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Alexandra (Zandy) Wong shares her experiences so far of the MSc in Applied Digital Health course, bridging digital health and disability health care advocacy.

Zandy pictured with ADH course mates, all posed and smiling for a selfie.

About the Author 

Alexandra (Zandy) Wong is currently studying for the MSc in Applied Digital Health. In the United States, 25% of adults have a disability. Zandy’s research and advocacy focuses on improving health outcomes for US patients with disabilities.  

During my time completing my undergraduate studies in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, I conducted community service and research that focused on improving healthcare access for patients with disabilities. I subsequently discovered the MSc in Applied Digital Health in spring 2023. I was immediately intrigued by the degree’s interdisciplinary focus on understanding how digital technologies can be created and implemented sustainably in healthcare settings, especially for patients with disabilities.  

For me, as I prepare for a career in medicine, completing a master’s degree was about building research and technical skills to further my training in digital accessibility and disability health. I also wanted to live out my dream to study abroad, which had been previously hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the first week of orientation, I was excited to meet my 18 other course mates who have varied backgrounds in medicine, mental health research, and consulting. As we started attending daily classes together, we not only learned a lot about each other, but also about digital health! Some of the most memorable moments for me are as follows... 

Learning about AI, Sociology, Statistics and More! 

In the first week of term, we learned about medical sociology and the importance of considering the context in which technology is implemented. During the third week of term, we explored machine learning and statistics. We then tackled a brand-new module on AI and natural language processing in the fifth week. Finally, in the seventh week, we learned about clinical diagnostics and remote monitoring. While these topics may initially seem disparate, I soon discovered that they built upon each other quite nicely. The course leads were always happy to answer any questions we had, and we often enjoyed afternoon tea or lunch with them whilst learning more about their work!  

Over the course of those two months, my general knowledge on these topics expanded, and I learned to better understand how each of these topics play a role in promoting disability health.  

Building Skills 

During the first term, we applied what we learned in class to real-world situations. Working together on various assignments, we improved our budding R and Python skills and wrote policy briefs on how to improve the digital mental health landscape. We also conquered labs with our course leads; these helped us understand how major machine learning and AI codes are written.  

Some of the cohort come from a nontechnical background, so at first, it was a steep learning curve. However, we learned a lot in a very short amount of time. All the skills I learned from this course are skills I now use in my own research.  

Connecting with Classmates and Professors 

The best part of the course so far has been connecting with course mates from such varied backgrounds. Students travelled from Australia, Canada, South Africa, and more to Oxford to study for this course. Approximately half of our class are clinicians. The rest have backgrounds in public health, consulting, and finance. Since we all take the same classes Monday through Friday, we had plenty of time to get to know each other, especially in helping each other in classes and with assignments. Outside of classes, we’ve hosted dinners, Secret Santa celebrations, and even travelled abroad together!  

Zandy with ADH peers at a formal Oxford event.Zandy with ADH peers at a formal Oxford event.

 

Learning about how different healthcare systems function in different countries was very valuable. Hearing the perspective of clinicians and consultants on how to improve healthcare was insightful, too. Even though I definitely lived out my Harry Potter dreams through trying out rowing and dressing up for formal dinners, the international perspectives and the warmth of the digital health community at Oxford has been the best part of this whole experience.  

The skills and perspective I’ve gained so far on the MSc in Applied Digital Health programme have enhanced my understanding of digital health, its role in healthcare systems and in how it can improve healthcare access for people with disabilities. I’m excited to learn more and see what’s next for our digital health cohort! 

 

Opinions expressed are those of the author/s and not of the University of Oxford. Readers' comments will be moderated - see our guidelines for further information.

 

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