Scenes from Fall Orientation 2018.

The School of Public Health welcomed its new students with a week of orientation activities held August 28-31.

The incoming MPH, DrPH, PhD, MA/MS, and dual-degree students toured the campus and beyond. They visited the Woods-Mullen Shelter, Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, and the Boston Medical Center roooftop farm. A bus tour led them through the history of Boston’s neighborhoods and the health disparities that can exist a few blocks apart.

A field service day brought groups of students to lend a hand at Women’s Lunch Place, Cradles to Crayon, St. Francis House, the Friday Night Supper Program, the Salvation Army, and Community Servings Food Heals.

New students also met and heard from faculty, staff, and alumni. They discussed Evicted, this year’s SPH Reads book, participated in a workshop on taking risks, had a conversation about addressing health disparities, participated in a forum with Dean Sandro Galea on defining public health, and got to know each other over meals and at a local pub.

The school welcomed 387 incoming MPH and dual-degree students, 21 doctoral students, 42 MS students, and 23 certificate students—a total of 473 new students.