Public Health and the Path to Graduate School Success with Brenna Dressler

Transitioning from undergraduate to graduate school is a significant decision that involves careful planning, research, and a readiness to meet new challenges. On the latest episode of the “Dads with Daughters” podcast, Dr. Christopher Lewis hosts Brenna Dressler, a graduate of Saginaw Valley State University and the University of Michigan Flint, who shares her experiences and wisdom on navigating this important transition. Let's dive into the valuable insights and strategies discussed during the episode.

Understanding the Decision to Pursue Graduate School: Initial Interests and Realizations

Brenna initially planned to enter the field of occupational therapy but found that the rigorous anatomy and physiology courses were not her forte. This realization prompted her to explore other avenues, and she discovered public health through her mentor professor, Dr. Megan Ruth. Intrigued by the possibilities of helping people in a broader context, Brenna shifted her focus to public health, laying the groundwork for her future educational and career choices.

"I always knew that I wanted to help people in some capacity... I went back home and I did some research on it... It still gave me the opportunity to help individuals, and, yeah, it just seemed like a great fit for me." - Brenna Dressler

Researching and Choosing the Right Graduate Program: Criteria and Decision-Making Process

Selecting the right graduate program can be daunting, but Brenna’s systematic approach made it manageable. She emphasized the importance of creating an organized list of criteria that mattered most, such as cost, location, and scholarship opportunities. Brenna's research led her to attend an informational session at the University of Michigan Flint, where she felt a positive connection with the faculty and the campus environment.

"I created an Excel document and I inputted different items that I was kind of looking for in a program. Cost was a big thing for me... I was looking for scholarship opportunities... I just really liked the environment." - Brenna Dressler

Specialization and Fit
Brenna also underscored the importance of aligning the program with her specific interests within public health. For example, she considered a specialized program in maternal and child health before ultimately deciding on Michigan Flint's more general public health program accommodating her broader interests.

"It helps to know kind of an area that you want to work in because there are degree programs out there that are more specialized." - Brenna Dressler

Setting Up for Success in Graduate School: Initial Steps and Organization

Once deciding on the University of Michigan Flint, Brenna's next step was to meet with her advisor, Dr. Solly, to map out her course of study for the next few years. This early planning and staying organized with schedules and supplies set a solid foundation for her academic journey. 

"My first thing was reaching out to my adviser and meeting with them and really just figuring out what the next 2, 3 years in the program was gonna look like... Organization wise, obviously, getting binders and making sure I have all the supplies and things like that to really set me up for success." - Brenna Dressler

Balancing Involvement and Academics

Brenna's experience highlighted the importance of balancing academic responsibilities with extracurricular involvement. She actively participated in student organizations, study abroad programs, and built a strong support network, all while maintaining discipline in her studies.

"I went to Africa. So I got involved in a lot... It helps to... have a support system in place to lift you up when things get hard or to study with or to just to vent to if you're having a bad day." - Brenna Dressler

Applying Graduate Skills in the Professional World: Career Progression and Application of Skills

Brenna's graduate education significantly influenced her career trajectory. Her involvement in research during both undergraduate and graduate studies equipped her with the skills necessary for her role as a clinical research technician and later as a project specialist. The connections she made and maintained with her professors also played a significant role in her career advancement.

"As far as the things that I took from grad school, definitely keeping those connections... They've wrote letters of recommendations for jobs... that's one thing that I would highly recommend in grad school is just making that connection." - Brenna Dressler

Tips for Prospective Graduate Students: Key Recommendations

Brenna offers several practical tips for prospective graduate students:

1. Reach Out to Faculty: Contacting staff or faculty members at potential schools can provide valuable insights into the programs' alignment with your career goals.
2. Engage with Current or Past Students: Understanding the student perspective can offer a clearer picture of the program experience.
3. Research Thoroughly: Make sure the program fits your professional aspirations and personal circumstances through comprehensive research.

