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 04 Spatial Epidemiology and Outbreak Detection

"The GIS courses, PHDA 03 Population Health and GIS and PHDA 04 Spatial Epidemiology and Outbreak Detection provided the greatest benefits. They were excellent and introduced brand new skills for me. Prior to taking these courses I had some brief exposure to GIS within my Master’s program and through the free online PopData courses. The PHDA 03 and PHDA 04 course labs were very detailed and instructional, offering good balance between theory and practice. The courses generally had enough materials I could take away to continue working independently."

PHDA 04 Spatial Epidemiology and Outbreak Detection

"The courses that provided me the greatest benefit included the Population Health and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Spatial Epidemiology and Outbreak Detection.

Using the GIS and SAS skills that I learned from the PHDA program, I was able to create a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) layer using GIS software, which showed peak greenness for the entire country over a ten-year period. Using this data and other administrative databases a team of researchers led by Dr. Dan Crouse and myself, conducted a research study that looked at how living by residential greenspace can impact longevity."

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PHDA 04 Spatial Epidemiology and Outbreak Detection

"The labs and the access to the SRTL were the biggest strengths of these courses. The SRTL had all the software, and all the data, and was really easy to access, and was well maintained and organized. The labs were applied, and had very tangible learning outcomes associated with them. They were practical in purpose, and effective in implementation via the SRLT. The labs were very smooth and impactful."

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PHDA 06 Health Services Program Monitoring and Evaluation

"I found the PHDA 06 was one of the most practical PHDA courses. I was able to apply the skills that I was learning to a program evaluation that I was leading within the Infection and Control Department at Interior Health Authority. Being able to directly apply the knowledge I was gaining in the course made an amazing difference to my skill development. Overall, it was a great learning experience and really provided valuable overarching guidance to my work. It supported my work in finalizing a questionnaire for stakeholders and reporting findings to Interior Health."

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PHDA full testimonial

How did you learn about the program and what motivated you to enroll?: I was browsing for the statistical method (longitudinal analysis) on the Google website as it related to a project I was doing at work. Then, I found the course (PHDA05) on the search results. After reviewing the program description, I found the program included many courses that I was most interested in. The course lab components were particularly attractive as they enabled me to practice with various statistical software including SAS, ArcGIS, and Mplus and work with actual health administrative data.
Tell us about your course experience. What skills did you develop and which courses provided the greatest benefit to you?: Overall, the course(s) experience was great. The greatest benefit to me was learning about GIS and practicing the learning through lab assignments with ArcGIS in the PHDA 03 course. Meeting classmates online with diverse backgrounds/experience, sharing ideas and learning from each other on the various topics was another valuable experience. Often, I was inspired by many of my classmates who were passionate about the topic that we were asked to discuss in the discussion forum. They brought their real-life examples from school and work. Just by reading other students’ thoughts or comments motivated me to participate and helped me learn and digest concepts in different ways.
How have you been able to (or how do you plan to) apply your new skills in your work/research?: Personally, I haven’t had a specific chance yet to apply what I’ve learned through the program. In the near future, I hope that there is a chance for me to learn more about GIS and use ArcGIS by applying what I’ve learned from The Population Health and GIS course (PHDA 03). With only one course of completion in GIS, I don’t have enough confidence with ArcGIS skills I learned to complete a GIS related work project on my own at this point.
What do you think were the strengths of this program? Please provide examples.: Personally, I benefited by having access to various analytic tools and different types/sources of health administrative data. They included a good balance of practice and theory. I did not find these kinds of courses were available to me when I was at University. In addition, I had very practical hands-on practice using statistical analytic tools such as SAS or ArcGIS which are not freely available for public 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 would definitely recommend this program to my colleagues or others who would like to develop analytical skills and knowledge in data analysis and the use of health data. I found the Moodle course site was well organized with good technical support. The instructors were also very helpful.

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PHDA testimonials

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