Featured Student
Kyle Lee
What’s your program and specialty/subject matter of focus?
I’m a part-time student in the Master of Public Health program, Family and Community Medicine stream.
Why are you studying public health/health policy?
I’m a practising family physician as well as a DLSPH student. My primary interest is examining how the built environment affects the health of both the larger population and the health of my own family practice patients. It’s interesting to zoom out to a broader academic lens to examine the many reasons my patients come in to my clinic!
Why did you choose to study at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health?
I did my family medicine residency at St. Michael’s Hospital and University of Toronto. Many of the excellent physicians I learned from also are current/previous learners or faculty members here, so it made sense to come to DLSPH to follow in their footsteps. I also appreciate the wide range of courses offered and find the flexible schedule an added bonus for clinicians.
What are some current projects or research that you’re involved in?
I’m currently working on two research projects, both focused on finding out how residential density and the built environment (eg. green space, housing, safety, access to food and transportation, etc.) can affect our mental health. One of these projects is part of a directed reading course at DLSPH. The other is a collaborative effort with an urban planner and private consultant. Hopefully our findings will be published soon. We are reaching out to community leaders, public health officials, and other interdisciplinary people to learn and derive a broad range of expertise on how our environment and surroundings affect how we live and think every day.
Tell us about a challenge that you’ve had to overcome during your time at the School.
A challenge can be finding time to balance both being a clinician and a student. I’m fortunate I can be involved in the Public Health Students’ Association as the Family & Community Medicine stream representative as well as part of the awards committee member of the Graduate Student Union Community Development Fund. This helps me feel more a part of the campus than I would be otherwise.
What’s the best part of being a DLSPH student?
Hearing about all the great work the other students are involved in is so inspiring and it’s an honour to be associated with the school.
What’s the one thing people can do to improve public health?
Wash your hands! Oh, this is a second thing but please don’t forget to update your vaccines!