Martina Spain

PhD student in Maternal and Child Health @UNCpublichealth | BUSPH • GWU | #firstgenstudent | she/her/ella | 🏳️‍🌈🇨🇴🐆

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

Just about every day in a #PhD program oscillates between "I FINALLY understand this concept!!" and "I have no idea what I'm doing." Usually this happens within minutes on one assignment! Wonderful.

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

@cbelanoff @RafiknWahbi This sounds amazing! Was any of it recorded?

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

@AlKaWilliamson Brilliant! Adding it to the toolbox 🧰 - plus it means I get to doodle!

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

I’ve missed shopping at @REI and hearing the things people get excited about. “oOoOh! Bins!!”

and it really is that exciting for all of us.

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

@kimyaf YES! Gives you that "3 day weekend" feeling (even if you have to work/go to school Friday)

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

Felicidades to my dear friend @AlKaWilliamson!! You brilliant being 🌟

[School of Information @umsi]

.@AlKaWilliamson has earned a best paper recognition in @IMIAtweets 2022 Yearbook of Medical Informatics for “Uptake of and Engagement With an Online Sexual Health Intervention (HOPE eIntervention) Among African American Young Adults: Mixed Methods Study."
https://t.co/LtqQ60sDES

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

@sofiak1r @PostdocVoice @PhDVoice The Deep Focus playlist has been my go to for years! I think I've pavloved myself to the point where I immediately start to focus once the first song starts. https://t.co/t2omqXxNDc

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

One of my research methods classes was taught the old fashioned way today: with nothing but chalk and chalkboard. Honestly it was refreshing! Dynamic imagery was so much more engaging than static slide decks.

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

There's hope for us all! Overcoming the "I'm bad at math" identity and past math/educational trauma is one of the best/most challenging parts of the PhD journey so far.

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

@ryanncmonteiro This sounds incredible! (Any chance it was recorded?)

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

Figuring out how to navigate academia and how to be a [successful] PhD student with little to no background in academia is its own beast. Learning to do regressions by hand is fine, being #firstgen is one hell of a challenge.

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

As a first gen grad student, I had no idea what to expect as a PhD student and how it differs from other student roles. Two key things my advisor would tell every incoming PhD student to focus on: filling your toolbox, and building your network. #PhDVoice

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

@JustErin001 Truth, the same cycle applies to low priority tasks! Telling me something is low priority means it (likely) will never get done or started (because everything I'm in panic paralysis is taking over all mental space).

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

@RafiknWahbi We didn't learn how to do regressions by hand just to sell our regressions short!

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

Feeling aggressively proud of myself for accomplishing a single task while having a sinus infection.

That single task was a full edit of a 20 page paper & a response to the reviewer. A pretty major task for when my entire head is congested. The countdown is on to Winter Break!

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

I am honestly geeking out so hard about different methods of measuring #FamilyPlanning use and very much realize this subject is not really a thing most people get excited or care about in the grand scheme of things. Is this what academia is?

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

Daylight savings is the final boss of #Fallsemester

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

I felt pretty good about how I was balancing mental illnesses, ADHD, classes, homework, and a social life, and then daylight savings time happened.

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

Today in academia: asking our professor if he’s ever tried #FourLoko !

The most shocking part of his answer wasn’t that he hasn’t tried it, but that he doesn’t consume caffeine at all.

[Martina Spain @MartinaSpain_]

75% of the way through the semester, our epidemiology professor says now is the time to get comfortable with ambiguity. Given that it's a class on #causalinference, I'd say we've been getting comfortable with ambiguity since aboutttt day 1.