Elyse Schultz, an M.D./M.P.H. candidate in the Class of 2018, holds her award from the United States Public Health Service.
The Wayne State University School of Medicine's Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences held its second annual Research Day on April 18 in the school's Margherio Family Conference Center.
"The department's research day is a celebration of scholarship, intellectual curiosity and perpetual learning. It was wonderful to see a full auditorium of enthusiastic individuals sharing knowledge on research and quality improvement projects that have been conducted or are currently going on in the department," said department Professor and Chair Tsveti Markova, M.D.
The event included lectures by faculty, residents and students on several timely family medicine and public health-related topics, including the keynote address, "Developing a Program of Research in Perinatal Depression and Infant Mental Health among Minority Mothers," by Assistant Professor of Nursing Dalia Khalil, Ph.D., R.N.; as well as "#MeToo at WSU: Implication for Sexual Assault Survivors and Health Practitioners" by Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences Angela Tiura, Ph.D.; and trainee presentations on motivational interviewing sexual health education, grocery store-based interventions, traumatic experiences and sexual risk.
In addition, 13 electronic posters based on department research were displayed throughout the room.
"It was exciting to see the variety of projects and presenters - from our doctoral Public Health and medical students to our Master of Public Health graduate students, residents, faculty and collaborators from other disciplines. It was a very invigorating and rewarding experience," Dr. Markova said.
Guests also listened to Master of Public Health student Maliha Ahmed deliver her essay, "Achieving Health Equity: The Role of Communication and Community," which won the department's inaugural M.P.H. student essay contest.
In addition, Elyse Schultz, a M.D./M.P.H. joint-degree student who will graduate with both degrees in June, received the 2018 Excellence in Public Health Award from the United States Public Health Service.
"It was a big surprise," Schultz said. "I am very grateful that I have such supportive faculty to nominate me."
Schultz was nominated by Associate Professor and Director of Medical Student Programs Juliann Binienda, Ph.D., for her academic understanding of public health and her steadfast practice of the public health profession. Dr. Binienda is the principal investigator of Bridges to Equity, a five-year grant sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration to integrate public health principles and practice into all levels of medical school training, and to provide an integrated M.D./M.P.H. degree.
Schultz applied for the program following her second year of medical school, and received the first Bridges to Equity student scholarship, for which she took a formal leave from medical school, entered as a graduate student, then re-entered medical school after an intensive Master of Public Health program course load, which included employment as an HIV prevention specialist providing counseling, rapid testing and referral services to incarcerated individuals in Wayne County jails.
"She has been the most prolific and consistent ambassador for the M.D./M.P.H. degree and the importance of medical student training in public health principles and practice," Dr. Binienda said.
Schultz will begin an Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at Loyola University in Chicago this summer.
The event was organized by Professor and Associate Chair of Research Dawn Misra, Ph.D.