Jennifer Pitonyak, PhD Student in Health Policy

Name: Jennifer Pitonyak
Degree Program: PhD in Health Policy
Graduating: 2012

Employment

I work part-time as an occupational therapy clinician in early intervention for the Montgomery County Association of Retarded Citizens. I also work per diem in the NICU at Phoenixville Hospital and teach as an adjunct instructor in occupational therapy at two area universities.

Why I chose USP

After working as a clinician in the field of occupational therapy for almost ten years, the Health Policy degree at USP provided the best opportunity for advancing my career through preparation in research, policy, and teaching, while allowing me to apply my previous experience in healthcare.

What I like best about my program

The PhD program in Health Policy has challenged me to articulate my views on various policy issues, while learning from instructors and other students who have a wealth of experience from various healthcare backgrounds.

Current research interests

My coursework has allowed me to explore research topics of interest in preparation for my eventual dissertation work. Maternal and infant health policy is of particular interest to me and I completed an extensive literature review and risk assessment on the topic of breastfeeding benefits compared with formula feeding. Based on the papers written for my coursework at USP, I submitted a proposal for the Annual Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Conference. My proposal was accepted and I presented my work at the fall 2006 conference in Pittsburgh, PA.

How this program will help me professionally

My objective in pursuing the PhD in Health Policy is to prepare myself for a faculty position that will allow me to teach and conduct research in the area of occupational therapy and health policy.

Other things I want people to know about USP

The course instructors in the Health Policy program are experts in their individual fields and all courses cover material that is current with today's policy issues.