Reflection of class on 9/24/15

Thursday night was a very powerful class for me. I took a course in behavior change theory last Spring and this class is utilizing and tying in many of the same concepts presented during that course. I appreciated the activity seen above in the photo for many reasons, but especially because the activity was based on the Adult Learning Theory. I also really appreciated how the activity demonstrated systems theory and the social ecological theory. The first rule of ecology is that everything is connected to everything else.

I often tell people that public health is where our healthcare system begins. Often times, when public health has failed, we see people in the acute care setting. Within the last month, my eyes have really been opened up to how much the environment truly impacts our health. I think in many ways this reality ties into social determinants of health and how certain populations are disproportionately effected by certain diseases.

I feel empowered now. I feel that zeroing in on a portion of environmental health will allow me to improve patient outcomes across the board.