Bethany Ockerbloom

What inspired you to study public health?

Working in harm reduction opened my eyes to underserved populations in my community and to their rights as human beings to health practice and care.

What has been the single most rewarding experience of your career/studies so far?
Working with people who use drugs has changed the way I see the world and changed the way I perceive society’s role in ensuring their wellbeing.

Advice:
There is a lot of theory to get down, but it’s worth it as you learn how to develop community health plans.

What do you think is the biggest challenge that the public health field should be focusing on?

The opioid epidemic and harm reduction over abstinence-based education.