This publish about Andy was one in a collection through which interns within the Winter 2023 cohort interviewed previous interns about how Concussion Alliance impacted their lives going ahead. The under interview follows up with Andy, who has expertise working within the healthcare trade. He was a mission supervisor for Concussion Alliance. To be taught extra, see Andy Pham’s profile page. Sam Gossard, a sophomore psychology main at Carleton School, performed this interview. See Sam Gossard’s profile.
*The transcript is calmly edited for readability
Sam Gossard:
At the moment, I am right here with Andy. He was a previous program supervisor for Concussion Alliance. Andy if you wish to introduce your self?
Andy Pham:
Yeah. My identify’s Andy Pham. I am a senior on the College of Washington Bothell. I am presently a public well being pupil, and I am additionally minoring in group well being and world well being. So a number of that spectrum is simply all tied collectively in a single factor the place I am studying about how one can higher the standard of life for inhabitants well being, studying about well being techniques and stuff like that. And yeah, presently, I am attempting to use to grad faculty and go in the direction of a grasp’s in public well being. At the moment trying on the UW grasp’s program together with UCLA. So yeah, that is simply my factor proper now. And I really like public well being.
Sam Gossard:
At Concussion Alliance, you labored as a program supervisor. How have the abilities you realized as a program supervisor contributed to your experiences within the healthcare trade?
Andy Pham:
Nicely, for one, this was my first internship ever. So it was undoubtedly a special expertise from what I have been used to. It is one thing manner completely different from only a regular job that you’d work in particular person. So, initially, I needed to go and understand I used to be managing extra than simply my very own work. I needed to handle the science writers themselves. So a number of that was simply bouncing between that, Connor, and a few of the peer mentors, and with that, preserving in contact with the science writers and stuff.
So my job and my function was simply actually bouncing round these avenues on a regular basis. At first, it was sort of laborious to remain organized mentally as a result of I’ve at all times sort of checked in between these teams, managing and seeing how the whole lot was going. So oftentimes, I’d work exterior of the work hours but additionally be determining what to do from there and basis steps to set myself up higher for the subsequent day. So generally it will be worrying in that regard, however even then, you are so concerned in these tasks and what the scholars are as much as that you simply simply have an enormous function in understanding how one can higher the scholars, how one can contribute to discussions on the books and stuff, and even contributing to visitor audio system.
And in the direction of the tip, while you’re working with tasks, it is tremendous cool to see their progress, and how one can assist. You can provide your personal insights. So being a mission supervisor is, in a great way, simply being everywhere and dealing in several sections of the mission and the internship with individuals. However yeah, it was only a nice studying expertise, understanding how one can work with timing, managing, and actually bettering organizational expertise with individuals.
Sam Gossard:
Yeah. I am glad you realized all of these items whereas at Concussion Alliance. So, certainly one of your targets is to emphasise academic consciousness. How did your work at Concussion Alliance align with that purpose? How does your involvement within the healthcare trade relate to your purpose of emphasizing academic consciousness?
Andy Pham:
I feel initially, after I began, I used to be nonetheless diving into what precisely in public well being I used to be searching for. I do know this is a chance to actually start advocating. So, I feel at the moment, I used to be actually within the analysis facet of issues, how concussion analysis was carried out, and the way it was advocated. So after all, after I was trying on Handshake, Concussion Alliance was actually advocating for these items. And it simply sounded tremendous fascinating since you’re doing analysis articles, you have got individuals managing, and you’ve got science writers. And all of those are completely different realms of public well being that we want in society. So it is simply one thing actually essential. And for me, it was actually one thing I wished to take an curiosity in and see how I may contribute personally.
And I feel that actually helped me perceive that I wished to be a public well being chief in managing tasks of some type as a result of I took a number of pleasure in studying about individuals and how one can handle these tasks. Taking stepping stones to complete tasks and the way we will keep organized collectively to complete that deadline. So it was actually good. I actually realized loads, and I feel it was an incredible foundational step in taking that and shifting ahead as a future public well being chief.
Sam Gossard:
Chatting with the curriculum that you simply had at Concussion Alliance with studying about concussions, how did that impression your relationships with others? Possibly others that you understand who had a concussion?
Andy Pham:
For me personally, I did not actually have anybody else round me that had been impacted in that manner with concussions. However, I keep in mind after I was initially making use of, I may recall a time in highschool when there was a college bus crash that I used to be on. It was tremendous minor, nevertheless it was simply a type of few instances the place you do not actually know till it occurs to you. You do not actually count on it to occur till it occurs. I acquired somewhat little bit of a minor concussion that yr at school, so I needed to take a two-week break from my swim workforce.
