Episode 2-Interview with Dr. Nikki Kay

In this episode we talk with Dr. Nikki Kay a specialist Public Health physician currently based at the Duke-NUS Medical School Centre of Regulatory Excellence (CoRE) and SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute (SDGHI) in Singapore. 

We discussed:

• Her 16 year career in public health medicine starting from her background and what motivated her to want to work in public health
• Her experience taking care of family during the peak of the AIDS pandemic in Zimbabwe and similarities of the HIV pandemic with COVID for health care workers
• The decision to pursue medicine and what she enjoys about being at the frontlines of patient care
• What she studied for her undergraduate and her many interests and work experiences as a public health swiss army knife!
• Working at the frontlines of COVID in Singapore in 2020
• Taking breaks in your career and learning to avoid burnout-Take care of you!
• What public health means to her
• The particular value of patient care experience in public health 
• Skills that she has that she found useful in her clinical-public health roles
• How she navigates working with different stakeholders at different levels in her work and maximizes her experience and knowledge for the benefit of communities and people
• Nikki the public health shapeshifter? Public Health CIA or FBI? Let's find out!
• Word to the wise:
  • Knowing that you have what it takes for roles- believe in yourself!
  • You don't have to be perfect for an opportunity so do not talk yourself out of it
  • Don't skimp on Quant skills!-Do a little bit more math than you are comfortable with. It will come in handy
  • Work on your writing skills 
  • Qualitative methodology is key 
  • Soft skills- get to know to people in the field- stay connected
  • To those especially looking to pivot- say hi to people and Network