From NYC to London: Studying MSc Public Health at LSHTM is personal and

From NYC to London: Studying MSc Public Health at LSHTM is personal and collaborative

24 April 2026

MSc Public Health student, Eliana Sasson from the United States, shares with us her biggest takeaways six months in: new knowledge and skills, from inside and outside classrooms.

As the academic year reaches its midpoint, I’ve found myself reflecting on how much has changed since I first arrived at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Coming from New York, I expected graduate life in London to be exciting and fast-paced, which it certainly has been, but I’ve been surprised by how personal and collaborative LSHTM is so far.

Small community with big connections

One of the first things that stood out to me was the size of our seminar groups; they’re small enough that everyone knows each other, making discussions feel more like conversations than lectures. They’re also not always what I considered a seminar to be in the past. In Applied Communicable Disease Control, our group is simulating enacting public health measures to a bacterial outbreak in London!

The community is tight-knit with a genuine feeling of support, where classmates celebrate each other's successes, peer-edit reports, and share helpful resources before assessments. Diversity is not just a buzzword, either. Our class is made up of people just out of undergraduate, intercalating medical students, experienced doctors, and policy makers, as well as people looking for a career change, from all over the world. Every discussion is an exchange of perspectives; whether analyzing a case-study or examining global health policy, I find myself learning as much from my course-mates as from the lectures.

Students walking at Hampstead Heath — A quick study break in Hampstead Heath.

Thinking differently

Postgraduate study at LSHTM feels different from my undergraduate experience in many ways. The assignments push beyond right and wrong answers into real-world implications and complexities. There’s a strong focus on critical thinking, data interpretation, and complexity, all through a public health lens. The assessments reflect this and allow you to write about your interests and dive deeper into topics of your choosing. As my summer project approaches, my paper is focused on antimicrobial resistance and last-resort drugs, while my friends' projects vary from gambling laws in the UK to assessing HIV prevention and treatment programs in Singapore.

We’re encouraged to question assumptions and critique research beyond methodological challenges. Working alongside classmates who approach problems from clinical, policy, academic, social, or epidemiological lenses has helped me find new perspectives and view the bigger picture of public health.

Student halls

Living in an intercollegiate hall has been an amazing experience. It’s a fun mixture of students from the MSc Public Health at LSHTM, other LSHTM programs, and other London universities. I have great friends in the dorms who are always up for grocery runs or movie nights. We share stories from our courses and home countries, creating a real sense of connection and comfort away from home.

Whilst some of my friends here are also LSHTM students, others are also from UCL’s educational neuroscience program or the University of London's drug discovery course, to name a few. Living in a dorm setting has its pros and cons, but I’m grateful that I am able to live here with such great dormmates.

Student at Woolmen Sheep Drive & Livery Fair — Exploring the Woolmen Sheep Drive & Livery Fair with my dormmate!

New skills and competencies

Through lectures and practicals, I’ve gained confidence in data analysis, decision science, and research design. Working with software like R or STATA to interpret epidemiological data has given me tools that I know I’ll rely on in my future career in infectious diseases. From modeling infection and global burden of disease through different vaccine options in Health Decision Science, to writing Lancet-style editorials in Health Systems, I feel more confident in my career choices and plans for the future.

I’ve also picked up some “softer” skills that are just as important as coding or writing: teamwork, active listening, and cultural awareness. LSHTM has a diverse international student population, spanning continents. I was surprised by how friendly and collaborative my classmates are. It feels like everyone is happy to learn from your experiences and share their own!

I see how much I've grown

With our summer projects just around the corner, I’m reflecting on how these past few months have been preparing me for the next steps in my life. The core modules have built a technical foundation to support critical analysis in the Spring Term modules. My classmates’ diverse perspectives and lived experiences have been central to my education so far, and my more experienced friends in the course are always willing to offer advice or anecdotes from their various careers. As the summer project inches closer, I already see how much I’ve grown in six months through approaching public health with greater curiosity and humility. It’s been a great period of my educational life, and I can’t wait to spend the next few months learning more!