Jackson - Taught Masters

Jackson talks about his experience of studying at Edinburgh and why he chose to study public health with us.

Jackson Thein

 Jackson Thein moved from Oregon, US, to study Master of Public Health in the Edinburgh Medical School.

"I specifically chose Edinburgh because it is known across the world for its international focus.

I knew that coming here would enable me to learn from lecturers and students who have different perspectives on health than I have (coming from the United States).

I have not been disappointed in my choice for one second."

Choosing Edinburgh

While I feel a little embarrassed to admit it, I think that my choice to attend Edinburgh University came from the gut.

I was weighing a number of different postgraduate programmes (both in the US and UK) and after weighing all of my options it just seemed like the perfect fit.

Edinburgh is an excellent city to live in, the programme is great, and the University of Edinburgh is a world-class university.

I am happy that I followed my gut on this one as I have been extremely happy with my decision.

The University of Edinburgh offers students the ability to get a world-class education with students and lecturers from all over the world.

Choosing Master of Public Health

I chose to study in the Master of Public Health programme to explore health on a larger social scale than I had previously considered.

With an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and molecular biology, I was now interested in learning how society, governments, and populations responded to the treatments I had previously considered.

Studying at Edinburgh

One of the reasons why I chose the University of Edinburgh is because I felt welcomed before I even arrived.

Often it feels as if postgraduate students have a transactional role with their university where they simply come to campus, go to class, and go home at the end of the day. I don't feel that way with the University of Edinburgh at all.

As a postgraduate student I am encouraged to join student societies, sports clubs, and run for student government positions.

It doesn't feel like I am here just as a stepping stone to a future career but that I am here to be fully a part of the University of Edinburgh community.

Starting the programme

As a postgraduate student much of your programme learning comes on your own time.

Lecture and contact hours focus less on the general material and more on discussions with colleagues, connecting topics across disciplines, and diving into the concepts further.

While this is daunting at first, I have come to love the independence that comes with postgraduate study.

You have the opportunity to set your own timescales even more than in undergraduate and prioritise your classes on a weekly basis.

Overall this makes the atmosphere of the classes so much more mature and you engage with classmates who are prepared and excited for each class.

Preparing for the future

Throughout the entire year both my programme as well as the greater university have done a lot to make me a better applicant for future careers.

The MPH programme in the first term exposed me to a lot of core introductory classes that allowed me to explore a variety of topics and discover my specific interest in the field.

For me, this came in the form of epidemiology and statistics which I am further exploring for my second semester and dissertation.

The Edinburgh Award

At the university level I am participating in the Edinburgh Award, an award scheme which encourages skill-based growth through reflection and workshops throughout the year.

Some employers specifically look to the Edinburgh Award for making their hiring decisions and I know that the skills gained so far will help me in my future employment and studies.

The Edinburgh Award