Routines and Superb Organization Helped Alum Have Outstanding BU MET Experience
Raina Cordell (MET’23)
Senior Clinical Content Strategist, Evernorth Health Services (Cigna Group)
MS, Health Communication; Concentration, Visual & Digital Health Communication
This interview was originally published in fall 2023.
What motivated you to earn your master’s degree at this point? Why did you choose to fulfill your goal at Metropolitan College?
Getting my master’s degree has always been on my radar, but life seemingly kept getting in the way. I have three beautiful children between the ages of 5 and 11, so time outside work always seems occupied with driving to dance, soccer, birthday parties, and school events.
A couple of years ago, I decided that if I kept waiting, it would never happen. My workplace at the time offered a special service to help find the right program and school based on interests and career goals. I am a registered nurse with a Bachelor of Science in nursing, and thought about getting my Master of Science in nursing but it didn’t fit with my career goals. I have been working in health communication in various roles for the past several years and wanted a program that would enable me to continue to build my career in this field. After reviewing all of the health comms programs available, I decided that BU MET offered the most comprehensive courses, a flexible schedule that fit my needs, and concentration options that included my preferred focus area, digital comms.
What do you find most fascinating about the discipline of the MS in Health Communication program, Visual & Digital Health Communication concentration? Do you have a particular focus within the broader field?
I work as a clinical content strategist in digital communications. In this role, I help to plan, create, and curate content for digital health apps. This can include communications like email, text, push notifications, in-app messages, and social media to promote the app and nudge users along their journey. The Visual & Digital concentration helped me to learn about best practices for things like social media, planning communication strategy, UX writing best practices, and the importance of visual communication. I am passionate about promoting health literacy using plain language and visual cues. This program equipped me with the additional knowledge and skills to plan and create trustworthy, easy-to-understand, and actionable content.
Congratulations on your high achievement in the Health Communication program, and your Award for Excellence in your studies! Looking back, what do you consider to be the main ingredients of your success?
I’ve always been a big proponent of routines and organization. At the beginning of my studies at BU MET, I created a system to help me organize my notes, dates, and deliverables. I would carefully study the syllabus at the start of each course to note the projects, course breakdown, objectives, grading structure, and due dates. Putting this information into a calendar allowed me to stay on top of projects and homework so I never fell behind. I also developed habits around readings, homework, classes, discussion posts, and projects (or tests). I set a schedule for when I would do each task. Once this schedule became a habit, it was predictable and relieved much stress. Finally, I attribute a lot of my success to the support of my fellow students and faculty. Being able to ask questions and feel supported every step of the way helped me to feel confident that I could be successful.
How were you able to successfully balance your studies with your commitments outside the classroom?
As a mom who works 45+ hours a week, the balance was initially challenging. I quickly learned that I needed to set and keep to a regular schedule that was predictable for me and my family. My husband had to step in and help much more with bedtime and driving to events. After work, I always set time to spend with my family before schoolwork. It often meant my studies happened when the kids were in bed or at various activities. I am so grateful that this program is 100% virtual, and I was able to complete my studies while maintaining a full-time job and being present with my family
Was your success in the program driven by a particular outcome—such as professional advancement, educational achievement, personal satisfaction, or something else?
I was motivated by all of the above—professional advancement, achieving a master’s degree, wanting to learn more about health communication. But my biggest motivator was my children, especially my daughter. I wanted my children to see what’s possible when you believe in yourself and work hard to achieve your dreams. For my daughter, I wanted her to see that women (and moms) can do anything they set their minds to.
Is there a particular course or project that enhanced your experience in the Health Communication program, Visual & Digital concentration? Please explain.
There isn’t a single course in this program that I didn’t love. Each taught me something unique about the field of health communication and gave me skills that I use daily in my work. Of all the courses, my favorite was Writing for Health (MET HC 561) with Professor Leigh Curtin-Wilding. I was most looking forward to this course in the program, and it ended up being my final course. I can’t think of a better way to have ended my studies in the Health Comms program. Writing has always been my passion, and I love being able to combine my clinical background with my communication skills. This course highlighted many topics I am passionate about, including health literacy, storytelling, digital writing, and even writing for visual media. I loved the projects that allowed us to practice the skills we learned in the course. Learning from Professor Curtin-Wilding, with her extensive knowledge of writing for health, was also an honor. Her passion for helping students grow in their knowledge and skills was evident.
Can you share any examples of skills, principles, or practices learned in the program that you were concurrently able to apply to your job?
I have applied so many skills and practices that I learned in the program. These include UX writing, plain language, planning strategy, social media, visual best practices, iconography, accessibility guidelines, creating trustworthy/accurate content, and so much more.
What’s next for you? If you are changing roles, moving on to a new career, or receiving any promotion, we would love to hear about it. Would you say your program helped prepare you for the next phase of your life/career/education?
Shortly after completing the program, I was offered a new position that I attribute to my educational advancement. I previously worked as a Clinical Content Writer and now I’m a Senior Clinical Content Strategist. This program taught me the skills necessary to work in this role (and I believe future roles are to come).
You were recognized by faculty and peers for your hard work and dedication to the Health Communication program. What “words of advice” or encouragement have served as a guiding principle, or simply inspiration, for you? Any words of wisdom you would like to pass along to students starting in the program?
This program offers as much or as little as you desire. If you rush through the courses and view each discussion post and project as a task you are trying to check off, you probably won’t get much out of the experience. Instead, savor your time, as stressful as it may be at certain points. You will get so much more out of the experience. Take advantage of your professors and fellow students. Engage in active discussions. Complete the recommended readings and videos. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or reach out with questions. Stay organized. Pay attention to dates and the grading breakdown. Find a schedule that works for you and stick to it (including time for rest). And most importantly, enjoy your time in the program—it goes by quickly!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you to all the amazing and knowledgeable professors, faculty, and fellow students. The field of health communications is growing rapidly, and in this post-pandemic era we have so many opportunities to improve how we communicate about health. Now, more than ever, people need clear communications they can trust to help them make important decisions about their health. We have the responsibility (and privilege) to create content that is accurate, engaging, actionable and, most importantly, helps people to improve their health.