Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellowship
Amelia Harju, MPH, is a current fellow at the Wisconsin Population Health Service, which she joined after completing her Master of Public Health Degree at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. In this interview, she discusses her professional interest in health equity and ending mass incarceration, and how the fellowship has helped foster her growth. Below the interview, you can find more details regarding applying for the fellowship! Also, the fellowship website can be found here.
Interviewed by Nicole Blum, 4th year medical student at University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine
Edited by Kian Preston-Suni, MD, MPH
What particular interest(s) do you have within population health?
I’m most passionate about promoting and advancing health equity, especially with regard to the public health crisis of mass incarceration. There are enormous health equity implications in America’s criminal punishment system, and I’d be hard pressed to identify a more inequitable system in this country. Some other interests of mine include trauma, mental health, poverty, and telehealth, all of which are interrelated and relevant to incarceration in some way or another.
Can you briefly describe one of your current projects that you are most excited about?
I’m working with folks at UW-Madison’s Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH) to write a policy resolution that describes incarceration as a socio-structural determinant of health and proposes policy changes that could help end mass incarceration in Wisconsin. This will then be submitted to the Wisconsin Public Health Association and, if approved, it will be posted on their website in a similar vein as their Racism is a Public Health Crisis resolution.
A lot of my day-to-day work is on the local level in Wood County and I don’t get many opportunities to engage in policy work, so I’m thrilled about this opportunity to potentially influence statewide policy on an issue I care so deeply about, alongside some passionate and brilliant colleagues and community organizers. Better still, all this is happening at a time when there is nationwide momentum around recognizing the harms of the prison industrial complex and working toward building a society that emphasizes health and healing rather than punishment. I am incredibly privileged, humbled, and grateful to be a part of that, even if in a small way.
What drew you to your current program and what tools has it provided you to find success in the field?
The most important aspects that drew me to the Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellowship were the program’s focus on health equity and the program’s flexibility. Rather than wanting fellows to fit within a specific mold like many typical forms of employment expect from people, this fellowship really allows people to take the reins of their own professional growth.
The fellowship community really makes sure that each fellow is able to dive deep into certain topic areas (as I have with incarceration) in addition to learning a broad scope of new skills. These opportunities to explore other interests are so important in a field as broad as public health, and this just isn’t an experience you would be able to get from a typical job. It seems to put people in a much better position when looking for employment afterwards, compared to someone who is looking for a job immediately after graduating from an MPH (or similar) program. The networking opportunities are also incredible, and I’ve been able to make connections with a handful of different organizations where I could see myself working in the future.
Any advice for potential applicants to fellowships in population health?
I’d recommend setting up a couple informational interviews with current or former fellows to talk about their experiences and the pros and cons of the fellowship program. This is really helpful for figuring out if a particular program will be a good fit. There are certainly going to be benefits and downsides to any program. Current or former fellows may be better able to speak to those from a fellow’s perspective, rather than fellowship program faculty or staff. If a certain fellowship does sound like a good fit, the fellows might have some advice for the application and interviewing process, as well.
I was lucky enough to come from a school (University of Minnesota School of Public Health) that has had quite a few MPH students go into the Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellowship after graduation. Because of this, the people who worked in career services at my school were pretty familiar with the fellowship and were able to give me specific tips on the application process. Even if the folks who work at a school’s career services aren’t familiar with a particular fellowship program, I still recommend utilizing their (usually free) services while you can. They can generally help with anything from updating or refining your resume to writing a personal statement to interview prep to salary negotiation.
1. Can you briefly describe what makes an ideal candidate for your fellowship?
The Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellowship Program is a two-year service and training program designed for early career individuals in public health and allied sciences. Fellows are placed in practice-based settings in community, non-profit, governmental, and/or health service organizations around Wisconsin. Through a curriculum focused on health equity and collaborative leadership, Fellows leave the program with a health equity lens applied to their practice as well as tangible skills in public health programming and management.
Qualifications:
Applicants should have:
• A masters or doctoral degree in public health or an allied discipline prior to appointment
• Relevant work experience in public health or related field
• Demonstrated interest in community-based public health practice
• US citizenship or be a foreign national with US permanent resident status
Applications usually open in the fall and close in January. Please visit our website for more information about the Fellowship Program and the application process. To view a recorded information session from last year, please visit this link.
2. Have there been any changes to the application process secondary to COVID?
Since the entire application and selection process is virtual, there are no changes. Information sessions are held virtually, and interviews are conducted over the phone.
3. Any additional information you would like potential applicants to know?
For any further questions or concerns, please reach out to us at pophealthfellowship@wisc.edu!