Updated on March 29, 2023

Pragyan Sharma is a Master of Health Communication and Information (MHCI) graduate, earning her degree in January 2023 with a 4.0 grade point average. While in the program, she was recommended by Associate Professor of Communication Lisa Mikesell for a graduate research co-op position studying and addressing vaccine hesitancy among parents of children and young adults in a Rutgers Health Foundation/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School project. Her primary task was preparing, maintaining, and updating the COVID-19 website content for information on the vaccines and other helpful resources in the ten most commonly spoken languages in N.J. The work done as part of this research was published in the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Winter 2022 publication, with Sharma listed as the first author. She’s had an interesting international path and kindly agreed to share her reflections.

SC&I: How did your upbringing influence your educational path?

PS: I am from India and grew up in a family of educators, which instilled in me a mindset to improve people’s lives and provide compassionate care to the community. This played a significant role in selecting dentistry as my undergraduate degree from Karnataka, India. During my years in dentistry, I participated in and led various state and national events that highlighted and promoted oral health among rural communities. In addition, I participated in a National AIDS Awareness Program and helped my fellow dental colleagues set up several dental camps to provide oral health screening and educate people. However, the biggest accomplishment of my academic career was receiving the first-place prize in the national-level essay competition held during the 12th National Conference of the Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry (IAPHD).

SC&I: What is your career path to date?

PS: After completing my undergraduate program, I joined a government dental hospital in my hometown and worked under the senior officer in the dental department. I primarily handled the outpatient department, which involved every aspect of patient management in terms of patients’ medical records, treatment plans, medicines stock, monitoring the inflow of patients, and interfacing with multiple departments to ensure proper compliance and information flow. This medium enabled me to look at state and national healthcare statistics, working with other hospitals and government agencies within the healthcare framework. I also fueled my thoughts using the literature review of some of this information in journals and media. I moved to the United States after my marriage in 2013. I wanted to use my clinical experience and understanding of the healthcare industry to gain more knowledge that would widen my scope of learning and enable me to put it to practical use. I came across the MHCI program in the spring of 2021 and attended a very helpful information session.

SC&I: What attracted you to the MHCI program?

PS: The MHCI program provides a multi-disciplinary perspective on how communication and information can affect illness and global healthcare outcomes and offers enormous opportunities in the field. I was impressed by SC&I’s nationwide reputation for working with various bio-pharmaceutical companies, having a deep professional network, and applying real-life problem-solving to find solutions to common healthcare issues.

After I applied and was accepted, I checked with friends who were either still studying at Rutgers or had graduated and are currently working. They all spoke very highly of SC&I’s culture and competence. Listening to all the positive feedback about the value of a master’s degree from Rutgers and the possibility of endless opportunities motivated me, and I enrolled. The faculty have extensive professional and academic experience and help students develop a wide range of professional skills so that we may excel in our careers. Moreover, entirely online, the program provides an excellent work-life balance providing remote working opportunities, which was impossible in my dental career.

SC&I: How well is the program meeting your expectations?

PS: The program details that MHCI Director, Teaching Professor Richard Dool, discussed in the information session were accurate in terms of effort and time commitment, the pace of classes, and interaction with instructors. It is a tightly integrated course that provides academic and real-world learning. The faculty members are always approachable and willing to discuss issues and guide solutions. I have also learned other vital aspects of healthcare communications, like public relations, persuasion, and negotiation, which are paramount for an effective and successful communications career. I have made friends and great professional connections, which will help me thrive.

SC&I: What are the highlights of your MHCI experience?

PS: While the entire MHCI program has been a great learning experience, a few activities stand out for me. The public relations course with Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Communication Mark Beal was highly instrumental in explaining the nuances of the field and helping us set up an interview with a seasoned PR professional. This person, who had worked with celebrity sportspersons endorsing health campaigns, explained the scenarios in great detail, which I will never forget. It was my first interaction with a working PR professional and a fantastic experience. Another highlight has been listening to and learning from everyone’s experience and perspectives on interpersonal health communication and patient-provider communication issues. Thanks to having to prepare multiple presentations and white papers for the course assignments, I’ve improved my oral and writing skills tremendously. The program also provided paid internship and co-op opportunities to add to my experience.

SC&I: What are your career goals after you earn your graduate degree?

PS: Based on my previous and current knowledge and expertise, I want to engage in communication work within the life sciences industry, specifically pharmaceuticals and biotech. One of my long-term goals is to promote entrepreneurship and transfer my expertise back to the people of my country.

SC&I: What advice do you have for someone considering the MHCI program?

PS: First, ascertain if this is the right path for you; if so, go ahead and apply. With its renowned faculty, solid infrastructure, and strong fundamentals, SC&I is a perfect place to get an advanced specialized degree and grow your career. Connect with previous and current students and faculty members and take advantage of internal and external networking forums. These connections will help you move forward in your career once you are out of school. Finally, even though the courses are virtual, they require proactive effort and planning to ensure timely completion, and there are a lot of opportunities to strengthen your social capital.

Photo: Courtesy of Pragyan Sharma MHCI'23