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Opening Message

Dear all,

I am excited to again write a welcome message for the OOMPH student newsletter. As we see Cathy off into her retirement, I am reengaging in the day to day activities and leadership of OOMPH. For some of you, I am a familiar name and face. For those of you who joined OOMPH recently, I’ll start with a quick introduction. My current role in BPH is the Assistant Dean for Education where I am responsible for administering the school’s educational programs (including OOMPH) and maintaining its CEPH accreditation. I joined BPH in 2011 to build the OOMPH program and was here to welcome our first cohort of 12 students in Jan. 2012. I came to BPH from the University of Alaska where I taught online primarily from the house my husband and I built ourselves in the small rural community of Haines. Before I found my passion for “educating students in place” (a term coined at the University of Alaska in the early 2000s), my academic life focused on researching the prenatal programming of PCOS and the neuroendocrine regulation of fertility and sexual behavior. I earned my PhD in Developmental Biology in 1995 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I studied the energy metabolism of preimplantation embryos after IVF and enjoyed postdoc positions at the Kunming Institute of Zoology in China, the University of Pretoria in South Africa and at the Primate Center in Madison WI before joining the faculty in Alaska.  

I am writing this note on the day after daylight savings time (😩!) so I am feeling both sleepy and reflective about this time of the year. To me, March is a beautiful time of transition across the globe; as the US welcomes spring with its iconic cherry blossoms and we watch migratory birds moving up CA’s coast toward AK, our neighbors to the south are seeing shorter days and their own fall changes. It is a dynamic time for sure and OOMPH is no different - I’ll use this note to share two March OOMPH transitions.

  • Kim McPherson, who has led the HPM concentration since 2019 will be transitioning to a new OOMPH role as the RHI Program Faculty Advisor. Kim will continue to teach the hugely popular PHW227A: Healthcare Finance course as well as work in close collaboration with Lynn Barr on the rural health group practicum and professional development activities of the RHI program. I cannot think of anyone better to combine deep knowledge of healthcare finance, practical experience with what it takes to lead a hospital board and a talent for the professional mentorship of MPH students than Kim. I hope you will join me in thanking Kim for all her service leading the HPM concentration and welcome her to her new role with RHI.
  • The HPM Faculty Lead role will return to Professor Brent Fulton who served in this role when the HPM concentration began in 2017. Brent began teaching in OOMPH in 2012 and taught PHW200E including its campus visit until 2017 when he launched PHW226A: Health Economics. He is in fact the longest serving OOMPH instructor in BPH. In addition to his teaching, Brent is the Associate Director of The Petris Center, (The Nicholas C. Petris Center on Health Care Markets and Consumer Welfare) where his research examines how markets and regulation can improve the delivery of healthcare, including its cost, quality and access. His work in developing public-private financing strategies will lead to better funding for social drivers of health for families with children residing in low-income communities. In February of 2024, Health Affairs announced that Brent will be Writing the Health Care Competition & Antitrust Newsletter. Please join me in welcoming Brent back to the role of HPM Faculty Lead. Many of you will have the chance to meet Brent at this summer’s first year on campus visit.

The OOMPH program has been one of my greatest professional joys and I look forward to seeing everyone at graduation and the on-campus visits. Please feel free to reach out to me at dbarnett1@berkeley.edu if you have any questions, feedback or just want to introduce yourself. I look forward to working with all of you and am genuinely grateful for all you do to promote health equity in your communities and for being a member of the OOMPH community.


Deborah 
 

Announcements

Important Dates and Deadlines



  • Thursday, March 14 - Tuition and registration fees: third installment of fee Payment Plan
  • Monday, March 25 - Friday, March 29 - Academic & Administrative Holiday
  • Sunday, March 30 - Fall 2024 Schedule of classes and enrollment appointments released
  • Friday, April 12 - Tuition and registration fees: fourth installment of fee Payment Plan
  • Monday, April 22 - Phase I enrollment for continuing students for Fall 2024. Please check CalCentral for your specific appointment time: CalCentral > MyAcademics > Class Enrollment and select Fall 2024


Change in HPM Concentration Faculty Lead

Course Enrollment

Summer 2024 Enrollment


We encourage OOMPH students to be registered for no more than six units of courses for Summer 2024. Summer enrollment will be available in mid-March. Please login to your CalCentral portal to register for courses. You can also find the Summer 2024 course schedule and course enrollment numbers: 


Summer Course Dates:

  • Summer 1: May 13 - June 30, 2024*
  • Summer 2: July 8  - August 25, 2024


*Summer Schedule:

W289 Enrollment Instructions (only for students who have completed W200E): 

  • W289 - Students will need to enroll in all 3 class components of W289:  1. Lecture (Class #15381),  2. Web-Based Lecture (#15391), 3. Web-Based Discussion (#15390)


Fall 2024 Enrollment


Students are encouraged to enroll in Phase I for Fall 2024, which begins on Monday, April 22. We encourage all OOMPH students to be registered for no more than six units of courses for Fall 2024. Please login to your CalCentral portal to view your enrollment time and register for courses. You can also find the Fall 2024 course schedule and course enrollment numbers. 


Please make sure to enroll in 6 units to be eligible for financial aid during the registration period. 
 

Comprehensive Exam

The Summer 2024 Comprehensive Exam will be held July 8th - 14th. More information can be found in the Student Manual and on our Comprehensive Exam Information page.


For students graduating in Summer 2024, please look out for an invitation to join the Summer 2024 Comprehensive Exam Prep Group in April. Evan looks forward to working with you in completing this final degree milestone!
 

Student Spotlight

Congratulations to Bria Larson for her outstanding achievement in being accepted to the Cal-EIS fellowship and placement at the Marin County DPH.

 

Bria previously ran a private practice in San Francisco for 12 years but felt a calling to address deeper inequities within healthcare systems. The pandemic further nudged this calling and led her to pursue the OOMPH program for its academic rigor and flexibility. Despite virtual interactions, Bria found immense support from her colleagues and program faculty, highlighting the invaluable role of the OOMPH community and alumni network. Her passion for epidemiology was ignited during her first-semester core epidemiology course. She hopes to employ sound epidemiological research to inform data-driven policies and programs and be a bridge between public health data and practice to respond to the needs of the communities she loves and calls home. She advises current/prospective students to work the Berkeley network as “this community holds a wealth of experience, ideas, and connections to help navigate your educational journey and your career beyond OOMPH.”


Congratulations again, Bria, and we all look forward to seeing you embark on the next step of your public health journey.
 

Career and Practicum

Don’t forget! Due soon:


Some of the new practicum & internship opportunities:


Some of the new part-time & full-time employment opportunities:
 
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