Public Health SPOTlight Podcast
PH SPOT
Sujani Sivanantharajah, the founder of PHSPOT.org sits down with public health heroes of our time to share career stories, inspiration, and guidance for building public health careers.
The message she hopes to share through these conversations is that building a career is not only about climbing up the ranks, but about crafting a life that you want, around your unique needs, and one that gives importance to your mental health, wellbeing, and building relationships and friendships: you can only do good in the world if you take care of yourself.
Through PH SPOTlight, you will connect with peers you have never met before, and build relationships in a deep and meaningful way.
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Top 10 Public Health SPOTlight Podcast Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Public Health SPOTlight Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Public Health SPOTlight Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Public Health SPOTlight Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Finding your why, coming back to centre, and living in realism, with Kristi Sprowl
Public Health SPOTlight Podcast
02/15/23 • 54 min
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this episode, Sujani sits down with Kristi Sprowl, the Community Impact Director at the American Heart Association. They talk about finding your niche in public health, building from your experiences, and ways to champion and innovate the profession of public health.
You’ll Learn
- How Kristi found her way into public health through nursing
- Why Kristi decided to pursue a Doctor in Public Health degree and how a doctorate can offer more flexibility and opportunity
- Tips on how to find the right career path for you including exploring as much as you can and finding the right mentors and community
- How knowing your “why” and centering yourself helps you avoid burnout and accomplish your goals
- Interviewing tips and how to springboard from prior jobs and experiences to a new position
- The importance of servitude and taking action outside of the workplace
- How the workplace is changing and where innovation can take place in the public health field
Today’s Guest
Kristi Sprowl is a Los Angeles native, health enthusiast, and Public Health Practitioner through rigorous academic training. She received her Bachelor of Science degree at California State University, Dominguez Hills in Community Health and her Master in Public Health degree at the University of Arizona where she received numerous awards for her research efforts related to public health issues affecting women. Kristi moved to Atlanta to pursue her public health career on a larger scale and joined Emory University conducting public health clinical research and worked as a Senior Health Educator at the Fulton County Board of Health where she planned and implemented community public health education programs, community outreach campaigns and public awareness initiatives with clinics, schools, and other stakeholders across Georgia’s largest county. Kristi now works as a Community Impact Director at the American Heart Association, leading and directing health initiatives in the Metro Atlanta region to drive local policy change. Kristi was recently accepted into the Doctor of Public Health program at the University of Georgia's 2021 cohort for working executives. She was awarded as a 2021 Health Equity Fellow at the University of Georgia and now representing as a 2022 Urban Leaders Fellow for Dekalb County in Atlanta’s metro region. Her future goals include teaching at the collegiate level, conducting research around leadership training and assessment for BIPOC professionals, and advancing programmatic efforts around social determinants of health and racial inequities.
Resources
- Follow Kristi on LinkedIn
- Learn more about the American Heart Association
- Learn more about the McNair Scholars Program
- Read about the de Beaumount data about stress and burnout in public health professionals
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!
Don’t sell yourself short - you got this! A pep talk with Micaela, Tara, and Sujani
Public Health SPOTlight Podcast
08/24/22 • 32 min
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In this episode, Sujani is joined by Tara and Micaela to give a pep talk for all those who might be experiencing a slump in their education or career. They discuss how to overcome self doubt and the benefits of celebrating yourself.
You’ll Learn
- How every skill or experience can be valuable in a field as diverse as public health
- Tips on how to change your mindset to counter self doubt so you don’t sell yourself short
- Micaela and Tara’s personal experiences with imposter syndrome and how they have been able to deal with it
- How celebrating small wins and believing in yourself is important both personally and for the community and your peers
- Why you should apply for jobs even if you may not meet 100% of the requirements
- The role that self reflection plays in overcoming self doubt and taking the next step forward
- The importance of building a support network who are invested in you and want to see you thrive
- How career coaching can be useful for any public health profession
Resources
- Listen to the previous episode with public health career and life coach Marissa McKool
Other PH SPOT resources:
- Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this form
- Never heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.
- Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive hand-picked public health opportunities every week by joining the PH SPOT community.
- Contribute to the public health career blog: www.phspot.ca/contribute
- Upcoming course on infographics: phspot.ca/infographics
- Learn more about PH Spot's 6-week training program
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!
Science communication in public health, with Neal Goldstein, Epidemiologist and author of Pandemics for Babies
Public Health SPOTlight Podcast
03/09/22 • 35 min
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this episode, Sujani sits down with Neal Goldstein to talk about his career as an infectious disease epidemiologist and author. They discuss Neal’s career from working as an engineer to becoming a public health expert and his experience writing a book designed to explain complex scientific ideas to younger audiences.
