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 Overall program/course experience
"The Secure Research Training Lab (SRTL) was the best. It was a bit complicated to start with for the first time, but I quickly got used to logging on and working in the environment. It’s well worth the effort to be able to do hands-on work with data, with peer and instructor support, and very good technical support (the few times I needed it).

Another strength of the program is being able to work with motivated and knowledgeable peers, learn from one another through well-moderated forum discussions and collaboration. Having dedicated and clear instructors who are patient with distance ed/online format was also a major advantage. Although you are only required to take four courses to achieve the certificate, I took all six courses available. I felt all courses were very positive experiences for me, with top notch students and teachers who were very engaged and supportive."

Sophy Zhang, MPH, Program Administrative Coordinator, Canadian Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division

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PHDA 05 Longitudinal Analysis and Multi-level Modeling of Population Health Data
"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."

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

 

PHDA Overall program/course experience
"One of the greatest strengths of the program is the access to the Secure Research Training Lab. It holds practical, well written, easy to follow lab activities in data analytics and a very used de-identified BC Heath Dataset as well as other health related training datasets for applied learning. This provided an excellent learning environment for professional development training in data analytics."

Nino Samson, Strategy Analyst, BC Ministry of Health

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PHDA 06 Health Services Program Monitoring and Evaluation
"The PHDA 06 evaluation course was the most useful to me as it is something I'd like to incorporate into my future research much more."

Karyn Fulcher, Postdoctoral Fellow

 

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

I saw a poster for the programme advertised on my campus, and found the course selection to be highly relevant to my doctoral studies.

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

The variety of courses provided learning opportunities for various software programmes, e.g., SAS and ArcGIS, while also teaching fundamentals of epidemiological statistics and other relevant bases for public health research. The use of geographical information systems in two courses was also of immense benefit. 

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

The skills learned in this programme are highly and directly relevant to my doctoral research, and are being used on a near-daily basis. For example, I use both SAS and GIS to analyse various administrative datasets, and have found that the statistical background gleaned from this programmes has enabled me to read more critically and use more sophisticated analyses in my own work.

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

The diversity of courses is an immediate strength, as is the online format. Every instructor was highly engaged and enthusiastic, and was happy to have discussions about course material and further topics via e-mail.

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

I would (and already have) recommended the PHDA programme to colleagues and young researchers. However, I would emphasise setting aside time to do the readings and work carefully through code. Also take the opportunity to learn as much from the instructors as possible. The papers and lessons are useful references for the future as well. I wish I had kept them on paper!

Any additional comments you would like to add about the program or ways we can improve the educational experience?

No, but I want to thank the administrative staff for managing such an excellent programme. Also, I am very happy that they offer a graduate student rate! Many thanks!

 

Blake Walker, PhD Candidate