Jocelyn Getgen,
MPH '07
Where Health and Human Rights Intersect

(See the Johns Hopkins Public Health magazine to read about Jocelyn's work after graduation.)

Jocelyn Getgen's love of Latin America and devotion to reproductive rights issues culminated in an award-winning capstone project for her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. Getgen was one of three MPH students who specialized in international health to receive a 2007 MPH Capstone Award. Her project was titled, "Countering Prevailing Trends in Violation of Women's Rights to Life & Health: An Analysis of Nicaragua's Complete Abortion Ban."

The roots of her capstone project can be traced to Getgen's two-year stint as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador in 2001-03. It was during this time that Getgen fell in love with Latin America and the beauty of the Andes. She became fluent in Spanish and familiar with the indigenous language.

Later enrolled as an MPH student at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Getgen joined the school's Nicaraguan Community Partnership, a student-run initiative spearheaded by the MPH program and the J.B. Grant Society. Eli Leontsini, MD, an associate with the Department of International Health's Social and Behavioral Interventions program, is faculty advisor for the group.

A Topic Close to Her Heart
While pursuing a JD with Cornell University, Getgen had become acquainted with the Center for Reproductive Rights, a legal advocacy organization in New York City dedicated to promoting and defending women's reproductive rights worldwide. In October 2006, Getgen noticed a press release on the Center's website about a total abortion ban passed by the Nicaraguan congress. The ban offers no exceptions for women's health, for victims of rape or incest, or even for women whose lives are at risk.

The news hit Getgen hard: "The abortion ban goes against the trend of liberalism toward abortion in other regions. The issue provoked me because of its implications for women's health, as well as its complete violation of human rights." Getgen quickly selected the ban as her capstone topic, with the approval of her advisor, Shannon Doocy, PhD, a research associate with the Center for Refugee and Disaster Response. 

Once Getgen decided on her topic, she drew on lessons from her classes to think critically about the topic: "I used my Human Rights Seminar to explore the concept of human rights, reparations for these women, and remedies for the problem, and my Epidemiological Impact course to examine what public health professionals could do in this situation."

As a member of the Nicaraguan Community Partnership, Getgen was able to carry out formative research for the project in the field. In January 2007, she was one of nine students (pictured at right) who traveled to Ocotal, Nicaragua to establish partnerships with nongovernmental organizations and the community. While there, she conducted informant interviews with community members and religious leaders about the ban. 

Advice for Managing the Capstone
When choosing her capstone topic, Getgen zeroed in on an issue close to her heart, and she feels that element made a difference in the development of her project. She advises MPH students to have a passion about their topic and an eagerness to gain further knowledge. "You should also think about the advocacy portion of the project," says Getgen. "I hope the work that I did will prove useful for the Center for Reproductive Rights in their plans to challenge this ban."

Getgen adds, "If you have trouble narrowing a topic and do not have a passion for a subject area, then it is good to get on board with a faculty member or an advisor who does have that excitement about one of their projects. You can partner with them, be motivated by their enthusiasm, and perhaps build a foundation for later employment." 

Getgen also recommends taking the initiative to ask advisors and faculty members for names of people who could provide additional assistance and guidance. She says tapping into those informal networks was essential to her project's success.

Looking Toward a Bright Future
"Receiving the MPH Capstone Award was so great because to me, it meant being recognized for my caring about an issue, about a people, and about these women," says Getgen. She is considering submitting the project for publication.

This summer, Getgen took on a 10-week internship at the Center for Reproductive Rights. Her future plans center on a career in human rights with an international health focus. She hopes to work with attorneys in the realm of reproductive rights and perhaps for an international nongovernmental organization.

As for her time with the Department of International Health, Getgen raves about the incredible access the school provides to a diverse group of people and opportunities. "The name Johns Hopkins carries a great weight in the international health arena because it indicates a high level of training. I worked side-by-side with students in the MPH program who I know I will be seeing later in the field or in the global news doing important things for public health. These are the kind of people I went to school with here—I saw potential greatness that will definitely be realized." 

Note: MPH students can customize their program or elect a concentration to supplement the core MPH curriculum.

(May 2007)