Happy Tuesday, Grad Pod listeners! Welcome to another episode of Grad Pod. Graduate school isn’t just about picking a program, it’s about reimagining your life path and making a commitment to shaping that future. In this episode, we're joined by Nicholas Griffin, a second-year Master's of Public Health student at VCU, who will share his own journey of navigating public health, his path to graduate school, and the decisions that led him to VCU’s School of Public Health. He’ll talk about how his time at VCU has shaped his goals, both personal and professional, and offer advice to those of you thinking about entering this field.
Want to hear more from Grad Pod or have a question for us? Email us at gradschool@vcu.edu – we’d love to hear from you!
Episode Transcript:
HAYA: Before we were graduate students, most of us were once undergraduate students, hesitant about our next moves. Don't get me wrong, there are also students who know exactly what they want to pursue. But the reality is that whether you know exactly what you want to study or you're still figuring it out, the decision to pursue graduate school is a big one.
It's not just about choosing a program, it's about reimagining your future and then making a commitment to build that future.
As current graduate students, we all had to make decisions about what discipline we wanted to dive into, where we wanted to live, which school was best fitting for our long term goals, and more. It's a lot to consider, and we'll dive more into it in today's episode with Nicholas Griffin.
Let's be honest, graduate school isn't the same as undergrad. It's an investment in yourself and your future, and that decision doesn't come lightly. Whether you're leaning towards a specific program or you're still exploring options, we know the weight of those choices from first hand experience.
And that's exactly why we're starting the Student Interview Series as part of the GradPod. We wanted you to hear directly from graduate students at VCU about their journey here.
Without further ado, I want to introduce Nicholas Griffin. Nicholas is a second year master's of public health student at the school of public health here at VCU, where his concentration is applied public health practice, and he's set to graduate this May with his MPH. Woo hoo!
HAYA: Welcome to the grad pod, Nicholas.
NICHOLAS: Thank you so much for having me. Glad to be here.
HAYA: All right, so let's get into it. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to pursue a Master's degree in public health at VCU?
NICHOLAS: Yeah, so I was originally a biology pre-med (college major). I came to VCU for my undergrad with the intent to go to medical school and become a physician.
And during that time, I was seeking internships and professional development opportunities throughout my undergrad. Where my parents live, where I grew up, my next door neighbor was an aerospace medicine physician. So he was, he was a doctor, of course, and part of his medical training was he needed to get a Master's degree in public health.
So I always knew about the MD degree and how medical practice works directly with patients and healing people in the way that he did. So, I knew of that while, when I was shadowing him. During the summer, I had asked him about his public health Master's, and I asked him what that entailed, and he informed me about how public health is about serving people and healing people from a population perspective and not necessarily an individual one.
But you can do that through public health practice opportunities. And when he was telling me all about this, it really stuck out to me. I felt like that was a really important step for me to learn more about public health. Especially when I was just focused on becoming a doctor, that felt like that was the only route I could take to help and heal people.
And then during the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020, I learned more about public health and how major public health institutions like the CDC and the NIH were really encouraging us to make proper health choices to fight off the coronavirus and make very good health decisions that can maximize our health outcomes.
So after that, I decided to pivot a little bit, into public health and I realized after, applying and getting accepted and doing the program, I realized that I'm able to help and heal people from that, that perspective and I didn't really have to do it through medicine. It might be something I'll pursue in the future, but that was really the main points I felt for pursuing public health.
It's been really fulfilling to me and I could see myself doing it in the long term.
HAYA: Yeah, absolutely. You know, in undergrad, we still hadn't had The School of Public Health wasn't established. We had the School of Population Health, and they didn't have any undergrad programs, and I knew I wanted to study public health as someone who was kind of, you know, who was no longer going to pursue medicine or health professions, so what really stood out to me was the preventative aspect of it and being able to help people sort of you know, before they even needed help.
And so I'm glad we, you know, share that sentiment and have that commonality in our interest in public health.