"I would say that I would reach out to maybe some of the staff at the school that you're looking at... reach out to students that have already gone through the program." - Brenna Dressler

Graduate school is a rewarding but challenging journey. By thoroughly researching programs, planning meticulously, staying disciplined, and leveraging connections, students can set themselves up for success. Brenna Dressler's story is a testament to how deliberate and informed decisions can lead to fulfilling educational and professional outcomes.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:01]:
Welcome to the victors in grad school, where we have conversations with students, alumni, and experts about what it takes to find success in graduate school.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:11]:
Welcome back to Victor's in Grad School. I'm your host, doctor Christopher Lewis, director of graduate programs at the University of Michigan Flint. Really excited to have you back again this week. This week, as always, I love being on a journey with you, being on a journey that is working side by side to walk alongside you as you're looking at graduate school. And I say a journey because it is a journey. And every person that considers graduate school is on a journey that is individual as themselves. And you have to go through it to be able to not only prepare yourself for making that transition into grad school, but then you have to go through it to be able to get through graduate school as well because sometimes there are things that you have to overcome as you go through those experiences as well. But along the way, you can learn from so many people that have gone before you.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:02]:
And that's what this show is all about. The show is here to help you, to give you some tools for your toolbox, to be able to help you to learn from others that have done graduate school before you, and to open your eyes to some of the things that you might need to be thinking about or want to be thinking about as you think about graduate school as well. That's why every week I love being able to bring you different guests that have done graduate school in the past, that have gone to graduate school in the past, and can share that journey with you as well. And today we got another great guest with us today. Brenna Dressler is with us today. And Brenna did her undergraduate work at Saginaw Valley State University, but then decided after a short period of time out from Saginaw Valley to go back to graduate school and to get her master's degree in public health from the University of Michigan, Flint. So we're gonna be talking to her, learning a little bit more about her own journey, and allowing for her to share some of the things that she learned along the way to help you in your journey as well. Brenna, thanks so much for being here today.

Brenna Dressler [00:02:00]:
Thank you for having me.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:02:02]:
It is my pleasure having you here today. Love being able to chat with you about the experiences that you've had. And one of the first things that I love being able to do is to turn the clock back in time. I said that you did your undergraduate work back at Saginaw Valley State University a few years back. And sometime during that time that you were either going through your undergraduate work or in those early years of being out in the workforce, you made a decision. You made a decision that you wanted to continue your education and get a degree in a little bit different area from where you were in your undergraduate work, where you got your bachelor of science with minors in gerontology and management, a kind of a health science degree and public health too. But talk to me a little bit about that journey for yourself and what made you decide that you wanted to go to graduate school?

Brenna Dressler [00:02:52]:
Yeah. So I always knew that I wanted to help people in some capacity. So originally, I went to Saginaw Valley thinking I was gonna go through the occupational therapy program. I quickly realized after going through more anatomy and physiology classes, That just wasn't my forte. It just didn't really stick with me. I found it very difficult. So I went back to my advisor, doctor Megan Ruth, who is a great mentor of mine, and she told me about this idea called public health that I had never heard about. It sounded very interesting.

Brenna Dressler [00:03:28]:
I went back home and I did some research on it. And actually at the time, Saginaw Valley didn't have a direct bachelor's of public health degree. It was a bachelor's of health science, but I took mostly public health courses. So it's essentially a public health bachelor's degree. So yeah. I quickly realized that this sounded like something I would really enjoy. I like working with people. It still gave me the opportunity to help individuals, and, yeah, it just seemed like a great fit for me.

Brenna Dressler [00:03:58]:
Along the way, like you said, I found out about a gerontology minor and a management minor just to kinda diversify myself. I still haven't really used either of those minors, but education is good no matter what though. And then, obviously, through my research, when I found out about public health, I found out that there is a graduate program as well. I quickly became very interested in that because I kind of already assumed that I was gonna be going into a graduate program of some sort because OT was a graduate program. So then from there, just started my research on different programs and different options and fell across U of M Flint's program. So that's kinda how it evolved.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:04:36]:
So talk to me about that research process that you went through because you did decide to attend the University of Michigan Flint, but there are many different programs that are out there. And as you said, you did your research and you identified and and looked at specific things that you were looking for. Talk to me about what you were looking for, what you kind of explored in that research, and what made you decide to ultimately attend the University of Michigan Flint?

