About Us

The MCH Leads blog provides an outlet for maternal and child health (MCH) students affiliated with the Centers of Excellence (COE) or Catalyst programs to share their experiences and apply the 12 MCH core competencies to their work. This student-run resource provides an excellent opportunity for MCH trainees to:

• Showcase their work and provide insight into their experiences and what they have learned.
• Learn from their fellow trainees’ research, volunteer, or practicum experiences.
• Be connected to professionals and agencies looking for their specific experiences and skillset.
• Help demonstrate to prospective students the depth and breadth of work that MCH students engage in.
• Learn more about the MCH core competencies and apply them to their work.

The MCH Leads blog is hosted by the Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health at the University of Minnesota and the Maternal and Child Health Catalyst Program at the University at Albany. Meet our editors.

Read the FAQ section or email us at mchlead1@gmail.com if you are an MCH student (or a recent graduate) affiliated with one of the MCH programs below and are interested in contributing a post.

  • University of California at Berkeley
  • University of California at Los Angeles
  • George Washington University
  • Florida University of South Florida, Tampa
  • Emory University
  • University of Illinois at Chicago
  • Tulane University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Boston University
  • Harvard University
  • University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
  • Saint Louis University
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • University of Arkansas, Little Rock
  • Indiana University, Bloomington
  • University of Iowa, Iowa City
  • Florida International University
  • Georgia State University
  • University at Albany, State University of New York
  • Drexel University
  • University of South Carolina, Columbia
  • University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

MCH Core Competencies

I. SELF

1. MCH Knowledge Base/Context

2. Self-Reflection

3. Ethics

4. Critical Thinking

II. OTHERS

5. Communication

6. Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

7. Creating Responsive and Effective MCH Systems

8. Honoring Lived Experience

9. Developing Others through Teaching, Coaching, and Mentoring

10. Interdisciplinary and Interprofessional Team Building

III. WIDER COMMUNITY

11. Systems Approach (Previously Working with Communities and Systems)

12. Policy

Past MCH Leads Blog Features

Making Lifelong Connections Conference 2022

Our 2020-2022 co-editors, Alexis and Alyssa, had the opportunity to reflect on their progress with the blog by creating and presenting a research poster about the blog’s impact for the Making Lifelong Connections 2022 national conference in San Diego, hosted by the University of Washington Pediatric Pulmonary Center. Read the poster about their lessons learned and the blog’s future directions.

Funding provided by the Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health at the University of Minnesota and the University at Albany School of Public Health Maternal and Child Health Public Health Catalyst Program, which are supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This information or content and conclusions of related outreach products are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.