NICHOLAS: Yeah, absolutely. It's like the big thing is that you can really heal people and you can really serve people outside of the medical profession. There's a lot of factors outside of the health care setting that contribute to human health.
HAYA: And, you know, at some point I was also considering going into an MPH program or obtaining my master's in public health, and I I didn't I went a completely different route, and so I wanted to ask you when you were considering graduate schools and graduate programs what factors did you weigh the most heavily when choosing a program or school and how did you decide that VCU was the right fit for your graduate studies?
NICHOLAS: Yeah, absolutely. It was a long process to think about, you know, cause I didn't go into graduate school directly out of my undergrad studies. I took a year off just to figure out, do I still really want to do public health? Do I want to stay at VCU in a place that I'm familiar with and familiar with the Richmond community, you know, not have to make too big of an adjustment or go somewhere else, go to another city, maybe consider another, another degree, you know.
So those are the big questions, and I felt, as I got out of my undergrad and I worked full time for a year, I realized that, yeah, I really feel that I'm called to heal people. I feel like I want the work of my hands to do that for people, you know, so when I was considering graduate school I was also there were some circumstances in my life that were calling me to stay close in proximity to my family VCU is not too far away from where my parents live and so that helped me to stay within that geographic range staying at VCU and I also evaluated how supported I was during my undergraduate career.
I was using the CLC, I was using academic coaching, I was, I had encountered a lot of community opportunities at VCU too. I had a really good group of people that I knew in this area, and I felt that the community aspect was going to be a very significant factor in it as well. As well as accessibility, being close to family, and it was pretty cost effective as well.
I was able to get a lot of funding for my graduate program so far, so I didn't really have to worry about that. Housing opportunities, too! I knew where to look to get housing. I could use my community of people. I could always ask if there was a place to live available or if I needed to stay on campus, you know.
I was very familiar with everything around me and Richmond is always changing. There are a lot of new opportunities coming in the city. So there's a lot of stuff to experience and to explore. So yeah, all of that culminated into one, just one opportunity for me to Get another degree at VCU, explore Richmond more, you know, just and really enjoy it, you know So, yeah those those things I felt like were really in alignment with VCU and that that was a really good opportunity for me to Pursue my graduate studies and here I am about to graduate so I feel like I made the right decision
HAYA: Yeah, and one thing I love that you pointed out was the familiarity with Richmond, but also how ever changing and dynamic we are as VCU students, but also as a city of Richmond, it's always changing, and that's just always exciting.
HAYA: Speaking of exciting things, uh, what has been the most rewarding aspect of being a graduate student at VCU so far?
NICHOLAS: Yeah, there's so much. I really feel like the most rewarding aspect, honestly, is Just there's a lot of professional development opportunities as a graduate student. I mean, I'm currently doing research in the Epidemiology department, and I felt that when I was able to make that happen, I was just talking to some faculty members at the department, and they really enjoy hearing inquiries and interests from students at their school, even outside of them, for them to get involved in the research and their work, you know.
The faculty's been really welcoming and very supportive of me and my colleagues at the school, and I felt, that there was no, no pushback or no cons, really to getting professional development opportunities and get involved in research and to expand myself across a lot of platforms and in areas in the school, you know, I could personally build my network professionally.
I could work on research. I could present at conferences. I was able to actually presented at the Virginia Public Health Association conference in September, at J Sargent Rails Community College. And, the way I was able to do that was I saw the call for abstracts on the website and I reached out to my advisor and said hey, I'm looking for some data to put in this abstract proposal because I would love to present here and within, within the next day or so, my advisor gets back to me and reaches out to a couple of the faculty members at the school and they give me data to work with and they were with me every step of the way.
They were there when they reviewed my abstract to when I got accepted and when I had to put together the big presentation. It'll end when I presented it was it was amazing. So yeah, the professional development opportunities I was able to take part in and to pursue was has been the most rewarding so far.