In order that was undoubtedly one thing that I used to be uncovered to, and it is nonetheless one thing I recall now. Like, “Wow.” I suppose I do have a connection to concussions in some way. So it is actually fascinating to know that. And I am positive there are individuals on the market who’ve many various tales on why concussions, concussion harm care, and even simply the Concussion Alliance program itself stands proud to them. So I consider the cohort that we had all have one thing that pulls them to concussions in some way, and accompanying that with analysis, group, public well being, and managing and turning into a workforce, it’s simply one thing that in all probability matches that bubble for everybody.
Sam Gossard:
All through the Concussion Alliance internship program, there are a number of visitor audio system who are available in and speak. Have been there any professionals that you simply had been put involved with via Concussion Alliance?
Andy Pham:
No, personally, however I feel one of many visitor audio system that actually caught out to me was the creator of the e book. I’d’ve forgotten the title of the e book.
Sam Gossard:
Yeah, Shaken Mind.
Andy Pham:
Yeah, shaken Mind. Yeah. That was an incredible one as a result of I used to be managing a number of questions whereas studying it. So getting to listen to from the creator herself was simply actually nice to grasp her perspective of issues as a result of it wasn’t the simplest e book. It had some advanced particulars and concepts to it that actually constructed off of concussion studying. So it undoubtedly took a number of time and funding to actually learn. However it was actually rewarding after I acquired to listen to it. And all of us had that assembly collectively, studying about what she had written within the e book, her ardour for it. So it was a extremely nice expertise.
And yeah, truthfully, each visitor speaker had one thing completely different to share. It was nice due to their perspective, being medical doctors, and understanding how their analysis contributes to medical faculty and well being and concussion studying. So it was actually nice. I do know it was some time for me, so I am unable to actually keep in mind all their names, however I keep in mind visitor audio system each week, and it was one thing I actually seemed ahead to each week as a result of, one, it wasn’t studying, so it undoubtedly wasn’t boring. I may hearken to individuals really share their ideas. It was a extremely nice expertise.
Sam Gossard:
So, somewhat bit extra in your profession. Do you need to simply speak somewhat bit extra about your targets with grad faculty and your profession?
Andy Pham:
Nicely, for me, I am making use of to grad faculty to, as I stated earlier, additional that public well being chief kind of function. So, these grad applications that I am particularly making use of to concentrate on studying about well being techniques and inhabitants well being, after which there are additionally realms of future public well being leaders. So I feel these are each avenues that I can actually profit from as a result of while you’re launched to being a public well being chief, you need to study well being techniques as properly to greatest profit how one can create a greater high quality of life for individuals there in any group as a result of that work is simply common. It may be utilized to any nation, any metropolis, and any state. It really works out. In order that’s simply one thing I have been trying ahead to.
And apart from grad faculty, the sort of function I see myself in job-wise can be King County Public Well being. Any well being district, such because the CDC, the place I’ve a elementary function as a mission supervisor. With public well being, you’ll be able to go into any mission as a result of there are literally thousands of issues like local weather change, emergency preparedness, COVID-19, and HIV/AIDS. There are such a lot of issues that you would be able to analysis and handle on the similar time that you simply want for individuals. So truthfully, being a frontrunner in any of these realms is simply one thing I am trying ahead to.
Sam Gossard:
You talked somewhat bit about attending to know the techniques in place and the healthcare system. Together with your private expertise with concussion, had been there any reflections that you simply had, after going via the curriculum at Concussion Alliance, on the way you had been handled?
Andy Pham:
By way of reflections, I keep in mind the stigmatization while you brush off a concussion; you simply assume, oh my gosh, it is simply lightheadedness. It’s going to simply go away. I should not fear about it. However studying about that stuff now, after all, it is at all times… it is advisable take precautions and actually perceive what a concussion does to your mind. So, by way of issues I took away from the internship, it will be studying about that. And I’ve realized for myself how one can assist others in case of a state of affairs like that. Concussions are dismissed. They go below the water. So mainly, while you study it, it is simply elementary to know the steps to take precautions for your self, the individuals round you, and the shut ones round you. So perhaps sooner or later, if I had a child who had a concussion throughout a sports activities occasion, I’d know the very first thing to do. There are additionally so many pages on Concussion Alliance that spotlight various things and signs, like vestibular remedy, studying, and complications. These assets are actually useful in studying about that, and so they’re actually accessible. So, studying about that and reflecting on it may profit me now and sooner or later. It’s one thing that’ll at all times be there for me. If something occurs, I can go and analysis that if I have to.
Sam Gossard:
Superior. Yeah, thanks for the whole lot in the present day. Thanks in your work at Concussion Alliance, and I want you the perfect along with your profession in public well being.
Andy Pham:
Respect it, Sam. Thanks very a lot, man.