You’ll Learn
- The importance of communication skills in the public health field
- Tips that Neal has for developing or practicing communication to different audiences
- Neal’s experience going from working as an engineer to an infectious disease epidemiologist
- What skills he took from his previous career were useful in his current career
- What new skills he needed to succeed in his current career
- What the book “Pandemic for Babies” is about
- How Neal and his co-authors came up with this book idea
- Neal’s experience as an academic and researcher writing a book targeted to younger audiences
- Neal’s process for distilling complex topics so they can be understood by children
- Surprises Neal discovered about communication when writing for different audiences
Today’s Guest
Neal D. Goldstein, PhD, MBI is an Assistant Research Professor of Epidemiology. With a background in biomedical informatics, he focuses on computational approaches in complex data settings, especially electronic health records and disease surveillance, to understand infectious disease transmission among vulnerable populations. This has been demonstrated through his work with blood borne pathogens (HIV and hepatitis C), COVID-19, vaccine preventable diseases, and healthcare associated infections.
Resources
- Neal Goldstein's website
- You can purchase “Pandemics for Babies” from the publisher or from Amazon
- You can purchase “Germ Theory for Babies” from the publisher or from Amazon
Other PH SPOT resources:
- Share ideas for the podcast: Fill out this form
- Never heard of a podcast before? Read this guide we put together to help you get set up.
- Be notified when new episodes come out, and receive ha
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!
New year. New you. New job? Introducing a new mini series & Career Workshop.
Public Health SPOTlight Podcast
01/05/22 • 21 min
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
This year, January 14th to be exact, PH SPOT celebrates 5 years. It’s unbelievable that 5 years have gone by already. Sujani created PH SPOT in 2017 after seeing a gap online for a career development resource dedicated specifically for public health professionals. Since graduating from her public health degree, Sujani spent countless hours between 2013 – 2016 guiding public health students and new grads one-on-one with their careers. As this was not a scalable solution, nor a sustainable one she decided to create PH SPOT to reach, inspire and support a larger number of public health professionals. The platform also ensured that a more diverse set of experiences and advice was being shared. In today's episode Sujani tells you about the different programs and products PH SPOT has built over the years, and on a more exciting note, introduces the new mini-series on the podcast that will run throughout January and a bit into February, called NewYear. New You. New Job?, as well as a Career Workshop!
What You'll Learn from this Episode:
- Three pillars that PH SPOT's products and programs are focused on: studying public health, getting hired in public health, upskilling for a competitive edge (mainly focused on health communications)
- The types of content found on the Blog and the Podcast, the downloadable tools and resources available for each of the three pillars, and the virtual programming (courses and workshops offered)
- And update on the podcast and how we will have a weekly release in 2022
- The new mini-series in January focused on getting you hired in public health. Topics of discussion will include informational Interviews, setting yourself up with LinkedIn for job success, and resumes/CVs.
- One of the most exciting launches of 2022: Jumpstart your public health career Workshop.
Featured on the Show:
- The PH SPOT Career Blog
- The Public Health SPOTlight Podcast
- PH SPOT Resource Page
- Infographics 101 Self-Paced Course and Live Workshop (request a quote)
- Beginner's only: Build a public health website course
- Jumpstart your public health career Workshop - join the waitlist for the next cohort.
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!
Try the Career Club for free!
Public Health SPOTlight Podcast
04/10/24 • 11 min
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
Welcome to the Public Health Career Club. From sitting down with accomplished public health professionals who will spill the beans on making the most of your degree, to personalized career advice during our office hours – it's all happening here. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. We've packed our calendar with monthly resume clinics, mentorship sessions, and social mixers to spark lifelong connections. Stay tuned for our weekly workshops and special talks that promise to keep your professional growth on a constant upswing. If you're listening from April 10th to 12th, 2024, don't miss this golden opportunity to become a part of the Public Health Career Club. Let's roll up our sleeves and make a difference together!
Featured on the Show:
- Connect with Sujani on LinkedIn
- Email us at: [email protected]
- Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
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!
REPLAY: Fuelling your leadership drive in public health with Nadia Akseer
Public Health SPOTlight Podcast
05/13/25 • 44 min
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
Last week I talked about "Leadership Skills Every Public Health Professional Should Develop" and mentioned two episodes from 2020 where I sat down with two amazing guests to discuss leadership.
This week, I wanted to make sure you had a chance to listen to one of these episodes - with Dr. Nadia Akseet.