HAYA: Yeah, that's amazing to hear and it's really the relationships that we take with us, you know Once we graduate from our programs and I'm just so glad that you have that support system built into your program And you know, it seems like you have a very solid support system at the School of Public Health. And, I think you kind of touched on this, but on the flip side, what has been the most challenging part of graduate school and how have you managed those challenges? And of course, we know it's not all, you know, it's not that easy. So, you know, share with us any tips or tricks or advice that you might have to the common challenges that students face.
NICHOLAS: Sure. Graduate school is, in general, it's difficult. Like, the rumors are true. It's not going to be an easy field and an easy world to enter, you know. So, I think the most challenging part of graduate school is that specifically some programs require you to get an internship in order to graduate with your degree.
I know for sure in public health we're required to Do the internship, and some, some majors, some departments can say the same. I don't know for the rest, but I know that you have to do the search yourself, you have to get your network, you have to inquire, you have to send your resume and CVs to people, and just let them know you're really interested in getting a professional development opportunity like the internship.
And that was definitely one of the hardest ones. I felt it took me about three to four months to get an internship, and the fact that I was doing it, at VCU with the network that I had, I kind of felt like I was starting from scratch, too, because I wasn't really in public health until I started the program.
So, that was a little bit challenging, for sure. And, quantitatively, the work can get a lot at times. If you're not managing your time appropriately, then assignments can stack up a lot, a lot throughout the week. And, I felt like, how I was able to handle that is, I've been using Google Calendar, I've been Keeping together a notepad, I write my stuff out on an agenda, or I open up the notes app on my phone.
I gotta make sure I write it down, because if I put it in my head, then it's gonna go through one ear and out the other. So, I've learned that the hard way, where you just have to write everything down, plan your schedule out appropriately, and make sure that You have time to pursue each and every one of these things, and if you need to say no to something, then that's totally okay.
HAYA: Yeah, absolutely. You know, Sunday, 11:59 p.m. just hits different in grad school.
NICHOLAS: It does!
HAYA: You know you can't really prepare for that unless you've prepared for that. And so, definitely want to. Emphasize that sentiment of using all of your organizational resources. And, it seems like you can never have enough organizational resources in grad school because you're going to need them.
NICHOLAS: Right.
HAYA: So, yeah, thank you for sharing that. And also, you know, don't be afraid to say no. It's a busy time to be a student. And then on top of that, like Nicholas said, some programs, a considerable amount require you to have some experiential learning experiences. Like going and getting internships and, that is very important to consider and factor into your schedule.
HAYA: Okay, so Nicholas, has being in graduate school changed the way you view your personal or professional goals? What's something about your journey that you think most people would be surprised to learn?
NICHOLAS: Yeah, being in graduate school definitely has changed the way I view those goals, personal goals, I think.
They're kind of similar back then to when they are now, like when I was in undergrad versus graduate school. However, I feel like I treat myself differently, when I try to, uh, I'll talk about the professional goals, the personal goals first, when I try to achieve the personal goals, I try to make sure I'm getting enough sleep every night, I'm trying to eat three meals a day, I'm trying to drink enough water and exercise.
All those things can be really challenging in graduate school because your schedule can just be so inconsistent and out of whack at times. But when I was in undergrad, when I didn't achieve those goals, I was pretty hard on myself. I was quite a perfectionist. I didn't really accept any standard less than perfect.
Since like humans are never perfect, I was being very unsatisfied every single attempt. So I realized that I needed to have more compassion for myself and not beat myself up every time I fell short at any goal or any challenge.
So being in graduate school now, if I don't, if I don't achieve the personal goals of, let's say I want to get 8 hours of sleep, but I miss the mark around, I get 6 or 7 hours. I'm not going to let it beat me up, really. I'm just going to take what I get. And, just understand that yes, I did my best to do this and to achieve the goal, but I didn't, but I can approach it differently next time.
I understand now that I make mistakes and I'm still going to fall short of things. And now in graduate school, I can just take that and I can have compassion for myself.
I can see that and just say, okay, I tried my best. I didn't succeed at it, but I know I will the next time. That's the, that's the personal goal side and professionally to put it together.
