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David Hill (from the Global Health Office) reached out to us in the summer asking if anyone would be interested in becoming a student delegate – so I thought this would be a great opportunity to connect with the program. Little did I know that the Global Health Advisory Board meeting would be happening at McMaster this year, which meant those who volunteered would have an opportunity to network with board members from all over the globe. It usually happens at our campus every two years, so I was pretty lucky to be around for this one. 

 

The coordinator of the meeting invited the student delegates to discuss the upcoming event a couple of days beforehand. We got to choose which time slot would work best with our schedules, so of course, I chose the lunch time one. However, during the meeting I found myself agreeing to meeting board members at their hotel for a 7:30am pick up time! We were each given a master document with the bio of each member. It kind of reminded me of the big binder Anne got in The Devil Wears Prada. For the record, I refer to that film when I want to channel my inner A-type personality. Anyway, I decided that if I was going to do this, I was gonna do it right, so I memorized each board member on the document and their recent accomplishments. I found that this was actually a great way to break the ice. It gave me the opportunity to connect with each board member, and it was interesting to discuss with them the kind of themes we consistently refer to in the classroom. 

 

After I escorted each member into the two vans, I headed back into the hotel to make sure Home Alone 5 wasn’t going to take place. Lo and behold, there was someone left behind. I drove Dr. Reddy to the MDCL building on campus- it turned out to be a great opportunity to discuss her work and experience growing up in Cape Town, South Africa. After I came back for the lunch portion, my colleague, Erick, and I sat down with board members as they dug into their meals. It’s these kinds of environments where the conversation flows, ideas are swapped, and contacts are made. 

 

Overall, I’d recommend this to future students who have the opportunity to become a delegate. It’s a great opportunity to connect with a wide array of global health professionals. So when the time comes and you’re thinking of applying for a job and someone you may have briefly connected with works there- you can use your connection to squeeze through that oak finished door! The best part about this program is the connections you’ll make – and in the global health context, it’s the reason why we are all here!