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In this episode, Sujani speaks Dr. Nadia Akseer, an Epidemiologist-Biostatistician who has spent over 10 years leading research and analyses of clinical and population health datasets in the areas of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, as well as nutrition in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ethiopia and other low- and middle-income countries.
In 2018, Nadia was identified as a Canadian Women Leader in Global Health, and in March 2019, she was awarded the 2019 Emerging Public Health Leader Alumni Award from the Public Health Alumni Association of the University of Toronto.
We speak about the leadership drive Nadia possesses, when she decided she wanted to become a leader in her space, and whether you need to be in a management position to be a leader, amongst other topics. And of course, I couldn’t let her go without asking about her multiple meetings with Bill Gates, to present and collaborate on some of her work.
You’ll Learn
- The leadership drive, and what it is
- What leadership means to Nadia
- How and when Nadia decided that she wanted to become a leader in this space she was passionate about
- Whether one needs to be in a management position to be a leader (hint: absolutely not)
- Natural born leaders versus people given the right opportunities to become a leader
- How Nadia goes about seeking new opportunities (as she is someone who thrives on being challenged and stimulated)
- A glimpse into the career path she took: from Biostatician at SickKids, to Global Health Research at SickKids, then to Harvard, and now at Gates Ventures
- How her view of leadership has changed over time
- Verbal Communication and its importance in good leadership
- A leader Nadia looks up to: Dr. Zulfiqar Butta
- Reflections from her meetings with Bill Gates to present her research and work together on countries that have managed to reduce child stunting
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!
10 Public Health Careers You Might Not Have Considered (With Real Job Examples!)
Public Health SPOTlight Podcast
04/22/25 • 24 min
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
Public health careers extend far beyond traditional roles, with exciting opportunities in tech, communications, behavioral science, and entrepreneurship that offer both impact and excellent compensation.
The roles explored in this episode include:
- UX designers in health tech creating intuitive tools while ensuring clinical accuracy
- Digital health communications specialists managing online campaigns and combating health misinformation
- Behavioral science consultants designing programs to change health behaviors
- Public health data storytellers turning complex statistics into compelling visual narratives
- Global health logistics coordinators ensuring medical supplies reach their destinations
- Infection prevention and control practitioners reducing healthcare-associated infections
- Policy analysts working in non-governmental organizations and think tanks
- Corporate social responsibility managers with health focus leading community investment
- Humanitarian health coordinators working in crisis zones
- Public health entrepreneurs creating innovative health solutions independently
Your challenge this week is to research one of these roles that sparked your curiosity. Explore organizations hiring for that position, read job descriptions, and potentially connect with professionals in that field.
Share your discoveries with us by tagging PH SPOT on social media, and don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and check out our Public Health Career Club community at phspot.org/club.
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!
Create the life you want, with Angeza Mohammed
Public Health SPOTlight Podcast
03/13/24 • 39 min
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
Our guest this week, Angeza Mohammed, is a testament to the power of aligning one's passions with their profession. Follow her strategic yet dynamic career path and learn how mentally and physically envisioning her ideal life, strategic networking, and taking risks led to her creating The Consulting Nest and How did you learn to do that?, The Successful Candidate.
You’ll Learn
- How Angeza was first introduced to public health
- Why Angeza pivoted from her dreams of becoming a doctor to public health
- Angeza’s career journey and how she was able to move closer to her dream job by taking risks, strategic networking, and envisioning her next steps
- Figuring out what you want from a career, knowing your worth, and not letting fear hold you back from change
- What The Consulting Nest is and how it connects organizations to individuals offering their skills
Today’s Guest
Angeza Mohammed is the CEO and Founder of How did you learn to do that?, The Successful Candidate and The Consulting Nest Inc.
With over 10 years of professional experience, Angeza brings a unique and strategic approach to creating the career you want, feeling fulfilled and knowing how to take the next step in your growth!
Angeza’s career has taken her through and into all aspects of the health care system in British Columbia, Canada and it all began before she even graduated from her undergrad, all thanks to her unique strategy which has been instrumental to her success!
Angeza’s purpose in life is to share and inspire you to create the life that you wish existed for yourself. In addition to her successful healthcare career, Angeza coaches recent graduates and professionals to help them discover what fulfills them, how to align that with their career and how to take action every single day towards creating the life they always wish existed for themselves!
Angeza’s biggest piece of advice to you is to always remember that investing in yourself has the ability to catalyze your life from ordinary to extraordinary.
Resources
- Connect with Angeza on LinkedIn
- Learn more about How did you learn to do that?, The Successful Candidate and The Consulting Nest
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!
