What Margaret says about the Master's in Public Health

Introducing Margaret

Hi! My name is Margaret, and I'm the student ambassador for the Master's programme in Public Health. I am happy to answer any questions you might have about the programme, courses, student life, and life in Lund and Sweden via the Unibuddy Platform, where you can chat with me (see below). Please note that I cannot answer questions about the application process, scholarships, or residence permits.

Why did you choose your programme?

"I chose the programme because of my interest in health. I have a Bachelor's in Nursing and overall eight years of professional experience. I chose it to shift from the individual perspective to a broader aspect of issues surrounding health. I wanted to learn about something that would concern and impact the population, rather than an individual."

What do you like most about your programme?

"My programme is rather multidisciplinary and diverse. It brings us together and makes us understand health from different global perspectives. It's quite amazing. We also have experienced and excellent professors and very helpful course leaders. They have vast knowledge and experience from different geographical locations and backgrounds. We have a professor from Sweden, from Ghana, and we have one from Germany, among others. It's kind of amazing. 

When it comes to my cohort, people are also very helpful to each other, we have a friendly learning environment. We learn skills from a range of practical and theoretical aspects, and we have team-based learning. It has been an amazing journey so far."

Why should a prospective student choose your programme?

"A good thing about my programme is that you don't have to be a health practitioner. You don't even need to have a background in health. It's a multidisciplinary programme that anybody can apply to. We have people from business, international political science, sociology and anthropology, as examples. We have a multidisciplinary approach to learning, so diverse professionals can join because we need collective efforts. We need more health experts to be able to make a global impact. 

This is a global thing, so we need to put in more global efforts to be able to impact the population—to keep them healthy, to have good economic growth, and to have more countries developed. So, we need more people to join us. We have health research, you can go into different specialities. We need more evidence-based interventions."

What has been your favourite course so far?

"I came here with zero knowledge of research. But I've developed so much interest in health research! I think I can dive more into that in the future. In terms of a particular course, I loved the Health Policy but also Health Promotion and the course on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights."

Have you had a chance to gain practical experience during your studies?

"We had individual projects to come up with for the Health Promotion course‚ which was quite an amazing experience. We've had a lot of individual course papers, so for me, it was practical in terms of coming with zero knowledge of research and being able to build it from the ground up. It has been an amazing learning time for me with new skills and methodologies."

What do you think about the teaching style in Lund?

"I find it interesting. It's kind of strange at the beginning. In my home country, we do four or five courses per semester. But here you do one course a month, though that depends on your programme. It's easier for you to absorb the course materials, rather than memorising things for the sake of the grade. It's easier to follow the course contents and concepts."

What is it like being an international student at Lund? Are you engaged in any extracurriculars?

"Aside from my coursework, I've been engaged with EUGLOH, The European University Alliance for Global Health. We have a lot of webinars, meetings and events to attend. I'm also a Student Representative for my programme, and I act as a Student Safety and Health Officer. Apart from that, I'm an International Mentor, and now, also a Lund Student Ambassador. I want to stay engaged. As an international student, I had to leave home and come somewhere where I had to adapt to a new environment. I don't want to feel bored or depressed with no family around‚ and staying engaged for me is quite helpful. That's why I decided to do activities rather than just my academic schoolwork."

Do you have any advice for a prospective student?

"Lund is very international. You have people speaking English, even Swedes speak English, and they are willing to speak English to you once they engage with you. And no, you don't have to speak Swedish. We have lots of student activities that you can join. We have the student nations, we have unions—I'm also part of the Governing Assembly at the Faculty of Medicine. There are a lot of things students can get engaged in. 

We also have great, incredible libraries where you can get your books and aesthetic spaces where you can have a quiet time and study. Coming to Lund, you'll have an amazing time, you'll have the opportunity to network with students from different countries. We have people from across 130 countries. You get to know people, and you get to build your network, both professionally and academically, and that will create a lasting impact on you. There are so many opportunities in Lund that international students can take advantage of."

Why did you choose Sweden?

"I chose Sweden because of its diversity and equity. I find it a safe place to be. I felt like studying in Sweden was going to be an amazing journey for me. I also liked the sustainability aspect of Sweden."

What are you planning to do after your studies?

"I'm trying to explore other opportunities. I've always aspired to work internationally. That was one of the things that made it easier for me to come to Sweden. I wanted to start a new journey and something different from my home country, something international. Maybe I will pursue a PhD? Or look for a job? I would definitely like to do my PhD, since I have developed so much research interest, and I want to lean more into it."