Brenna Dressler [00:05:01]:
So I created an Excel document and I inputted different items that I was kind of looking for in a program. Cost was a big thing for me. I looked in state and out of state. I applied to a few out of state programs. I was looking for scholarship opportunities, things like that. And ultimately, I ended up coming down to U of M Flint for one of their informational sessions and met a few of the professors and things like that and just really liked the environment when I did come down for that info session. I don't know. It just felt comfortable there.

Brenna Dressler [00:05:33]:
It felt kind of similar to Saginaw Valley. Saginaw Valley is a smaller university. Growing up, I always went to smaller schools with less students in classrooms. So that was really important to me to kind of have a more individualized experience. And it just felt like U of M Flint really kind of fit fit the bill for me. It's also close to home and my mom has some health issues so it was important for me to be around to help out when I needed to. Saved me a ton of money while still getting the U of M diploma. So that was kind of my process with that.

Brenna Dressler [00:06:05]:
As far as, like, finding out about other programs, it was pretty easy to just Google and find out. I think there was a program out in Colorado that I was looking at that was maternal and child health focused, which is where I thought I was gonna end up. I really like that area of public health. So it helps to know kind of an area that you want to work in because there are degree programs out there that are more specialized.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:06:26]:
So as you made that final decision, you decided to attend the University of Michigan Flint, you made that transition into graduate school. It is very clear that the way you're educated in undergrad is different than the way you're being educated in grad school. The expectations are different as well. So talk to me about what did you have to do to set yourself up for success as you transitioned in, and what did you have to do to maintain that success throughout graduate school?

Brenna Dressler [00:06:56]:
So one of the first things that I did was met with my advisor, who's doctor Solly, who I love dearly. She's done so much for me, and I credit her for a lot of my success in the program and in my career. So my first thing was reaching out to my adviser and meeting with them and really just figuring out what the next 2, 3 years in the program was gonna look like. I think right off the bat, she could tell that I was a very motivated and great student, which I hope she would say that today if you talk to her. But so that was my first step. Next was just, like I said, kind of planning out the next couple of years. I'm a very organized person, so knowing what's to come was really important for me. Organization wise, obviously, getting binders and making sure I have all the supplies and things like that to really set me up for success.

Brenna Dressler [00:07:43]:
I think discipline is really important because sometimes when you're going to grad school and also working and trying to have a life outside of it, it can be kind of hard. So making sure that you stay disciplined and produce good work is really important. Also, just finding kind of either a group or a partner that can lift you up when things get hard or to study with or to just to vent to if you're having a bad day, you know, or have a bad exam in the program, things like that. I think that's really important to latch on to a couple people that you really enjoy and, because you're gonna be with those people through the entire program. That really helped me as well. Also getting involved in student groups. I was president of a student organization. I got involved in study abroad.

Brenna Dressler [00:08:27]:
I went to Africa. So I got involved in in a lot. And like I said, the discipline was really important because there's times that I wanted to do something more fun, but I had an epidemiology exam the next day.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:08:38]:
You definitely have to balance those things, and you have to look at all of the opportunities that avail themselves to you. But then take advantage of what you can take advantage of because sometimes students may think about what how involved they were as undergraduate students. And then as they get into grad school, they have to temper that a little bit, or they have to add some things in because it's an involvement turns involvement means something a little bit different in grad school. And a lot of times, what I see with students is that involvement revolves a lot around the profession itself. And in thus, versus in undergrad, it might not be as profession related, but there's lots of other opportunities to get involved. So I completely agree with you. Get involved. Find ways to get involved.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:09:23]:
You know, and and even if you're doing an online program, find ways to get involved and and be able to make those connections, network, etcetera. Now that you've completed your degree, you are now out in the workforce. You have been out in the workforce for a bit of time. You are a clinical research technician with Michigan Medicine, also an adjunct faculty member at Saginaw Valley State University. So talk to me about, now that you've been out in your career for a bit and you're utilizing your degree on a regular basis, Talk to me about how that graduate degree really prepared you for these next steps that you took in your professional career.

