Trust yourself to dream big, with former refugee & global health advocate Yasir Essar, MSc
05/01/24 • 44 min
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In our latest podcast episode, we delve into a story of transition, courage, and the unwavering human spirit as our guest, Yasir Essar, swapped his dentistry scrubs for a career in public health amid the chaotic backdrop of a global pandemic and geopolitical turmoil. Yasir shares how visualizing achievements can provide a push to overcome challenges and demonstrates the powerful role mentors and community support play in guiding career paths, particularly for international students and professionals in new environments. His career transformation teaches us that with resilience, the right mindset, and community support, we can navigate through uncertainty and emerge with renewed purpose and aspirations.
You’ll Learn
- How the COVID pandemic led Yasir to public and global health and steps he took to transition into the field from dentistry
- Yasir’s experience continuing his education and career as a refugee in Canada, how he persevered through the uprooting of his life, and how his background shaped his current interest in refugee and global health
- Building and relying on a social support group and mentors to achieve your dreams and other ways to visualize your goals
- Tips for international students and remembering to take the time to care for yourself in a new country
- Using LinkedIn with intentionality as a tool to network, facilitate advocacy, tell stories, and make an impact
Today’s Guest
Yasir is a former refugee from Afghanistan who holds an MSc in Global Health from McMaster University.
Prior to moving to Canada, he lived as a refugee in Tajikistan after fleeing Afghanistan. During his time as a refugee, he continued to share his lived experience of refugee life.
Currently, he works as a Research Assistant at Western University in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and as a Community Scholar at the University of Calgary. Additionally, he holds a visiting academic position with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton.
Yasir’s professional journey is marked by an unwavering commitment to knowledge and a passion for making a real-world impact. His scholarly work has been published in prestigious journals such as The Lancet, BMJ, and PLoS. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®) and holds multiple certificates from Wayne State University, the University of Geneva, McGill University, and the LinkedIn Learning Academy.
During his tenure as a Research Assistant at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, he focused particularly on tuberculosis research, further enriching his expertise in infectious disease research.
Yasir is always eager to connect with like-minded professionals, share insights, and explore collaborative opportunities. He is open to guest lecture invitations on the topics of refugees, mentorship, and global health.
Resources
- Connect with Yasir on LinkedIn
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.
Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In our latest podcast episode, we delve into a story of transition, courage, and the unwavering human spirit as our guest, Yasir Essar, swapped his dentistry scrubs for a career in public health amid the chaotic backdrop of a global pandemic and geopolitical turmoil. Yasir shares how visualizing achievements can provide a push to overcome challenges and demonstrates the powerful role mentors and community support play in guiding career paths, particularly for international students and professionals in new environments. His career transformation teaches us that with resilience, the right mindset, and community support, we can navigate through uncertainty and emerge with renewed purpose and aspirations.
You’ll Learn
- How the COVID pandemic led Yasir to public and global health and steps he took to transition into the field from dentistry
- Yasir’s experience continuing his education and career as a refugee in Canada, how he persevered through the uprooting of his life, and how his background shaped his current interest in refugee and global health
- Building and relying on a social support group and mentors to achieve your dreams and other ways to visualize your goals
- Tips for international students and remembering to take the time to care for yourself in a new country
- Using LinkedIn with intentionality as a tool to network, facilitate advocacy, tell stories, and make an impact
Today’s Guest
Yasir is a former refugee from Afghanistan who holds an MSc in Global Health from McMaster University.
Prior to moving to Canada, he lived as a refugee in Tajikistan after fleeing Afghanistan. During his time as a refugee, he continued to share his lived experience of refugee life.
Currently, he works as a Research Assistant at Western University in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and as a Community Scholar at the University of Calgary. Additionally, he holds a visiting academic position with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton.
Yasir’s professional journey is marked by an unwavering commitment to knowledge and a passion for making a real-world impact. His scholarly work has been published in prestigious journals such as The Lancet, BMJ, and PLoS. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®) and holds multiple certificates from Wayne State University, the University of Geneva, McGill University, and the LinkedIn Learning Academy.
During his tenure as a Research Assistant at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, he focused particularly on tuberculosis research, further enriching his expertise in infectious disease research.
Yasir is always eager to connect with like-minded professionals, share insights, and explore collaborative opportunities. He is open to guest lecture invitations on the topics of refugees, mentorship, and global health.
Resources
- Connect with Yasir on LinkedIn
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.
Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
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Tackling your fears head-on: why I started the podcast
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In this episode, Sujani delves into her personal struggles with speaking in public and how it affected her career in public health. She reflects on her initial reluctance to speak in various settings and her journey of self-improvement through the creation of her podcast. Sujani shares that by creating opportunities to practice speaking, she was able to progressively build confidence and improve her communication skills. She emphasizes the importance of small, consistent steps toward facing and overcoming fears. Her transformation led to better engagement in conversations, more profound connections with colleagues, and the ability to speak up in meetings, which were once daunting tasks. By sharing her story, Sujani hopes to inspire listeners to embark on their own journeys of self-improvement and career advancement, proving that the challenges we face can become the catalysts for our triumphs.
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.
Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
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Crafting a career in Public Health: tales of serendipity and success, with Christie VanHorne
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This week, our guest Christie VanHorne shares her career trajectory into public health from a background in history and involvement in humanitarian efforts. From working as a health educator to creating her own public health consulting business and teaching at Vassar College, Christie's story highlights how hard work, staying true to yourself, and having a solid network are all crucial to building your dream career. Her journey emphasizes the dynamic nature of professional and personal evolution, encouraging listeners to embrace change and growth.
You’ll Learn
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Today’s Guest
Christie is a seasoned public health consultant with 20 years of experience. In 2015, she founded CVH Consulting, LLC., offering services to create impactful health education and training experiences for her clients. Christie has worked with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the New York State Department of Health, the Hemophilia Federation of America, and many more organizations to design, develop, and update programs. She is also a subject matter expert on the social determinants and health equity for many continuing education projects for community-based organization staff and healthcare professionals. From her time in the Peace Corps in South Africa to teaching at Vassar College and all the career experiences in between, Christie's dedication to public health shines. Last year, she was recognized with the prestigious ATHENA Award, an international honor for women who demonstrate excellence in their profession, community service, and mentorship of future leaders. One of her current volunteer roles is serving as the Vice-Chair of the National Women’s Health Network Board of Directors. In August, Christie will start her Doctor of Public Health degree at Tulane University, specializing in Equity, Leadership, and Advocacy. She resides in the Hudson Valley, NY, with her beloved pups and husband.
Resources
- Follow Christie on LinkedIn and Instagram
- Learn more about CVH Consulting
Join The Public Health Career Club: A global membership community where public health professionals connect, learn, and support each other in building meaningful and impactful careers.
Go from feeling confused, alone and overwhelmed, to feeling confident and in control of your life and career!
Public Health SPOTlight Podcast - Trust yourself to dream big, with former refugee & global health advocate Yasir Essar, MSc
Transcript
If you dream and then you put in the right effort , it is possible . So you need a component of hard work along with what you're dreaming , and every time you want to dream something or you want to achieve something , just write it down on a piece of note and just visualize how would you feel if you achieve that thing . You will certainly , you know , come to a point that thi
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