Could you tell us about your professional background and what motivated you to pursue your PhD in Health Services?

Dr. Audrey M. Blake: Yes, I’d be glad to. And thank you for having me. I have a background in health and human services. I’ve worn many hats over the years, starting as a case worker and then as a social worker. Eventually, I got into healthcare administration, which led me to pursue a Master of Public Health in administration.

My passion has always been helping people access healthcare, particularly underserved populations. I’ve done a variety of things, working with women and children, helping children with developmental delays, teen pregnancy prevention, and the list goes on and includes directing programs and serving persons living with HIV and AIDS.

What I started to notice is that it’s not just enough to help people access care, but the care needs to be quality care. I found that was not always the case, not just for underserved populations but also for the general population. So, I pursued the health services doctoral program because it would allow me to be in a position to help measure and improve the quality of care. I started telling my Walden Enrollment Specialist about my passion. They guided me to the PhD in Health Services program with a specialization in Self-Design, where my courses centered around measuring quality and evaluating healthcare services.

How did your PhD prepare you for your current position as a research project manager at Emory University’s School of Medicine?

Dr. Audrey M. Blake: What I love is that I took the Self-Design specialization so I could intentionally take courses that fit my interests. Taking classes in Quantitative and Qualitative Research and Advanced Qualitative Research, along with health services courses such as Community Health Assessment, Health Promotion, and Advanced Program Implementation, really gave me the skill set I needed to evaluate health programs and services. Recently, I obtained my certification as a Healthcare Project Manager through a course offered to Walden Alumni. I previously held a job that gave me some practical hands-on experience in data analysis because I had a lot of administration/director-level skills and experience, but I didn’t have hands-on research experience.  

Could you describe the position where you focused on data and research before your position at Emory?

Dr. Audrey M. Blake: I took a job that was not a leadership position, which is what I normally do, but I did it intentionally to learn. It was a research analyst position. I had the responsibility with the team to evaluate the project, conduct the research, do the interviews, look at the data, and use statistical analysis software to give me results and findings. This job really gave me some great hands-on experience, and it was in a university setting as well. That experience, along with my coursework, gave me the skill set that I needed.

What support from the Career Planning and Development department was most helpful in securing your current position as a research project manager?

Dr. Audrey M. Blake: I would love to tell you about that.  When I contacted Career Planning and Development, I spoke with a career advisor, and it was a very positive experience. I live in Atlanta, Georgia, a very competitive healthcare community, so when there are openings, there are literally hundreds of applications applying for one position. You want to get yourself positioned so that you at least get a chance to be interviewed and share your knowledge and assets. Even when you have the required skills, sometimes you don’t quite know how to showcase those skills in a way that would get you selected.

Working with my career advisor, Denise, was so helpful because she helped me look at what was on paper. She heard me, showed me tools, and made suggestions on how to word things and put things in a way that would position me to get considered for the positions that I liked. I actually got this research project manager position at Emory prior to graduation. I was very excited about it. I’m coming up on a year of having been employed, and it’s still a very positive experience for me.

What I do is work with the chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology. So, we work a lot with patients dealing with cancer. I don’t work directly with patients, but I work with radiation oncologists/faculty who are doing research and providing services to the patients.  I am very lucky that the chair has a great interest in equity. We share similar interests, which I think may have contributed to her hiring me.

This position gives me the opportunity to use my experience in data analysis to help keep the research projects that they have funding for moving forward, which is really critical at this time. I also work with doctors on developing their Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocols, which again came from my Walden University experience. The IRB was very strict at Walden, which was great for me. Because of my experience with Walden’s IRB, it’s easy for me to work with university IRBs. I also assist with data analysis when needed and help write manuscripts for journal submissions.

What additional career advice do you have for Walden students and alumni?

Dr. Audrey M. Blake: I encourage both students and alumni to utilize the career planning resources. Literally, reformatting my CV and taking the advice that was given to me helped me get the job. It helped me get interviews. In fact, in the end, I had two different offers to choose from, so that was a good feeling after having gone months with no offers. I would say, no matter how experienced you think you are, no matter how many interviews you’ve had, be open-minded to utilizing the resources and advice because they are subject matter experts. They know what the field needs and the current expectations in the field, so they can help you not only format your CV and resume but also help you prepare for interviews and market your skills and experiences.

The Career Planning and Development department thanks Dr. Audrey M. Blake for sharing her motivational story!

Resources:

Career Planning and Development website
Resumes & More resources
Interviewing resources
Career Hubs
Schedule a Career Advising Appointment

Interview contributed by Walden University graduate Audrey M. Blake, PhD ’24.

Edited by Denise Pranke, Specialist, Department of Career Planning and Development.