FAQ – MCH LEADS

Who can write posts/send materials?

Any MCH students affiliated with a school with Centers of Excellence in MCH in Education, Science, and Practice Programs or MCH Public Health Catalyst Programs can contribute material. The blog welcomes anybody interested in becoming more involved in the MCH community! We are also happy to receive nominations from faculty members and staff.

We do not accept unsolicited posts promoting unaffiliated products, businesses, etc.

I’m a former trainee. Can I write a post or send resources to share?

Yes! We would love to hear from our alumni. Please get in touch with mchlead1@gmail.com and tell us more about your interest and current work.

How are students selected to be authors?

We look for students enrolled in or recently graduated from HRSA-funded Centers of Excellence in MCH in Education, Science, and Practice Programs or MCH Public Health Catalyst Programs who have participated in volunteer efforts, work or research projects, internships, community partnerships, or even coursework projects related to MCH. Traditionally, students are nominated by their program directors. However, if you are an MCH student or recent graduate from one of these HRSA-funded programs and are interested in sharing your MCH experiences, please email mchlead1@gmail.com!

How frequently does blog material get added?

The blog gets updated monthly, with new student feature posts. New resources will be added at any time.

How do I get started?

What are the benefits of authoring a post?

The blog provides a unique opportunity to express your work and interests creatively. Instead of just telling a future employer about a project you have completed, you can share the link and show them that you have the experience to get the job done. Writing a post is also a great way to demonstrate your ability to write for everyday audiences, a critical skill for public health professionals. Finally, focusing your post on one of the 12 MCH competencies provides readers with a demonstrated, concrete example of your knowledge and skill sets around a specific core competency.

Also, this student-run resource provides an excellent opportunity for MCH trainees to:

Showcase their work and provide insight into their experiences and what they have learned.
Learn from their fellow trainees’ research, volunteer, or practicum experiences.
Be connected to professionals and agencies looking for their specific experiences and skillset.
Help demonstrate to prospective students the depth and breadth of work that MCH students engage in.
Learn more about the MCH core competencies and apply them to their work.

What is the process for submitting and writing a post?

After we have heard from you, we will confirm your post’s due date and discuss the format and timeline. We also ask that you sign and email the HRSA Consent Form, which you can download here. Once you have written the post (and had it reviewed by someone other than yourself for clarity), we will make technical edits and post it to the blog. Finally, we will be sure to share a draft with you before it gets promoted to ensure accuracy and get your final approval stamp.

How should I format my post?

Be as creative as you want! It could be a traditional blog post with a first-person narrative account of your experience. Alternatives could include interviews (students interviewing each other, a student interviewing a mentor or supervisor about the work they undertook together, etc.), videos, or a pre-recorded PowerPoint with voice-over. Have other ideas? We want to hear them! This is your post, and we want it to represent you in the best way possible.

All posts should include a title. Also, links and references when mentioning other institutions, organizations, or resources. In addition, we ask that you include a headshot and any other pictures of you undertaking your work. Please include a short bio with your name, program, undergraduate degree, expected graduation date, and anything else you would like to share. See the editor’s bio for a good example. We invite you to share your social media contact information (e.g., LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) and/or your email address for others to contact you.

Finally, asking someone else to read your post for clarity is good practice. It could be a fellow student, the supervisor/preceptor you worked with on the project, a mentor or advisor, or anyone else who can offer constructive feedback and make edits.

We will make final technical edits for consistency, but your post should be more or less ready to publish by the time it reaches us.

What should I write about?

We are very proud of all of the outstanding involvement of MCH students during their time in their MCH program. We want you to showcase what you are currently working on and/or how certain experiences in the MCH Program might pertain to your future endeavors. The blog post can focus on volunteer efforts, practicum or internships, work or research projects, community partnerships, or even products such as posters, audiovisuals, reflections, or infographics developed from coursework. Also, remember to describe how the MCH core competencies apply to your work.

Some questions we hope you will answer in your post include (but are not limited to):

What are you currently working on?
How did you get involved?
What MCH competency are you focusing on and why? How did you demonstrate or grow your understanding of the competency in the work you undertook/project you completed? If more than one competency, please discuss them.
How does your work impact MCH populations (what are the benefits and the impacts of the type of work you’re doing)?
What have you been surprised by?
What has been challenging?
What do you want people, especially prospective and current students, to know about your work and being an MCH student?

When is my post due?

We understand that all of our students are very busy with studies and extracurriculars. Based on a student’s workload, we can be flexible in creating a timeline and will strive to publish students’ posts before their graduation date.

Can I use something I’ve already written?

We’ll accept a “re-purposed” piece that has been reformatted for the blog as long as the prior piece is appropriately cited, linked to, and edited for our audience. Sometimes we may need you to ask permission to utilize your previous piece.

How will my post be promoted? What can I do to promote the blog and/or my post?

We will let you know when your post goes live so you can share it as broadly as you like! The University of Minnesota Center of Excellence and University at Albany’s Catalyst MCH Program student editors will promote new posts on their respective social media sites, newsletters, and websites using the hashtag #mchleads. They will also periodically share with the Trainee Ambassador Group (TAG) and others at MCH (including your MCH COE or Catalyst program) so that they can see (and share!) your good work. We will also ask you to kindly provide the names and contact information of anyone you would like us to forward your published article to.

We encourage you to re-post and share with fellow students, staff, and faculty at your own institutions! Remember to check the blog monthly for new posts and resources!