I am putting my capstone project right now and there's a lot of writing and there's a lot of data analysis and a lot of moving parts that goes into the project and professional goals.
I want to use this project to present at conferences too. I want to take it to the next level and present at the American Public Health Association Conference, at the national level. So, I want to do that and I want to make sure that I'm making time for this project and and I'm doing enough writing, I'm doing enough reading, and I am collaborating with my mentor, my advisors, and my, And my co authors that are helping with, that are on the research team basically that help me, review my work.
And so, I think that's going to be the big part, too, is that I can ask for help when I need it because in undergrad I wasn't really doing that, you know, I wasn't really using my network. So, for professional goals. I use my network now, I ask for help when I need it, and I'm very understanding and sure to myself that I can't do it by myself.
HAYA: And that's the beauty of grad school, right? It's, stressful, but, at least here at VCU we have a very solid support system, and so, kind of, you know, encourages you to take that healthy outlook of, okay, yeah, it's difficult, and, but it's not impossible, and I can do it through support, and time, confidence, and patience, and, I'm glad that you know, you are having a more positive outlook from undergrad to grad school now, and it seems like public health is bleeding into your personal and professional goals with, you know, having wellness goals. That's important.
All right, so for our final segment, I just wanted to offer you space to share any words, tips, or tricks that you have for incoming students or students pursuing public health as, you know, someone who did the thing and you're about to graduate, you are experienced in this and so floor is yours.
NICHOLAS: Yeah, thank you so much. I feel like for incoming students or students that are pursuing public health, I feel that it's really important. I would love for everybody that's listening to this to understand that you can definitely heal people.
You can definitely serve people through public health. You can definitely do it through that way. And the VCU School of Public Health was just established in 2024 and it's a new school! It's got a new name! I can say absolutely that I recommend the program. The faculty is very supportive, very intelligent about public health.
They do a lot of good research. You know, they're making a very big difference at VCU in the Richmond area, and obviously in the world, honestly. There's just so much good work that's being done at the School of Public Health, and since we're a new program, it kind of feels like the startup stage, you know?
It's a very early part. of something, you know, starting a school and it's been really awesome to be part of this. It's been really hard, you know, to make our name known at VCU throughout the whole campus. And for me, being the president of the Public Health Student Association, there's just A lot of stuff that we try to do to engage the community and try to outreach and advertise our program and what we have to offer on the Monroe Park campus, too, since there's no undergraduate program in public health, you know, it's just stuff at the master's level.
So, I've been doing a lot of outreach and, you know, just, doing a lot of advertising, doing a lot of student fairs just to let everybody know that, “hey, public health is a thing and it matters and it's just something I recommend a lot.”
HAYA: And, could you tell us about how students can join the Public Health Student Association?
NICHOLAS: Yes, you can join the Public Health Student Association on Rams Connect. You can also, you can also send an email to us through that account.
HAYA: Awesome. Any final words?
NICHOLAS: Hmm no, I think that's it.
HAYA: Okay! We want to give a shout out to the School of Public Health for all the tremendous work that they do. Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of The Grad Pod.
Nicholas, thank you for sharing your insights and experiences with us today. We wish you all the best as you approach graduation in May.
NICHOLAS:Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
HAYA: Your insights have highlighted the School of Public Health's commitment to addressing pressing issues, supporting students, and fostering meaningful collaborations.
As the School of Public Health continues to grow and expand its impact, we look forward to seeing the innovative research and initiatives that will shape the future of America. Thank you again for your time and expertise, and to our listeners, thank you for tuning into the GradPod. Stay connected for more conversations that inform, inspire, and support your graduate journey. Until the next time!
CREDITS: GradPod is produced by VCU's Graduate School. Haya Hamid is our host. Our producer and editor is Grace Albritton.
Do you have a question for us? Email us at gradschool@vcu.edu and we may answer your question on an episode!
Our Theme Music was composed, performed, and recorded by, Austin Sellick and Claudia Andrade, students of Filipe Leitao, Assistant Professor of Composition & Sound Design at VCU School of the Arts
Share this post