PHDA testimonials

If you would like to specify which course(s) you would like to see testimonials for, you may do so by selecting the course(s) from the list below and hitting the APPLY filter button. You may select more than one course. Otherwise, the testimonials are listed below, in random order.
PHDA full testimonial
How did you learn about the program and what motivated you to enroll?

I learned about it through emails from PopData BC a few years ago. I took at least one class before I enrolled in the program, so the high quality of the class and instructor, as well as the online video testimonials I watched, motivated me to enroll.

Tell us about your course experience. What skills did you develop and which courses provided the greatest benefit to you?

I took PHDA 01, PHDA 02, PHDA 03 and PHDA 04 and I would say that they all provided useful skills to me. I had always wanted to learn to use ArcGIS software to explore health data, and have both a geography and clinical background, so PHDA 03 and PHDA 04 were especially interesting. Through the program, I came to learn about the enormous benefits of using already-collected administrative health data, and the process for doing so. I think my skills with SAS and ArcGIS will be the most useful to me, but the larger concepts of data integrity, (PHDA 01), what type of analysis is used in certain situations (PHDA 02), and considerations when doing spatial analysis (PHDA 04) are immensely important as well. I enrolled, but withdrew from PHDA 06. I didn’t find the content interesting and it was an already busy semester for me, so this was a good decision.

How have you been able to (or how do you plan to) apply your new skills in your work/research?

Along with a colleague, I have applied for and received a grant to do a small project using Statistics Canada data through one of their RDCs. I am sure that completion of this program helped our application to be successful. I will be using many skills from PHDA 01 (metadata, manipulation of variables, SAS analysis) and PHDA 02 (which statistics are best for the analysis, what to do with missing data) in this project.

What do you think were the strengths of this program? Please provide examples.

For a program that is delivered completely online, each course was organized and delivered very well. Most of the instructors were very quick with their replies to questions from students. All of the courses used practical examples to explain the material which I found really helpful for understanding how to apply the concepts in practice. In the Working with Administrative Data (PHDA 01) course, the instructors were extremely helpful, and I found the 15 minute phone meeting near the start of the course really nice. It was so much easier to go through several questions/concerns at once on the phone with person rather than I think the highly trained, expert instructors, who are approachable and provide excellent feedback are a major strength. Certainly, the small class sizes allow for that individualized feedback and a continual dialogue with instructors in the discussion boards as well. I think Moodle is very easy to use, and in general, the courses were very well organized. The voice-over step-by-step videos were very useful when learning new things in ArcGIS (PHDA 03) and could have been useful when learning any of the software, really. When I needed it, the IT support was quick to respond and helpful. PopData BC staff were always very friendly, very professional, and pro-active. UVic registration was quick and easy, and library services simple to use.

Would you recommend this program to others? If so, what recommendations/suggestions would you give those interested in applying to this program?

Yes, I already have! I would recommend that students make sure they have 8-10 hours per week to spend on the class. I didn’t really believe that I would spend this much when I read it, and it’s not every week in every class, but there were certainly many weeks when I spent that much time. It’s not easy while working full-time, especially if you have no experience with the software packages, such as SAS or ArcGIS. But, it’s very rewarding!

 

Amy Klepetar

Amy Klepetar, Assistant Professor and Coordinator, School of Nursing, University of Northern British Columbia-Terrace

 

PHDA full testimonial
How did you learn about the program and what motivated you to enroll?

My postdoctoral supervisor suggested it to me – my PhD work was qualitative, and I’m interested in doing more mixed-methods and quantitative research using administrative data so it seemed like a good fit. The fact that it was online and I could take the courses at my own pace was an additional motivator.

Tell us about your course experience. What skills did you develop and which courses provided the greatest benefit to you?

I developed a number of skills, most importantly in working with administrative data and statistical analysis. The evaluation course was probably the most useful as it is something I’d like to incorporate into my future research much more.

How have you been able to (or how do you plan to) apply your new skills in your work/research?

I am currently planning an evaluation of a health program that will include using administrative data, so hopefully it will give me plenty of opportunity to use the skills I’ve developed.

What do you think were the strengths of this program? Please provide examples.

The flexibility of timing due to the entirely online nature of the program stood out to me. I could work on things when I had the time, which I think is a great feature for people who are generally working full time. I also liked the mix of discussion and individual assignments in the courses; getting to hear others’ opinions and experiences was very useful.

Would you recommend this program to others? If so, what recommendations/suggestions would you give those interested in applying to this program?

Yes, I would recommend this program to others, although I would definitely suggest only taking one course at a time. Even working only part time, taking two courses at once was a bit much.

 

Karyn Fulcher

Karyn Fulcher, Postdoctoral Fellow

 

PHDA full testimonial
How did you learn about the program and what motivated you to enroll?

I was looking at programs that were more data-oriented because my data skills were not quite high enough to get a good data-centric job. So, while I was finishing my MA, I figure PHDA would serve me well. Plus, the tuition was much lower because I was a student!

Tell us about your course experience. What skills did you develop and which courses provided the greatest benefit to you?

I found the Working with Administrative Data (PHDA 01) was a good course. It was less intensive and slower paced than the other PHDA courses. I took this course last because of my time frame for completing four courses. It would probably have been better to take this course earlier on.  The Population Health and GIS (PHDA 03) course was the most interesting course I took. The labs were easy to follow and I enjoyed the final project.  When I first enrolled in the program, I thought that PHDA 01 and PHDA 03 would be the most valuable courses for my skill development but in the end it was the Health Evaluation and Program Monitoring (PHDA 06) course that really helped me land a job after graduation. PHDA 06 was different from the other PHDA courses. It felt a bit like a satellite course in the program as it included a health evaluation project rather than data analysis lab work. I learned a lot from the peer review process we used.

