroufim, who translated the piece into French and Arabic as well, to garner an even larger audience. 听
More to come
Next up, Pai鈥檚 students will be drafting persuasive speeches, running advocacy campaigns, and confronting misinformation. They鈥檒l also keep pitching op-eds. He anticipates 10 could be published before the semester ends.听听
鈥淪trong scientists should take the microphone so we can be the first ones to provide good information,鈥� says Pai. 鈥淓ven the best science may not get translated into action on its own. You have to go out and make it happen.鈥�听
As the 2018 winner of the , Pai is well placed to give to give advice, even to those outside his class.听
听鈥淪tart small: write letters to the editor, op-eds, blog posts, or get active on social media,鈥� he says. 听
Are you a 91社区 faculty or researchers looking for guidance? Contact the Media Relations Office for tips on writing op-eds as well as media training.听
Op-eds published by Master of Science in Public Health students:
- , The Montreal Gazette听
- , The Montreal Gazette听
- , The Montreal Gazette听
- , Speaking of Medicine and Health听
- , Healthy Debate听
- , La Presse听