Jennifer Thornhill
Jennifer Thornhill
Jennifer Thornhill is a second-year MSc candidate in Applied Health Services Research. “This masters program was made possible through the inception of the Atlantic Regional Training Centre (ARTC), which is a collaborative venture of Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) and three other Atlantic Canadian universities. The ARTC program is housed within the Division of Community Health, in the Faculty of Medicine at Memorial. As is outlined in the ARTC program brochure (which I may forward to you upon request), this program “provides knowledge and skills necessary to tackle complex health policy issues and contribute to the future of health services in Atlantic Canada.” In terms of my particular area of specialization, the focus of my thesis work relates to how major daily newspapers in Atlantic Canada portray wait times for medical services.”
Jennifer was born and raised in Corner Brook, NL and graduated from the University of King’s College in Halifax, NS in 2002 with a combined honours degree in Journalism and Biology.
“When I graduated from my undergraduate degree in 2002, I knew that I was interested in applying to graduate studies. After taking the time to travel and further consider what I wanted to gain out of a graduate program, I began exploring my options. I have always had an interest in health research, but wanted to enrol in a program that would provide me with the opportunity to learn about health policy, health ethics, knowledge transfer, and other coursework in applied health services research. In short, I wanted to enrol in a program that fostered evidence-informed policy- and decision-making in health care. The ARTC program at Memorial enables students to produce solid applied health services research, which incorporates a realistic understanding and appreciation for health care policy and decision-making!”
“I have always respected Memorial University of Newfoundland—particularly its capacity to harvest and foster sound research, researchers, and other professionals in a variety of disciplines. I was thrilled to learn that not only could I pursue my graduate interests in my home province, but that Memorial was already well-recognized as a leader in the field of applied health services research! I think this ARTC program is yet another demonstration of Memorial’s ability to collaborate and innovate!”
“The Division of Community Health is a unique and diverse community. The division itself is housed within the Health Sciences Centre—the largest hospital in Newfoundland and Labrador. In that location, it is no wonder that faculty in this division appear to have their ear to the ground on relevant clinical, health, and health services research issues. Besides the benefits of its location, there are many other advantages to being housed in this department: there are endless opportunities for peer-learning from colleagues (including invited guests and speakers) and there is a bounty of health research information close-by in the Health Sciences Library. The beauty of this location also lies in the fact that this department has a community-feel—the division hosts lunch-and-learn sessions, celebrates peer successes, and simply feels like home!”
“Being at the largest university in Eastern Canada certainly has its advantages! On top of the fact that Memorial is well-respected in Canada and elsewhere, there are countless resources and facilities available to students. Memorial also has small graduate class sizes—a testimony to its student-centred nature. While Memorial is a large university, it has the added value of being nestled in a smaller city centre, which makes for a tight-knit learning community.” “The people of Newfoundland and Labrador are a special breed—the kind of people who, as a rule, are more than willing to invite you into their homes and engage you in rich conversation. With its unique culture and picturesque landscape, there is no place I would rather have been for my graduate program than here in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Besides the people and setting, the advantage of being in St. John’s for my program is that, because of its size, I was able to learn from not only my professors, but I was able to meet and learn from policy- and decision-makers in government and health care organizations. In a larger city centre, I doubt I would have been able to meet and get to know health policy-makers.”
This past summer, Jennifer worked as an intern researcher with the Department of Quality and Systems Improvement in the Eastern Regional Integrated Health Authority (Eastern Health). During my internship, she compiled a grant proposal for a multidisciplinary team from Memorial and Eastern Health. The interdisciplinary team was one of a select group across Canada to receive funding in the Canadian Patient Safety Institute’s first-ever award competition.
“This past fall, I was asked to be a Peer Reviewer with Context Journal—the first student-run, online, peer-reviewed journal that highlights the exceptional work of health students in the community. I am among a select group that was chosen for this opportunity!”
"Also in the fall, I became the successful candidate for an internship opportunity with the national, not-for-profit organization, the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation in Ottawa, ON. According to the foundation website, “The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation promotes and funds management and policy research in health services and nursing to increase the quality, relevance and usefulness of this research for health-system policy makers and managers.” My internship is for a four-month period (beginning this past January and ending in April, 2006). Throughout my internship, I have been exploring the ethical considerations involved in conducting program evaluation, quality improvement and other grey-area research activities—this is a question that I have realized is quite relevant in not only Canada, but internationally. During my internship, I have also had the opportunity to attend the foundation’s annual workshop that was held in Vancouver, BC in March, 2006. As a result of my success with this internship, the Atlantic Regional Training Centre is featuring a story about me in their first-ever newsletter about the applied health services research program.”
“Although there are other honours I could mention, I am particularly proud of my journalism accomplishments. I was awarded a number of undergraduate journalism awards including: the Hayward Family Scholarship—awarded to the journalism student entering third or fourth year with the highest academic standing; and the George B. Pickett Prize—awarded to the first-year journalism student who has the highest aggregate average among those who achieve a first-class standing in the program.”
“As a result of my success with my student internship, the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation has offered me a position—to begin after I complete my thesis work this summer. Anyone who works in or benefits from the field of applied health services research will certainly be familiar with the work the foundation had done to support this evolving research area! According to the foundation website, “The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation supports the evidence-based management of Canada's healthcare system by facilitating knowledge transfer and exchange - bridging the gap between research and healthcare management and policy.”
“In the extended future, I am interested in pursuing further academics. At the moment, my fields of interest include media portrayal of health, health literacy, and public engagement issues, to name a few. I also have interest in pursing a career in health journalism. I feel that my graduate studies at Memorial have prepared me for a bright future that is sure to be filled with diverse opportunities.”