If any lessons can be drawn from the Max Bell MPP program鈥檚 first three student cohorts, it might be how multidisciplinary the next generation of policy leaders will be. Few, if any, of Max Bell鈥檚 students embody that idea better than Kerry Kittson. After an accomplished career as a physiotherapist treating patients with musculoskeletal injuries, Kerry has chosen to pivot to the world of public policy. 鈥淚 think being a health professional, some people have the expectation that you鈥檒l be treating patients for your full career,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good to challenge that because health care professionals have so many different skills that they can translate to other sectors.鈥�
As an MPP candidate, Kerry hopes to apply her skills鈥攐ld and new鈥攖o a fresh set of challenges. 鈥淚鈥檝e mostly been focused on physiotherapy the last 10 years,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut I know there鈥檚 just so much more out there, and that鈥檚 really exciting.鈥�
Doubling down
An MPP from the Max Bell School of Public Policy will be Kerry鈥檚 third post-secondary degree. After earning her B.Sc. in Kinesiology from Queen鈥檚 University, she decided to stay in Kingston to pursue a Masters in Physiotherapy. After graduation, Kerry took on a variety of leadership roles across the private and public sectors, including at the telehealth firm Phzio, the Ontario Ministry of Health, and the Canadian Physiotherapy Association.
The possibilities of a career in public policy became clear to Kerry while she was working at the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. 鈥淧art of my job was engaging with different physiotherapists from across the country, responding to inquiries about their practices. 鈥淚 really enjoyed learning about all of the different regulations and laws and their interpretation鈥� she recalls. Then inspiration to actually make a change came from an unexpected place.
For Kerry, the pandemic was an opportunity to reassess her career. 鈥淲hen COVID hit, I and a lot of my colleagues and friends really had a chance to reflect on what we wanted out of our careers and our lives. I think it鈥檚 healthy to be switching gears and learning something new.鈥� Kerry hasn鈥檛 looked back.
New vocabularies
When asked about her initial observations of the program, one jumps to mind immediately. 鈥淓veryone in this program has a unique background. It鈥檚 just incredibly diverse, which is the best part of it,鈥� Kerry says. She is also serving as Academic Director with the Public Policy Association of Graduation Students (PPAGS), helping to ensure student colleagues reach their academic potential.
A completely new set of peers and academic subjects are already generating early returns for Kerry. 鈥淢icroeconomics is its own language, law is its own language, the machinery of government is its own language. Being exposed to all of these different ways of thinking is really expanding my perspective on different issues in the world.鈥� She鈥檚 also looking forward to the Policy Lab, where she will work within a team and apply her health care experience to the challenge of homelessness in collaboration with the Policy Lab鈥檚 sponsor - the Old Brewery Mission.
Big possibilities and an open mind
After her time at Max Bell, Kerry hopes to work in the field of health policy, designing and evaluating programs that improve the wellbeing of Canadians. One possibility is a career in the federal government, where both of her parents forged their careers. But Kerry knows that sometimes the best opportunities are the most unexpected. 鈥淚 genuinely don鈥檛 know where the MPP program will lead me, but that鈥檚 also pretty exciting. I鈥檓 trying to keep an open mind.鈥� In the meantime, she has jumped into student life at 平特五不中 with both feet.
Regardless of where her MPP takes her, Kerry believes her time as a physiotherapist has set her up for success as she embarks on this new chapter. 鈥淓mpathy is a hugely transferrable skill,鈥� she smiles. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to be able to put yourself in the shoes of others, whether that鈥檚 housing, healthcare, whichever policy is at hand. I think working on the front lines with patients who had complex health needs has really helped to prepare me for that. You can鈥檛 just make policy in an ivory tower, you have to talk people who are experiencing the problem and really understand their concerns.鈥�
