GO(A)LS: Academic Enrichment
Informational Interview

Back in freshman year, I conducted an informational interview with Anthony J. Nixon Jr., who at the time was a Master’s of Public Health-Epidemiology student at OSU’s College of Public Health. He was also a Graduate Assistant for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. I reached out via email because a mutual contact referred me to him. I was not even nervous about meeting with him for an informational interview, because this interview is basically a conversation to learn about his experiences.

Epidemiology involves studying the patterns (causes and effects) of health and disease in populations. It does not necessarily only mean tracking the infectious disease spread like zika or Ebola. Science and statistics are crucial aspects of this public health sub-field.

We discussed his path from his undergraduate years to graduate years. Nixon majored in biology at Morehouse, (a small, all-male, liberal arts HBCU with 3,000 students) and had a 3.3 or 3.4 GPA. During college, he had positions as Resident Assistant and a tutor. After his first year, he engaged in summer research at St. Louis and at Walsh University, working with mice models and getting his first taste of epidemiology. A scholarship was provided for all of his expenses! The following summer, he conducted research at Northwestern. The next summer was spent at the University of Michigan. However, it was in his senior year that he took his first public health course, where Center for Disease Control (CDC) employees talked to the students. This made him consider public health as a possible career path.

This is Columbus Public Health, a place where I myself hope to volunteer or intern in the future.

After graduating college, Nixon was a research assistant at Wexner Medical Center and a weekly volunteer at Columbus Public Health. He then spent two years in Minnesota‘s downtown public health department. He worked at the local level and got to speak with the major and council. Nixon wanted to continue with his education and so pursued an MPH (Master’s in Public Health) here at Ohio State! He even has experience studying health disparities in India!

Nixon says he enjoys talking to people in person and over the phone to find out what issues they are dealing with. He wants to be in a place of influence and impact people. Therefore, developing intimate relationships with others is important. In his graduate classes, there were usually 30 to 40 students, and he completed his practicum with a heart transplant surgeon and cardiology physician working with patients with LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Devices).

Community health is one of my interests too. It includes ensuring safe, nutritious school meals, providing quality nursing home care, providing vaccinations and prescriptions, and much more. To me, community health is about outreach into the various aspects of a community (schools, sidewalks, grocery stores, fast food restaurants, parks, banks, pharmacies, homes, etc.) 

In the future, Nixon would like to help out as much as he can, especially with community health and men’s health. He also would be interested in some teaching and research, so a Ph.D. may be a viable option for him! Other things he hopes to see in the future are more people of color in graduate programs. As a person of color myself, I agree. Oftentimes racial minorities are the first in their families to even attend college, so graduate school can seem almost impossible to reach because of the barriers already in the way. However, I am determined to be the first in my family to go to graduate school. I want to set that example for others.

One valuable piece of advice that Nixon gave me was to keep a running list of opportunities. After our interview, he emailed me public health summer programs/camps and I was so grateful for the links, which I bookmarked. I already have a list of Summer 2018 plans and what programs I want to apply for, since deadlines are usually around December or January. This requires several essays and it can be a lot to handle but my organization makes it approachable, and I know that I will have back-up plans in case I do not get accepted into my desired programs.

The interview I had with Nixon confirmed my desire to pursue public health, and it was inspiring to hear about all the impressive experiences he has in the field! A few months ago, I reached out to him again to check in on him and also inform him about the updates in my own life. He replied that hard work pays off and that sophomore year for me will have more opportunities. There are more chances to get overwhelmed, so I should be aware of the support system I have and not be afraid to utilize it. I am thankful for his wise words of advice! I know that I can turn to Nixon for support as well. Currently, Nixon serves as Program Manager for the Wexner Medical Center, working on two statewide public health/policy projects. I hope to continue to learn and grow from the different opportunities that lay ahead for me!

Tips for Informational Interviews:
– Email the person you are looking to have an interview with using respect and etiquette. Have an appropriate greeting (spell their name right), and introduce yourself and include how you found out about that person, if applicable. Then politely request to meet with them and give them several options (different days and times you are available). Finally, have a salutation such as “Best” or “Regards” or “I look forward to hearing from you!”, and put your name.
– Prepare a list of questions for the interview so that you do not come with a blank slate and to avoid awkward stares or silences. Have a pencil to jot down notes if you would like.
– Try to keep the interview around 20 minutes, unless the person is willing to go more than that. You don’t want to bombard them with too many questions because they could get exhausted. Remember that this should lean towards more of a conversation and not an interrogation.
– Thank the person for their time! Do this both in person and in a follow-up email. Appreciate their time.
– Keep in contact with the person; touch base with them every once in a while. This helps you maintain connections.