First-year MPH Students get Reoriented to Global Health in
Washington, DC

As the fall semester came to a close, first year graduate students from the Department of Global Health ventured across town to spend a day on Capitol Hill, exploring where and how global health policy is made.  The annual Reorientation event, hosted by the Department of Global Health, is intended to “reorient” graduate students to the global health curriculum and acquaint them with the real-time policy arena blocks away from campus.   

 “For many of our students this is their first experience on Capitol Hill,” said Ashleigh Black, Associate Director of the Center for Global Health.  “Given the University’s unique location in the heart of the nation’s capital, it’s important that they have an opportunity to see the inner workings of the Washington policy environment during their first semester.”

Over forty students filled a conference room in the Rayburn House Office Building to learn about the daily demands facing congressional staff, think through the policy challenges the H1N1 pandemic poses, and discuss the reauthorization of the Global AIDS bill last year.

The morning began with a welcome from Dan Jourdan, Legislative Director for Representative Sander Levin. He kicked off the morning with a presentation on the “day in the life” of a congressional staffer and equipped students with a better understanding of the work carried out in member’s offices and on congressional committees.

“Every day is different,” he said “The issues are constantly changing on the Hill and you have to work hard to stay on top of them.”

Later in the morning, students learned about the U.S. response to the global H1N1 pandemic from Lone Simonsen, Research Professor and Research Director in the Department of Global Health. Her talk focused in the interface between evidence and action, helping students think through policy options that can protect citizens from emerging health threats.  

The morning session ended with insights from Mark Dybul, co-director at Georgetown's O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law and former U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. Dybul discusses his experience working with both Houses of Congress to reauthorize the largest global health initiative in U.S. history – the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). 

“I spent almost every waking hour on the Hill that year talking to Members of Congress and their staffers,” said Dybul of the 2008 reauthorization process.  “It wasn’t a perfect bill, but it was very good, and because of that congress showed fantastic bipartisan support."

Students had a chance to think about the political dynamics facing global health policy makers, see first-hand where bills are debated and learn more about each chamber during a tour of the US Capitol building.

In the afternoon, Students were reoriented to the Global Health academic program through roundtable discussions with Global Health faculty and alumni. Topics included planning for the practicum and culminating experience, overseas practicum and sponsored fellowship opportunities, and various ways for students to engage in the Washington policy process.

“By the end of their first semester, students need to reassess their goals and decide how they want to navigate the remainder of their time at GW,” said Elizabeth Lee, Academic Support Coordinator for the Department of Global Health.  “The Reorientation event provides an open forum to inform these important academic decisions.”

Reorientation is the fourth and final installment of the Global Health Department’s Orientation series, designed to keep students informed and engaged throughout their first semester at George Washington University. 

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