PHDA testimonials

If you would like to specify which course(s) you would like to see testimonials for, you may do so by selecting the course(s) from the list below and hitting the APPLY filter button. You may select more than one course. Otherwise, the testimonials are listed below, in random order.
PHDA 04 Spatial Epidemiology and Outbreak Detection
"The GIS courses, PHDA 03 Population Health and GIS and PHDA 04 Spatial Epidemiology and Outbreak Detection provided the greatest benefits. They were excellent and introduced brand new skills for me. Prior to taking these courses I had some brief exposure to GIS within my Master’s program and through the free online PopData courses. The PHDA 03 and PHDA 04 course labs were very detailed and instructional, offering good balance between theory and practice. The courses generally had enough materials I could take away to continue working independently."

Sophie Zhang, Program Administrative Coordinator, Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division

 

PHDA 06 Health Services Program Monitoring and Evaluation
"PHDA 06 Health Services Program Monitoring and Evaluation course was a bit different as it did not have an SRTL lab component. I had taken a very similar course within my Master’s degree but it wasn’t as applied as the PHDA 06 course which had a very practical project component. I found the instructor’s experience and feedback as well as the peer review work really enabled me to get a lot out of the course evaluation project I completed."

Sophy Zhang, Program Administrative Coordinator, Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division

 

PHDA 06 Health Services Program Monitoring and Evaluation
"The PHDA 06 evaluation course was the most useful to me as it is something I'd like to incorporate into my future research much more."

Karyn Fulcher, Postdoctoral Fellow

 

PHDA 04 Spatial Epidemiology and Outbreak Detection
"Courses which benefited me the most are PHDA 03 Population Health and Geographic Information System (GIS) and PHDA 04 Spatial Epidemiology and Outbreak Detection.

I am really satisfied with these courses especially the hands-on experience gained while using ArcMap to map diseases and assess spatial dependences. Skills developed include generating choropleth map, joining attribute tables to shapefile and perform geographically weighted regressions."

Samuel Essien, PhD Candidate, School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan

 

PHDA full testimonial
How did you learn about the program and what motivated you to enroll?

I got to know about the program through my former master’s thesis supervisor. My quest to broaden my knowledge in geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial epidemiology motivated me to enrol in the program.

Tell us about your course experience. What skills did you develop and which courses provided the greatest benefit to you?

I am really satisfied with the course especially the hands-on experience gained while using ArcMap to map diseases and assess spatial dependences. Skills developed include generating choropleth map, joining attribute tables to shapefile and perform geographically weighted regressions.  Courses which benefited me the most are PHDA 03-Population Health and Geographic Information System (GIS), PHDA 01-Working with Administration Data and PHDA-04-Spatial Epidemiology and Outbreak Detection.

How have you been able to (or how do you plan to) apply your new skills in your work/research?

I have not yet applied the acquired skills to my research, but the skills will be useful for my future research work.

What do you think were the strengths of this program? Please provide examples.

The program’s strength emerged from how the courses were offered with typical examples such as offering PHDA 03 before PHDA 04 and also the incorporation of Lab work into the course curriculum which provided the opportunity for more practical knowledge to be gained. Another strength is the friendly learning environment and willingness of the instructors to go an extra mile to assist students to understand concepts and course materials.

Would you recommend this program to others? If so, what recommendations/suggestions would you give those interested in applying to this program?

Yes. I recommend this program to students, especially those with no prior knowledge in spatial epidemiology and GIS and are keen on knowing more about these areas.

Any additional comments you would like to add?

I have not regretted enrolling in this program, and have actually enhanced my skill set.

 

Samuel Essien

Samuel Essien, PhD Candidate, School of Population and Public Health, University of Saskatchewan