Reflecting on one year of PH SPOTlight, with Sujani, hosted by Lathika
Public Health SPOTlight Podcast
12/24/20 • 41 min
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this final episode of 2020, the mic is turned on Sujani as she gets interviewed by her friend Lathika about the one year journey of producing the PH SPOTlight podcast.
In this celebratory episode, they talk about the past, present, and future of PH SPOT.
You’ll Learn
- How Sujani is feeling about one year of podcasting, especially having launched PHSpotlight a few months before the pandemic started
- Sujani’s full story of discovering public health and her journey; Lathika shares her similar journey to discovering public health
- The two talk about PH SPOT and how it has become a great platform for those who will be discovering the field of public health, especially since the pandemic has shown a spotlight on this field
- Going back to 2017, Sujani talks about the launch of PH SPOT, the two moments she realised the need for such a platform and the project that kickstarted what we see as the platform today
- What motivates the team to continue PH SPOT
- Discussion on the popular podcast episodes/topics of 2020 and what to expect for 2021
- Sujani’s journey into entrepreneurship, which started off from an assignment during her Master of Public health degree, which lead to the founding of her not-for-profit organization and eventually PH SPOT
- Tips for individuals in the field of public health interested in entrepreneurship
- Sujani’s final message to the PH SPOT community that the platform is a community driven iniative and that this is your platform!
Resources
- Podcast episode featuring Lathika: Career advancement & family life: perspectives from a global health research manager, with Lathika Laguwaran
- Contributing to the blog: www.phspot.ca/contribute
- Sharing ideas for the podcast: Fill out this form
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!
Finding your joy: how each role leads to more clarity towards gift, with Patrice Sirmons-Davis
Public Health SPOTlight Podcast
02/22/23 • 40 min
Tell us what you thought of this episode - send us a text!
In this episode, Sujani sits down with Patrice Sirmons-Davis, the founder of PSD Consulting Group. They talk about Patrice’s journey from working in direct clinical care to public health, the values of gathering other perspectives when reflecting on your skills and career, and how PSD Consulting Group came to be.
You’ll Learn
- How Patrice found her way from patient advocacy to nursing to public health
- How Patrice’s experience in direct clinical care shone a light on frustrations she had with the current healthcare system
- What difficulties Patrice encountered when transitioning from a clinical role to a public health role
- Tips for those in clinical roles who are thinking of changing professions
- How to recognize your skills and joys and the values of having outside perspectives affirm your skill sets
- How PSD Consulting Group aims to integrate traditional healthcare with public health
- What motivated Patrice to create her own consulting company
- Patrice’s experience with creating her own company
- How Patrice’s own career journey motivated her to also do career coaching for early professionals
- Tips for those in the early stages of building their careers on overcoming financial barriers and where their sets of skills could bring changes in healthcare
Today’s Guest
Patrice Sirmons is the Owner and Principal Consultant at PSD Consulting Group. She started her career in public health in 1999 as a patient advocate in a community clinic. Since then she has worked at community health centers, ambulatory surgical centers, a county health department, and a nationally ranked hospital system, however, her true love is public health.
She now works as a consultant and healthcare operations strategist. In this role, she works with community and healthcare organizations to create operational and program solutions that improve outcomes for the organizations and the people they serve.
Her interests include addressing health disparities and barriers, integrating public health into traditional healthcare practices, and community health planning and policy development. She has demonstrated areas of expertise that include program development and evaluation, clinical operations and process improvement, and project management.
Patrice holds a Master of Public Health from Des Moines University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Ohio University. She is a licensed Registered Nurse and a Board Certified Nurse Executive - Advanced.
Resources
- Follow Patrice on LinkedIn
- Learn more about Patrice and the PSD Consulting Group
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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FAQ
How many episodes does Public Health SPOTlight Podcast have?
Public Health SPOTlight Podcast currently has 172 episodes available.
What topics does Public Health SPOTlight Podcast cover?
The podcast is about Career, School, Community, Wellness, Podcasts, Self-Improvement, Education, Job, Health, Business, Higher Ed and Careers.
What is the most popular episode on Public Health SPOTlight Podcast?
The episode title 'Can your strengths change?' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Public Health SPOTlight Podcast?
The average episode length on Public Health SPOTlight Podcast is 37 minutes.
How often are episodes of Public Health SPOTlight Podcast released?
Episodes of Public Health SPOTlight Podcast are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Public Health SPOTlight Podcast?
The first episode of Public Health SPOTlight Podcast was released on Jan 26, 2020.
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