Alumni Spotlight: Diana Samoil

OVERVIEW

Name and Designation:

Diana Samoil, BSc (Hons), MPH

Position/Employer:

Project Analyst, Research IT, SickKids

MPH Class of 2019

Practicum Placement:

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Cancer Education Program

Interests:

Digital Health, Health Economics, Health Literacy, Health Promotion

What was your background before entering the program?

Before I began the MPH program, I completed my undergraduate degree at Western University, specializing in Science & Psychology. During this time, I was involved in several volunteer and community consulting endeavours that shifted my career interests from clinical medicine to public health. Specifically, I worked with children and individuals with substance use disorders and became curious about how physical, emotional, and social factors interact to form one’s overall health and well-being. This curiosity continued to grow as I spent a summer working for the Ministry of Community, Children, and Social Services, and ultimately led to my enrolment in the MPH program.

What has been your journey post-graduation?

After graduating from the MPH program, I was hired on as a Research Analyst at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, where I completed my practicum placement. I spent roughly 1.5 years in this position, conducting health literacy research and supporting the development of patient education initiatives produced by the Cancer Education Program. Some highlights from this position include publishing seven peer-reviewed articles and performing a province-wide evaluation of the cost and quality of patient education resource production.

In my current role, I work as a Project Analyst at SickKids hospital in the Research IT department. This involves supporting research departments’ transition from paper to platform-based reporting and providing applications support on an ad hoc basis. To implement research application use across the hospital, I engage in project coordination efforts, analyze and triage issues, conduct software testing, support go-lives, assist in developing change management strategies, and facilitating end-user training.

Knowing what you know now about the MPH program, what advice would you give your past self?

Knowing what I know now about the MPH program, the advice I would give my past self is to make the most out of the networking opportunities that the program provides. I often felt intimidated to ask questions or approach working professionals during Brown Bag Series and missed out on potential opportunities to develop long-lasting relationships with influential personnel in the public health space. That being said, I would encourage my past self to step out of my comfort zone, raise my hand to ask more questions and share my opinions, and acknowledge that my voice adds value. The MPH environment really is a safe space to learn and grow, and I would encourage future MPH students to take advantage of that.

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LinkedIn: Diana Samoil

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