Brenna Dressler [00:10:02]:
Sure. So actually, I have a different role right now. So the clinical research technician, I think that was about a year ago that I had that one. So the current role that I have is a project specialist with a quality improvement program at University of Michigan. But the research role was really pivotal in getting this position for me. I did research in both undergrad and grad school with professors, and I think that really gave me some great experience, hands on experience with research and presenting papers and posters and things at national conferences and just understanding the the how to perform research and write papers and things like that. I think that really was helpful in me getting the clinical research technician position, which was working on the COVID vaccine trials. So I did that position for about 2 years working from home.

Brenna Dressler [00:10:52]:
And then while in that position, I was able to make the connection with the program director of my current role. And she knew that I had my master's of public health and knew that I was a great worker and smart and could pick things up pretty quickly. So she kind of offered the job to me knowing that this program was gonna start in a year or so. But as far as the things that I took from grad school, definitely keeping those connections. I think doctor Sully helped me a lot with applying for jobs and looking for jobs. I always stress to my students, which I teach at Saginaw Valley and at Ferris now, I always stress to them the importance of mentorship and making that connection with a professor that you really enjoy working with or things like that. And that's really got me really far is keeping those connections with my professors. They've wrote letters of recommendations for jobs, for this and that, and that's one thing that I would highly recommend in grad school is just making that connection.

Brenna Dressler [00:11:50]:
Another thing was the organization of just keeping my schedule and being disciplined and things like that because I do currently work from home still. And so it's very easy to get distracted by laundry and dishes and things at home. So making sure I have that discipline to get my job done is really important. Obviously, the coursework has really played a a strong role in what I do. I currently manage a lot of the health education aspects of the program that I work for, and that's what my master's of public health was in, was in health education. So I use a lot of the health communications models and things like that. Yeah. I can't say more about how the coursework has helped me in my current role.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:12:31]:
So as you think back to your graduate education and you think about other students that are thinking about graduate school, whether it be going into a public health degree or some other degree that's out there. What are some tips that you might offer others considering graduate education that would help them to find success sooner?

Brenna Dressler [00:12:50]:
I would say that I would reach out to maybe some of the staff at the school that you're looking at. Just send them a quick email and just introduce yourself and say, this is what I'm interested in. This is where I see myself in 5 years. Do you think this program would really fit my needs and my interests for my career? I think that's a great start. It also gives you that connection off the bat if you do decide to go to that university. Another thing would be reaching out to students that have already gone through the program. So you can find them on LinkedIn or maybe they have a blog post on the university's website that you can find an email address. I think really talking to the students gives you a great idea of what the program is like, from their perspective.

Brenna Dressler [00:13:31]:
I think that's always a great option. Just do your research about the university, about the program, making sure that it aligns with your goals and

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:13:39]:
Well, Brenda, I just wanna say thank you. Thank you for sharing your story today, for being here, and for and for doing what you're doing now to be able to help others in our community through that public health degree. And I truly wish you all the best.

Brenna Dressler [00:13:54]:
Thank you. It was great to be here.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:13:56]:
The University of Michigan Flint has a full array of master's and doctorate programs. If you are interested in continuing your education, whether you're looking for in person or online learning options, the University of Michigan Flint has programs that will meet your needs. For more information on any of our graduate programs, visit umflint doteduforward/graduateprograms to find out more. Thanks again for spending time with me as you prepare to be a victor in grad school. I look forward to speaking with you again soon as we embark together on your graduate school journey. If you have any questions or want to reach out, email me at [email protected].