Tell us about yourself – why did you decide to study for a master’s with King’s College London?

I am a medical doctor by training but have spent most of my career within the pharmaceutical industry. After more than two decades with Pfizer, working in medical affairs at a national and international level, I took advantage of an organisational change to leave the pharmaceutical industry with the ambition to spend the next decade contributing more broadly to public health. That is why I applied for the Public Health MSc at King’s College London in May 2019, and I am delighted I made this decision. From a personal perspective, I am Norwegian, born in Belgium, raised in Austria, living in France; needless to say, that I would love to continue to work in an international organisation.

What’s impressed you most about the academic team? And the student support you’ve received?

Many things. Before I joined, it was the reputation of the academic institution and the access to some of the world’s leading experts in public health that motivated me to become a King’s college student. Now, the more I progress in my studies, the closer the connection with the academic team becomes. I have come to realise how fortunate I am to learn from this dynamic team with diverse academic and professional backgrounds.

As a distance learning student, the dedicated support provided by the Student Success Advisors has also been critical. It’s good to know that there is someone to go to in case of any practical questions.

Why did you choose an online course?

I chose the online course because I currently live in Paris but wanted to study with King’s College London. Knowing that I could continue to study wherever in the world my next job would take me was very important. And finally, having the possibility to start the MSc at several time points during the year and to pause between modules, if needed for professional or personal reasons, was also a determining factor to choose this course. This format has been particularly well adapted in 2020, as I’ve been able to progress without any disruption, despite the many other challenges COVID-19 has brought.

What modules have stood out for you – and why?

First and foremost, the broad overview of the disciplines which are relevant to public health is one of the major advantages of this curriculum. I chose the global health pathway, so the global health module was the one I was most looking forward to. It helped me gain a better understanding of the various health systems across the world and how this affects the many challenges populations and health professionals face. The health protection module is another one I found particularly interesting, and I studied it just before the COVID-19 outbreak. All the learnings about epidemics, emergency preparedness and the importance of well-functioning surveillance systems, allowed me to analyse the strategies applied in different countries more critically.

Did you connect with other online students via the discussion board – how did you find this aspect of the course?

We have fellow students of all ages, from different professional backgrounds and from all over the world, directly experiencing different health systems. As a consequence, exchanging with them is very enriching and an important part of the learning process. For example, in sociology, sharing different cultural perspectives allows you to become more openminded. Beyond the interactions via the discussions board, live discussions with the teaching staff and fellow students are also extremely valuable.

What difference is this course going to make to your career?

I started this MSc with the objective to change career and hope the MSc will enable me to contribute in a meaningful way to public health, ideally in an international organisation. Moreover, being personally involved in a charity, this course helps me better understand the critical success factors for the organisation to hopefully positively impact on the social determinants of health of vulnerable children.