Last week I talked about what it means to be a PhD student in the social sciences, and what this stage of schooling looks like. I’ve mentioned before that I am studying health communication, but I find that this term is incredibly vague. Today I will talk about what health communication research is, and what it means to me.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
My second semester of my doctorate program recently began, but instead of talking vaguely about how school is going, and I want to get specific. What exactly is involved with getting a PhD, especially in something as nebulous as communication? When I tell my friends or coworkers or family or people I meet that I’m working on a PhD, I usually get three responses: slight awe for earning an advanced degree, followed closely by thinly veiled revulsion that I actually chose to go to more school, and then confusion: what does a person do to get a PhD.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Today, May 19, is World IBD Day, a day to raise awareness of inflammatory bowel diseases. People raise awareness of digestive diseases in many ways. Some wear ribbons or pins or buttons. Some post messages on Facebook or Twitter. These ways are all great. Some of the best awareness raising, though, happens in everyday conversation.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
When I started this series of semester updates two years ago, I was hoping to say in this entry that I was done with four semesters of graduate school, and had zero left to go. That’s changed, partially. I have completed my master’s degree in communication, but next fall I’m continuing my studies in a doctorate program in communication. That means at least three more years of school on top of the 19 years I’ve already completed!
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
