DGHI first-years at the Graduate School Homecoming Reception
Published October 9, 2015, last updated on October 17, 2017 under Voices of DGHI
By Michelle Roberts, first-year MSc-GH candidate
I’ve never quite known what I want to be when I grow up.
When deciding what to do after undergrad, that’s what I kept thinking. There were lots of things I would have been happy doing, but I wanted that one thing – that feeling of the one thing you know you’re supposed to do with your life.
Recently, though, Mark Dybul, the executive director of the Global Fund, spoke at Duke. He doesn't believe in advice (apparently), but he gave us some anyway. He told us that if, in ten years, we are doing exactly what we thought we would be, then we’ve screwed up and missed a lot of opportunities along the way.
I still haven’t really figured out my one thing yet …
I have, however, learned some other things during my first two months at DGHI:
- I’ve learned a lot of great new phrases, like “topography of need” and “task sharing.”
- I’ve learned to try to focus on the process, rather than the outcome – this isn’t a step to get somewhere else, and it’s okay if I don’t know what’s next.
- I’ve learned that no one practices global health one way. It comes in all shapes and sizes.
- I’ve learned that all the world-renowned physicians and scientists we’ve heard from don’t really know how they got to be where they are today either. I find that very comforting.
- Of course, I’ve incidentally learned a lot of more traditional school subjects too (yay biostatistics!).
Even though I still may not know what I want to do with my life, I guess that’s okay. It seems like it might really be global health.
