Passion meets policy in public health
Niky Mathioudakis uncovers the challenges, rewards and complexities that come with working in the public health field.
Niky Mathioudakis (she/her) is a third-year Public Health student, minoring in Mental Health Addictions and Policy. She shares her insights into the public health field and how she used her passion to make the most of her work terms.
Niky's co-op journey
Work term one: Niky began her co-op journey with the Region of Peel as a health planning and performance analyst student. A lot of her work was directed towards improving long-term care homes in the Region and other concerns like health equity. She supported this work by researching and contributing to presentations on the projects.
Work term two: For her second co-op term, Niky joined the Cambridge North Dumfries Ontario Health Team (OHT) as a population health analyst, where she was able to explore her area of interest of mental health and addiction-focused work. There, she wrote a white paper and gap analysis on the services available in the region and collected data to support many ongoing projects.
Work term three: Niky wrapped up her most recent work term as a health policy and promotion intern at the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). Her work mostly focused on researching, informing policy and advocating for the Ontario physicians that were part of the OMA.
Q&A with Niky
What have you learned about the health industry through your co-op experiences?
“There is so much that I learned. It’s a really complex field to work in and it can be political, which can sound intimidating at first. Everybody has one thing in common, they are driven by the dedication of wanting to help others.”
“From the lens of public health, everybody is trying to keep up with a field that is constantly changing its priority in reaction to major events and health concerns. It can be tricky because there are so many opinions on public health. With every person I’ve interacted with, it’s clear they want to do what’s best for the community they are serving.”
“What has also stood out to me in my co-op terms is how gracefully so many of the health professionals go about handling such high stress problems that have such a large impact on the world. Every physician and health professional I’ve talked to has taught me so many valuable things about how to approach any interaction with the public or different audiences.”
Did you face any challenges going into such an ever-changing industry?
“The way you have to change your mindset and how you view things can be hard to navigate at first. You learn so much in the academic environment, but it really is a completely different thing once you go into the workforce.”
“I also found that, at first, trusting myself was tricky. It can be intimidating being in environments with people who are so smart and know what they are doing, being a third-year student. I think that people want you to succeed more than you think, and that’s been a big take away for me.”
Did your classroom learning prepare you for your co-ops or did you do a lot more learning on the job?
“It’s a give and take. I’ve had so much classroom learning that I brought to work but also was able to bring so much of what I learned in the workforce back to my studies.”
“My studies gave me a backbone of knowledge to allow me to do these co-ops. There are things like conducting health research, writing policy briefs and the fundamentals of public health that I already had in the back of my mind.”
“I was really able to focus on taking away all the learning I could get from my work experiences like social skills and professional development. The workplace gives you the space to explore more when you have those background skills from school.”
What is the most interesting thing you’ve done while on a work term?
“In Peel, I did some site visits of long-term care homes. I loved the hands-on aspect.”
“At the OHT, I supported a large dinner that we did for the region’s physicians and specialists. It was a great opportunity to interact with people who are higher up in the region.”
“In my latest work term at the OMA, I researched and supported work that is being done to stop the primary care crisis. I got to support Jane Philpott in her work for the province. I was able to contribute with research to recommendations that were passed to the ministry on how to increase primary care attachment. This is priority work being done right now so I am so grateful to have been a part of it.”
I’m so proud of the work I’ve done. I love seeing the impact of what I do and knowing that I am helping to make Ontario a better place and giving people access to health care, even if it is in the littlest way.
What have you gained from your experiences that you’ll carry with you in the future?
“My main takeaway for myself is that my passion, dedication and excitement for the field is my superpower. It’s the thing that I’ve noticed gets the most recognition. I get the best production of my work when I try to make it a little bit more my own.”
“I think when you’re a student, you think you are expected to work within a certain structure, without a lot of consideration for your personality or perspective. I find that my past supervisors appreciate it so much more when I’ve put some of myself into the work.”
“I love what I do. I don’t take it for granted, and I think that’s what everybody should try their best to do. Even if you are doing something you don’t absolutely love, try to make the work unique to you.”
“I’ve absolutely gained confidence over my co-op terms. At my first co-op, I was so scared to do anything and would always ask people to double check my work. At my latest co-op, I really allowed myself to be more independent and trust myself and I don’t think there was any harm in that. It’s easier said than done, but I think it comes with time.”
What’s next for you?
“I’m currently finishing up my 3B term and then I have my eight-month co-op starting in January. I still haven’t found a job yet, but I’m interested in continuing my work in government, policy and the mental health and addictions fields because that is what I’m really passionate about.”
“For now, I’m just trying to absorb as much as I can to bring with me to my next co-op and beyond.”