Surviving and Thriving in the Dual Degree Program - Guest Post by Maddie Winchester (Dec '18)

Maddie Winchester, MSW/MPH student (Dec '18)

Today, probably for the hundredth time, I found myself in the position of having to explain to someone what it means to be a dual degree social work and public health professional. Since the dual field is relatively new and often unheard of, questions like this come up a lot, but luckily I never tire of bringing awareness to this intersection of disciplines and the incredible people who are drawn here. Unfortunately, I often feel like I don’t have the time to do the dual degree justice when I try to come up with a quick answer. I find myself stammering out an incoherent sentence or two about the ways the fields complement each other and what my interests are, but always seem to leave feeling like I’ve left something out. This semester, I’ve spent a lot of time working to better understand what it means to be a dual degree professional and what I hope to do in the future, and have been able to get a much deeper (and hopefully more eloquent) understanding of interdisciplinary practice. In this post, I offer not only my own understanding of the dual professional identity, but also my advice for getting through the MSW/MPH degree – surviving and thriving in the dual degree program.

For me, being a dual degree professional means working on multiple levels at the intersection of social work and public health. We work in both prevention and reaction, and on every level ranging from micro to macro. We work with individuals and communities with one common goal: to better the lives and environments of those with whom we practice. Social work and public health practitioners work in a field that’s small, but growing (Jackson, 2015). We come from disciplines with shared values and a shared perspective about the importance of environmental factors on individual wellbeing (Sable, Schild, and Hipp, 2012). Dual degree social work and public health practitioners work in fields with a growing emphasis on the social determinants of health and on working to eliminate health disparities (Jackson, 2015; Congress, 2013), and we serve as advocates, not only for clients and the policies that affect them (Congress, 2013), but also for ourselves and the important role that we can play.

So with this deeper understanding of what it means to be a dual degree professional in mind, here are some words of wisdom for those considering this program or one like it:

1. Get your elevator speech ready – as I’ve said, you have no idea how many times you’ll need to explain why you chose the dual degree and what you want to do with it to your uncle’s wife’s sister, your friend’s ex-boyfriend, your mailman, etc.
2. Prepare for chaos. Being a graduate student can get messy, especially when you’re in two programs that don’t always communicate perfectly. Practice patience and flexibility. 
3. Say “social ecological model” and “person-in-environment framework” a lot. If you aren’t sure what the answer is in class, you’ll be right about 30 percent of the time if you throw one of those out there.
4. Jump in! Put yourself out of your comfort zone and you’ll be surprised by how much you can learn from your classes, field placements, and relationships with peers and professors. 
5. Learn to separate and navigate between feelings and facts. While your innermost feelings and reflections are requested in your Theory and Practice with Families course, there’s likely not a place for them in your Introduction to Epidemiology paper. 
6. Do research that you’re excited about. Papers and projects are a lot more fun when you’re passionate about your subject matter and willing to explore a new topic.
7. Advocate for yourself. Know your value and the unique skill set that you bring, and don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself when you’re being overlooked or brag (just a little) about your dual perspectives and abilities.
8. Take advantage of your time in Athens. Get involved not only at the University, but also in the community. Explore the city and have fun. Two and a half years seems long at first, but you’ll be surprised by how quickly it goes.
9. Learn to channel your rage into something positive. It can be disheartening and overwhelming to be constantly faced with trying to fix all of the hard things in the world, but remember that you can make a difference and these degrees will help you get there.
10. Worm your way into your cohort members’ hearts. Write your program plans together over coffee. Go for hikes and runs. Eat pizza and tacos. Drink wine and tequila (not simultaneously). Lay in the sunshine. Go dancing. Laugh, cry, and rely on each other. 

I’m here to tell you that not only is the dual degree possible, but it’s something special and something that is needed. If the dual degree is right for you, I can’t wait to meet you. I’ll be here, doing my best to navigate the wonderful chaos of the MSW/MPH program and to grow into the best social worker and public health professional that I can be.

- Maddie Winchester, Class of Dec. 2018

References
Congress, E. (2013). Ethics for Public Health Social Workers. In Keefe, R. H & Jurkowski, Elaine T. (Eds.), Handbook for Public Health Social Work (pp. 21-36). New York, New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Jackson, K. (2015). Public Health Social Work: Now More Than Ever. Social Work Today, 15(6): 12-14.
Sable, M. R., Schild, D. R., and Hipp, J. A. (2012). Public Health and Social Work. In Gehlert, S. (Ed.), Handbook of Health Social Work (2nd ed.) (pp. 64-99). Wiley.