Opening Message

It’s the start of the new academic year! In the advising world, we would say “it’s the calm before the storm.” I am proud to announce this year we have our largest graduating class finishing this fall with 61 students. I would also like to officially welcome our 2023 fall cohort. We are so happy you are here! 

To be honest, I have mixed emotions starting the school year. My oldest daughter, Isabella is starting 5th grade and this will be her last year of elementary school. I am tearing up just thinking about it. As the saying goes “the days are long, but the years are short. This definitely pertains to parenting and graduate school. 

I would encourage you to take in each moment and try to be present. Looking back at my grad experience, I was so focused on work, the next project, paper, exam that at times I forgot to stop and enjoy just being a graduate student. There may be good times and rough times in the upcoming year. I just want you to know, you have a community in OOMPH that cares about you. You have a support system within our faculty, staff and students. You are not alone! When you are feeling down, reach out. When you want to share good news, reach out. 

As that voice creeps in with doubts, remember you deserve to be here! We are lucky to have you! As you begin the new academic year, I would like to highlight some campus resources for you to bookmark: Disabled Student Program, University Health Services, and Free & Discounted resources. These are some of the great resources to take advantage of. 

My virtual door is open, feel free to reach out at jsmithson@berkeley.edu. In closing, I want to leave you with this quote from Beyonce, "Be healthy and take care of yourself, but be happy with the beautiful things that make you, you." 

You got this! Go Bears! 

Judy Smithson, M.Ed. 

Director of Student Services & Advising 

Program Announcements

Important Dates & Deadlines:

• August 13, 2023 - Deadline to drop or withdraw from Summer 2 (with refund).
• August 13, 2023 - Deadline for Fall 2023 graduates to submit practicum for final review. Please reach out to your practicum support team in the RISE office (rise.bph@berkeley.edu or schedule an appointment via PHLEX) if you are concerned about meeting this deadline.
• August 15, 2023 - Absolute deadline to waive SHIP for fall with a $75 late waiver fee. View complete SHIP waiver information here
• August 18, 2023 - Deadline to add Fall Full Term and Fall 1 courses with program approval (campus deadline does not apply to OOMPH).
• August 21, 2023 - Fall Full Term and Fall 1 Online course instruction begins.
• September 1, 2023 - Deadline for OOMPH students to drop courses without a $10 fee. Drop requests after this date require program manager approval.

Academic & Administrative Holidays:

• Monday, September 4, 2023 - Labor Day

CalCentral Updates - Student Summary

• We Need Your Help! 
• Starting the week of  Monday, August 7th, you will now see Interdisciplinary listed in Calcentral>>My Academics under the On-Campus/Online Prfsnl MPH major. We are working with the Office of the Registrar to make sure this is a smooth transition. We need your help, during the week of August 7th, please double check to make sure your concentration is listed correctly. If you have any questions and/or concerns, please contact your Program Manager. 

Did you know? We have the required books and material page on the Student Gateway. This is a great website that includes all the readings and course materials for the upcoming academic year. Trying to plan ahead? Check out this resource today!

The Fall 2023 Comprehensive Exam will be October 16th-22nd (week between Fall 1 and Fall 2). Students eligible for the Fall 2023 Comp Exam were invited to begin the prep process and join the Fall 2023 Comp Exam Prep Group  in July. More information about the Comp Exam can be found on our Comprehensive Exam page in the Student Manual.

Career & Practicum

• Practicum Q&A Session Recording Available!
• APPLY NOW: 130+ Hour Fall Practicum Opportunities on PHLEX! 
• Access PHLEX for a complete list of additional opportunities including GSI/GSR, practicum, and part/full-time. Please note that several practicum opportunities on PHLEX are curated exclusively for OOMPH students by community partners. 
• Don’t forget to book an appointment with RISE on PHLEX (navigate to left panel labeled Appointments) to strategize your search, have your application materials reviewed, and/or receive interview support! RISE is here to assist you in presenting your strongest application.
• Some new practicum opportunities (visit PHLEX for complete list): 
• Internship and Fellowship Program 2023: Health Plan of San Mateo (Paid) Apply by 8/11
• Optimization of Medicaid Health Plan participation in MAVEN Project: The MAVEN Project (Paid, Remote) 
• Research Analyst: UCSF - UC San Francisco (Paid, Remote flexibility)
• Healthcare Management Intern: The Permanente Medical Group (Paid)
• Public Health Intern: HHS - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Internship/Volunteer: American Cancer Society (Paid, Remote flexibility)
• Graduate Student Research Fellow - UC Global Food Initiative: NPI - Nutrition Policy Institute (Paid)
• Educator Wellness Practicum/Internship: Oakland Unified School District (Paid, Remote flexibility)

• OOMPH Qualitative Support Program: Book an Appointment in PHLEX! 

Are you an OOMPH student in need of quantitative support for your practicum?

Schedule an appointment on PHLEX to meet with Dr. Catherine Metayer, Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, for support on topics related to quantitative methodologies. Eligible students, those with an active practicum and have submitted their practicum confirmation form, should have received an email invitation. If you did not receive an invite email but believe you should be eligible, please contact rise.bph@berkeley.edu. 

Topics covered include but are not limited to refining research question(s), mapping analytic plans, data management strategies, reporting results, and preparing a protocol for protection of human subjects (IRB). Statistical software support will not be covered in these sessions. Please see the D-Lab for support related to statistical software. 

Questions related to practicum outside of quantitative support will also not be covered in these sessions, as these can be addressed by your Practicum Support Team: Kandis, Sara, and Caitlin. Please schedule an appointment (via PHLEX) or email rise.bph@berkeley.edu.