Student Spotlight: Madalyn Charnego

 

    When I received my offer to join the Pitt master’s of public health program for fall of 2020, I was a few short days away from Match Day. At that same time, I was coming to terms with the fact that I had lost the end of my undergraduate career to the COVID-19 pandemic. The blur of excitement that should have been the spring of my senior year was overtaken by virtual classes, virtual interviews, and lost opportunities. When Match Day came, I was left without a program and unsure of where my next chapter would take me. Looking for a sense of purpose, I chose to accept the offer from Pitt’s MPH program.

              Receiving my MPH was always something that I had been interested in and was a big factor of why I had applied to Pitt in the first place. The chance to learn more about how genetics impacts populations was intriguing. I knew that there would be a lot of new opportunities for me that would open up by completing an MPH. I was still thinking that genetic counseling was the career for me but starting this MPH would give me the chance to explore some more avenues. Although this was not the path I had intended for myself originally, I tried hard to keep myself focused on the positives. I had a new plan of action and was excited to get started.

              When the fall semester began, I was immediately shocked by how supportive and welcoming the School of Public Health and the Human Genetics Department were—even over Zoom! I fell in love with the department and the culture at Pitt. I broadened my horizons from genetics into health equity and health literacy. I was able to take classes that explored those topics on a deeper level. Through my MPH coursework, I found a new passion for advocating for better access to health care information and materials written and presented at appropriate levels for all patients, instead of only for individuals with high health literacy. I ultimately chose this topic to focus my thesis around.

              As the application cycle for 2021 began to open up, I struggled with what to do. I knew I wanted to finish what I had started with the MPH, but I knew that genetic counseling was really where my career goals were. I chose to apply to only Pitt for the 2021 cycle. Although applying to one school could be considered a gamble, it was a chance I was willing to take. Similarly, I found comfort in the fact that no matter what, I could always apply again, and I was still going to finish my MPH. I updated my application materials to reflect all that I had accomplished since starting the MPH program and spent time learning more clearly what the Pitt GC program had to offer. The application cycle moved fast, and soon I was interviewing and submitting my very short rank list. When Match Day brought me the news that I was going to finally accomplish my dream of not only becoming a genetic counselor, but also receiving my MPH at the same time, I was overjoyed.

              Matching meant I get to stay in Pittsburgh for three years total, instead of only two. With this comes extra time to complete my thesis, more chances to take courses in areas that interested me, and more opportunities to explore the city I now call home. On top of all of this, completing a full year of course work before starting the GC program proved to be incredibly beneficial to my success. Because I had already been in many of the courses that first year GC students take, I was able to focus more effectively on the GC-specific courses that I still needed to take. Plus, I could use the knowledge I had already acquired the year before to inform my learning in other classes. While this path is not necessarily the ideal for everyone, it has turned out to be the perfect fit for me. Taking three years to complete my two degrees has given me space to follow my passions and grow as both a student and a future genetics provider.

-Madalyn Charnego