AHI Blog
Posts from AHI students on Fordham's program, working in healthcare, and what is up and coming in Health Informatics.
From the Operating Room to the Server Room: One Nurse's Journey of Growth in Health Informatics
By Imelda Soledad, RDH, RN, BSN, BMTCN.
I am a nurse who strives to continuously learn and adapt to the latest technologies. As technological advancements have continued to develop at an astonishing rate at my hospital, I started to look seriously into making a mid-career change more focused on the interface of information flow and healthcare delivery. The field of Health Informatics caught my attention when I met my first Nurse Informaticist. I then considered it as a future career goal.
While doing my research, I came across a program in Fordham and ever since then my life has forever changed.
I never thought that I will find myself studying again after more than a decade of completing my second college degree in nursing. I love to study and gain new knowledge that I can use to be a better nurse and person. When I started working as a nurse, the busy schedules and workloads occupied so much of my time, and my passion for studying ended up on the back burner. The flexible nature of Fordham's AHI coursework gave me the opportunity to study again.
Initially I was skeptical that I had the technical background to do well. I decided to reach out to Dr. Chelsom, the director of the program. He is very approachable, caring and accommodating. I was connected to a previous student, who was very helpful in assuaging my fears. She gave me moral support and a better sense about what the program entails, including how she balanced taking care of small children while doing the course online.
Dr. Chelsom and the AHI faculty have been very considerate and supportive to me. They offer one on one tutoring and support through zoom meetings when I request it, and work around my schedule. They would also give suggestions and have guided me to discover talents that I never knew I have.
One of the highlights of this program was the chance to study in Oxford. It was an amazing experience — getting to know more people and learning about new cultures. To be in a room with different students coming from different parts of the world was in itself an exciting experience. In addition, the program's curriculum in Oxford was exemplary- composed of talks from lecturers that were experienced, knowledgeable and friendly.
I had the opportunity for personal growth during this trip as well. Aside from my experience of Oxford University, I was able to stay one more week in London and did my first solo travel. Navigating the city on my own was unexpected and memorable.
The AHI program has taught me a lot and introduced me to lots of new and interesting people. I love the fact that even though we have different background and cultures, we are still connected by our passion to make healthcare better. The hybrid nature of the program offers flexibility and connection. Amazingly enough, I always feel the support of my classmates, professors and the dean. They have become part of my extended family.
You only not gain expertise in Health Informatics, but also lifelong friendships with other people who share your same passions and drives.
Imelda Soledad is a registered nurse and bone marrow transplant coordinator for Mount Sinai Medical Center. She is earning her Masters in Applied Health Informatics from Fordham.
Through the Looking Glass: One Student's Perspective on the Oxford Residency
By Matthew Sutfin
The bus from Heathrow Airport to Oxford is a surreal one: quotidian towns, gray highways, the errant farm or two, and then, a University that is twice as old as the United States and has the architecture to prove it. Suddenly, you realize that the opportunity of studying in Oxford isn't just a dream, but your reality. All you can do is soak it in, that is, until you decide to grab your bags and head to the Porters Lodge on Queen’s Lane to check in and get the show on the road.
Helmed by the esteemed program head Dr. John Chelsom, Fordham AHI’s State of the Art of Health Informatics class (ran concurrently with the Global Open Source EHR workshop and Annual Summit) hosted at St. Edmund (Teddy) Hall is a whirlwind week of engaging seminars, fascinating keynote speakers, and amazing opportunities to connect with fellow students, professors, and health informatics professionals. Projects will have you thinking critically about the nascent technologies emerging in the health informatics field. My team of four got the chance to create an artificially intelligent chatbot that could provide helpful and verified pharmaceutical and health informatics information to prospective users in the healthcare space. While a week isn't a terribly long time to study and develop, the network of experts available help facilitate the projects and ensure that you present your best work.
Reflecting back, I am still amazed I was allowed the opportunity to study in Oxford. This school is history manifest, the most renowned in the world, and for good reason. However, beyond the thousand year old bricks that comprise the university walls and the weighty reputation diffused throughout them, the most rewarding part of the week was meeting other health informatics students and professors in the Fordham AHI program. It was a chance to connect with people from across the globe and be able to call them all new friends; a chance to share ideas and make memories, frequently at the dedicated college pub (imagine that in America!). I can only speak fondly about my time at Oxford, and eagerly look forward to any opportunities to return.
Matthew Sutfin is a Masters student in Fordham's AHI program and a Medical Assistant for Optum Urgent Care. He lives in Melville, N.Y.