How have you been able to (or how do you plan to) apply your new skills in your work/research?

I just started working after graduation, but so far, I have applied evaluation skills that I learned from the Health Evaluation and Program Monitoring (PHDA 06), including logic models, evaluation methodology, gantt charts and interview guides. My current role, as an Evaluation Lead, will also include some data analysis, so the Working with Administrative Data (PHDA 01) and Epidemiological Statistics (PHDA 02) courses will be helpful for that too.

What do you think were the strengths of this program? Please provide examples.

I think the BC-specific focus is the main strength. I came out understanding more about the data available to help with BC-specific health policy. Perhaps, this doesn’t help attracting students outside of BC, but is great for our province’s capacity for good health decision making.

Would you recommend this program to others? If so, what recommendations/suggestions would you give those interested in applying to this program?

I have recommended this program to others. However, I also warned them that it was a lot of work – especially Epidemiological Statistics (PHDA 02). I think my estimated hours per week for this course were at least 15.  I also found the group work in PHDA 02 more time consuming than the other PHDA courses.  The work in the Secure Research Training Lab (SRTL) can also increase the amount of time you need to spend on the courses depending on group work or your knowledge of the subject matter.

 

Jackson Flagg, Evaluation Lead

 

PHDA full testimonial
How did you learn about the program and what motivated you to enroll in the PHDA course(s) you chose?

I learned about the PHDA program through researching continuing education certificates focused on population-level health administrative analysis. I was motivated to do so as I am particularly interested in health services research during the end-of-life phase.

Tell us about your course experience. What skills did you develop and which courses provided the greatest benefit to you?

Overall, I had a positive program experience. I greatly appreciated the asynchronous format as it allowed me to develop my skills without risking my other professional commitments. I found PHDA05 (Longitudinal Analysis and Multi-level Modelling of Population Health Data) to be the most rewarding as it exposed me to higher level quantitative analyses. In addition, I found PHDA03 (Population Health and Geographic Information Systems) very interesting as it provided applicable GIS uses for health services research.

How do you plan to apply your new skills in your work/research?

I believe the skills I have learned through this program will be directly relevant to my current research interests. Also, I plan on increasingly incorporating GIS analyses in my health services research, in order to understand another dimension of care accessibility during the end-of-life phase.

What do you think were the strengths of the course(s) you completed? Please provide examples.

The collaborative activities throughout the various courses were greatly appreciated, despite the asynchronous format!

Would you recommend PHDA courses to others? If so, what recommendations/suggestions would you give those interested in completing these courses?

Absolutely – the PHDA program is a great program for anyone who is interested in further exploring population-level analyses. For prospective students, I recommend honing on your SAS skills prior to program completion. While not necessary, having prior experience using SAS is beneficial to successfully completing courses.

Any additional comments that you would like to add?

Overall, my experience was largely positive. The instructors are very knowledgeable and accessible to students, and the program staff are always helpful!

 

Abe Hafid

Abe Hafid, Statistical Analyst

 

 

PHDA full testimonial
How did you learn about the program and what motivated you to enroll?

I first heard about the PHDA program through the PopData e-news updates (i.e., regular emails sent through their listserv with various announcements). The courses seemed relevant to my work as a health services researcher, and the testimonials from previous students seemed positive and relatable. The fact that the PHDA program qualifies for CIHR funding as part of their Professional Advancement Award really motivated me to enroll in the program.

Tell us about your course experience. What skills did you develop and which courses provided the greatest benefit to you?

I enrolled in four courses, offered continuously between fall 2014 and September 2015. The courses I found to be of greatest benefit to me and my work were PHDA-01 (Working with Administrative Data) and PHDA-05 (Longitudinal Analysis and Multi-level Modeling of Population Health Data). These courses provided practical skills that I find I apply regularly to my job, and made me much more comfortable with using data analytic programs like SAS. The other two courses I took (PHDA-02 Epidemiological Statistics and PHDA-03 GIS and Population Health) were both very interesting and informative. PHDA-02 provided me with a good statistical overview as it relates to the health sciences, and PHDA-03 introduced me to a completely new system for me – GIS – and taught me how I can supplement some of my research with consideration to health geography.

How have you been able to (or how do you plan to) apply your new skills in your work/research?

I have been able to use the skills learned about data management using SAS directly in my current research projects. I’ve been able to share some of the knowledge gained in the PHDA-05 course with colleagues who are working on projects that require analysis of longitudinal data.

What do you think were the strengths of this program? Please provide examples.

I found a strength of the program to be the engagement of the other students, who are usually all from diverse backgrounds with varying levels of experience with the content. It was helpful to learn from each other. The course workload was also quite manageable for those who are working full-time. The teachers also all seemed knowledgeable and passionate about the topics, and were willing to help students answer their questions or provide assistance for the course projects.

Would you recommend this program to others? If so, what recommendations/suggestions would you give those interested in applying to this program?

I would recommend the program to others who are interested in building on their data analytic/ population health expertise. I would suggest budgeting in the time to read through the course materials and do the extra labs that are provided – it always takes longer than you think it will!

 

Sarah Costa

Sarah Costa, Health Economist, Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control, BC Cancer Agency