"I developed an understanding of not only how descriptive statistics can be geographically interpreted, but also how inferential statistics can be geographically interpreted. It taught me how to begin thinking spatially in-terms of patterns of health outcomes – neighbourhood make up, neighbourhood location, infrastructure, environmental concerns, etc."
PHDA testimonials
PHDA 03 Population Health and Geographical Information Systems
PHDA full testimonial
- How did you learn about the program and what motivated you to enroll?
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I learned about the PHDA program through browsing on web and was motivated to get more training in population health data analysis while working full-time.
- Tell us about your course experience. What skills did you develop and which courses provided the greatest benefit to you?
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Although the course load was a bit heavy at times, I think I’ve learned a lot and developed hands-on experience in analyzing population health data using SAS and ArcGIS.
- How have you been able to (or how do you plan to) apply your new skills in your work/research?
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I have not yet had a chance to utilize all the knowledge and skills I’ve gained in my current work, but definitely have a better understanding of results that are analyzed using ArcGIS.
- What do you think were the strengths of this program? Please provide examples.
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The strengths of this program include: good organization of coursework, exposure to variety of relevant topics, hands-on experience using several analytical software, excellent support and feedback by instructors, and a flexible schedule.
- Would you recommend this program to others? If so, what recommendations/suggestions would you give those interested in applying to this program?
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I would definitely recommend colleagues and others to take this program for further professional development.
- Any additional comments you would like to add?
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My program experience has been great and thank you for all the support I received from instructors and staff members in the PHDA program.
PHDA 03 Population Health and Geographical Information Systems
"PHDA 03 and 04 provided useful tools for me. I had always wanted to learn to use ArcGIS software to explore health data, and have both a geography and clinical background, so PHDA 03 and PHDA 04 were especially interesting."
PHDA Overall program/course experience
Overall, I had a positive program experience. I greatly appreciated the asynchronous format as it allowed me to develop my skills without risking my other professional commitments. I believe the skills I have learned through this program will be directly relevant to my current research interests. The PHDA program is a great program for anyone who is interested in further exploring population-level analyses."
PHDA 06 Health Services Program Monitoring and Evaluation
"The Health Evaluation and Program Monitoring (PHDA 06) course really helped me land a job after graduation. PHDA 06 was different from the other PHDA courses. It felt a bit like a satellite course in the program as it included a health evaluation project rather than data analysis lab work. I learned a lot from the peer review process we used. I have applied evaluation skills that I learned from this course, including logic models, evaluation methodology, gantt charts and interview guides."
University of British Columbia, 201-2206 East Mall, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z3
Health Data Research Network Canada (HDRN) member
International Population Data Linkage Network (IPDLN) member
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