Most master’s degrees at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) include some economics content, but two courses have a strong focus on health economics: MSc Public Health (Health Economics stream) and MSc Health Policy, Planning & Financing.

Priyanka Bhandari is a MSc Health Policy, Planning & Financing student and GHECO’s new Student Liaison Officer (SLO) for 2021-2022. In her interview she tells us how she came to study at LSHTM and her plans for the future.

What drew you to studying at LSHTM?

I knew from the time I was 12 that I wanted to move to London to study for my MSc. Coming from a bicultural background (Indian raised in America), I was always acutely aware that the world is much larger than the US, and wanting a global career meant pursuing a global education. As my interest in health and desire to help people all over the world grew, the joint programme with LSHTM and the London School of Economics (LSE) seemed like the most intuitive choice. Many US universities have master’s programmes that are US policy-focused, with the option to take global health electives. In contrast LSHTM, despite being a British institution, offered a curriculum that integrated an international outlook in its very foundation. My decision to apply was cemented when Dr Heidi Larson visited my former employer, ICAP at Columbia University, to discuss her work on the Vaccine Confidence Project (VCP).

What do you hope to research through your summer project?

I hope to commence a systematic review of the economic impact of non-pharmacological interventions for reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) levels. The aim is to inform policymaking by mapping out and summarising the evidence on costs and their effectiveness.  I’ll compare the incremental gains of non-pharmaceutical interventions to a do-nothing scenario for the World Health Organization’s AMR critical pathogens among hospitalised patients. I’ll be working with Laith Yakob and Kasim Allel at LSHTM’s AMR Centre.

As Student Liaison Officer (SLO), what activities are you working on?

We are currently planning a Health Economics career event for MSc students which would allow us to engage with a panel of speakers in several public health sub-sectors. We are also selecting topics for an annual lecture, as well as student events that allow us to “spotlight” themes within the Centre. We also hope to host events in collaboration with other Centres at the School.

Where do you see your research going in the future?

While I prefer to be out in the field, doing project management work, and never quite thought of myself as an academic or researcher, my time at LSHTM has made me think otherwise. I chose this programme out of an affinity for health financing, and through my modules have fallen in love with global health economics and economic evaluation. I hope to become experienced enough to be able to work in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), international political economy and macroeconomics of health. I would also consider a PhD in the future.
 

What were three words sum up your time at LSHTM so far?

Engaging, gratifying, self-actualizing.

Do you have any advice for prospective MSc students?

There’s no one-size-fits-all advice. LSHTM is large and diverse enough to accommodate a plethora of goals and interests. However, the best thing I did before choosing an MSc to apply to was securing work experience. It made all the difference in how I approached my education. Public health is an increasingly rich and dense field so figuring out what you genuinely like (or don’t like) will help you refine the subject areas you want to focus on, which is great when you only have a year of study. The study of public health is often quite different from the practice of it, so coming in with an idea of what you want from an informed place will help you make the most of it.