Reisha Fernandes

Program

2018 Graduate – Public Health, MPH

Why I Chose Guelph… 

The University of Guelph's masters of public health program offers various courses in infectious diseases, which are not offered in other masters of public health programs at other universities. Coming from a microbiology background in my undergraduate studies, I was excited to come to Guelph to learn more about infectious diseases. 

About My Advisor… 

Fantastic! I would go to my academic advisor for advice ranging from course selection to practicum placement advice. My academic advisor gave me very thorough feedback, advice and offered suggestions based on the pros and cons of each option that I was considering. My advisor was completely approachable and I had complete confidence that they would give me excellent advice. I never hesitated to ask them a question! 

About the City of Guelph… 

Guelph has a lot of greenery and has a very peaceful atmosphere. The arboretum is beautiful and a good place to go for a walk and de-stress. There are also grocery stores within close proximity to campus and the public transit is excellent. 

Being a Graduate Student at Guelph… 

I loved being a graduate student at Guelph. As a graduate student, I felt completely supported by the university. My program had many social events to de-stress and make friends. Guelph gave me an excellent graduate student orientation and paired me with a graduate student mentor in my program whom I could ask questions and learn from. 

My Future Plans… 

My end goal is to work in Public Health at a global scale. I currently work in an acute care hospital and my program has given me hands-on expertise that I have used frequently during my job. My graduate practicum placement gaver me experience working at a public health organization operating at a provincial scale. My program also allows you to work together with community organizations so that your academic projects can be implemented in real life. I am currently working with various project partners in Kitchener/Waterloo for a project. I now have firsthand experience working in a public health organization, a publication and academic experience in various areas in public health. 

About Campus… 

I really enjoyed the vast amount of greenery found around campus. The arboretum was one of my favourite places to visit and read a book on weekends. It is also a great place to take photos if you are into photography. It is truly unique for how welcoming the campus is – students, staff and faculty. The small classroom sizes also makes you feel connected and purposeful.