Learning the Ropes: Lessons on Public Health and Mountain Climbing

What to know

  • Presentation Day/Time: Thursday, April 25, 2:10 pm
  • Presenter: Michelle Holshue, PhD, BSN, RN, Epidemic Intelligence Service Class of 2019
Michelle Holshue, PhD, BSN, RN

TED-Style Talks

Moving to Washington State in 2018 from the Eastern US to start my EIS fellowship, I assumed I would spend the time with my head buried in spreadsheets, learning how to use clinical information tied with epidemiological data to solve outbreaks. What I didn't expect, given my dizzying fear of heights, is that I would also learn to love the sound of crampons crunching across snow as I attempted to climb some of the tallest peaks in the Pacific Northwest.

Over the past (almost) 7 years, after investigating dozens of disease outbreaks (including the first case of COVID-19 in the United States) and climbing 3 out of Washington's 5 tallest glaciated volcanoes, I have realized that there are many parallels between mountaineering and our work in public health:

  • Finding partners you can trust – The importance of building relationships with your fellow "climbers," whether you're mounting a public health response or you're on the side of an actual mountain.
  • Finding alternative measures of success – Success is not always reaching the top of the mountain or "solving" an outbreak. As we say in mountaineering – the summit is simply the furthest point we can turn around; the real goal is making it home safe and sound.
  • How to care for yourself and others in challenging situations: Even when the most caring thing you can do is decide to take a break or to turn around. "The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too."
  • How to keep going when you can't see a way forward – Keeping hope alive when it feels the path (or trail) ahead is unclear.

It's been a difficult time in public health – with likely more rough and rocky terrain ahead of us. I would be thrilled to share a few of my most relevant lessons as I've struggled to find my way as a budding mountaineer and epidemiologist. I hope to use humor (and beautiful photographs) to bring a message of gratitude and grit to both new and seasoned epidemiologists.

Abstract Category: TED-Style Talks

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About Public Health Infrastructure Center; Epidemic Intelligence Service