by Grace Hayward
On Friday, September 20, as part of their Career Series, the Center for Child and Family Policy hosted three Duke dual-degree graduate students pursuing careers at the intersection of Policy and Law/Medicine/Business.
Allyson Barkley, who is currently pursuing her JD/MP, shared her journey from studying global politics at UNC to developing a passion for state and local government policy. During her undergraduate studies, she wrote an honors thesis on the migrant and refugee crisis in the EU. However, after interning with CWS Durham during her junior summer, her focus shifted “closer to home,” toward understanding state and local funding, systems, and resources for refugee acclimation. She returned to CWS her senior year, working part-time for 25 hours a week. Her position entailed managing a full client portfolio and overseeing the employment program helping refugees secure jobs. Unfortunately, during the Trump Administration, the pipeline of clients was blocked and funding to her program was cut. This led to the closure of resettlement offices nationwide and the loss of her job. Following this, she joined the reelection campaign for Attorney General Josh Stein, where she learned about election finance, traveled across North Carolina, and engaged daily with constituents. This experience deepened her policy interests and love for the state. After the campaign, Allyson took on a role at the North Carolina Department of Justice working with TREC in the criminal legal system while simultaneously applying to the MPP program at Duke. Ultimately, her colleagues encouraged her to apply to the JD program as well, as it would provide her with more tools to make change. Most recently, she interned in the City of Durham’s attorney’s office and is looking to pursue a city attorney role after graduation. This position, which is advisory focused, deals with the political implications of legal decisions within municipal law.
Madeline Brown, who is currently pursuing her MD/MPP, discussed how her gap year with AmeriCorps fueled her passion for primary care and equitable health policy. Between graduating from the University of Richmond with a B.A. in biochemistry and molecular biology and applying to Medical School, Maddie volunteered with the National Health Corps. During her time as a Patient Care Navigator at the Birmingham Free Clinic in Pittsburgh, PA, she noticed that many of the barriers her patients faced could be traced back to policy issues. This insight has been reinforced through her clinical work at Duke Medical School and in the Sanford classrooms. Unlike Allyson, Maddie applied to the medical school first and, in her 3rd year, decided to apply to the Duke MPP program as part of her research project year. She reflected on the solid balance that the dual degree program offers and how she has drawn connections between her clinical experience and policy classes, especially as they relate to population health and health outcomes; everything is interrelated and overlapping. Her experiences in both schools have shaped her desire to pursue a career that integrates clinical practice with policy work. Maddie aims to break down barriers between physical and mental health care systems, focusing on a blend of family/community medicine and psychiatry. At the same time, she hopes to work for a local nonprofit or state Medicaid agency to influence social policy and promote health equity.
Anna, who is currently pursuing her MBA/MPP, shared about how her experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal propelled her interest in economic policy. After her graduation from George Washington University, where she earned a B.A. in International Affairs, Anna joined the Peace Corps. While she contributed to malaria prevention campaigns and taught English in schools, her primary focus was on grant writing. Through this work, she came to appreciate the importance of funding and resources in driving economic change. Her Peace Corps experience also revealed her preference for dynamic and collaborative work environments, which ultimately led her to social impact consulting. Like Allyson, Anna applied to the MPP and MBA programs simultaneously. The first year is dedicated to the MPP, the second to the MBA, and the third is a combination of both. Anna expressed gratitude for the special dual degree community and the unique perspectives and cultures she has been exposed to as a member of both school environments. Now, as she is going through the recruiting process for the private sector consulting field, Anna is excited to “work in a lot of industries and wear a lot of hats.” She believes there is a lot to learn from private vs public sector approaches. Eventually, she hopes to transition to public sector work, particularly relating to housing policy.
All three dual degree students emphasized that they value what they are learning in both programs, but warned there can be bumps in the road when getting degrees from different schools at the same time. Alyson mentioned that balancing the schedules for her two degrees is manageable, but the lack of communication between the two institutions around requirements, schedules, aid and other details requires dual degree students to be proactive. Maddie highlighted that while Duke medical school has a built-in research year, not all schools have this opportunity so following a similar path at another school might not be as manageable. Anna pointed out the challenges when the degree programs you are combining do not run on the same academic calendars. All noted that pursuing a dual degree does take some extra effort and patience as you navigate the various requirements of two programs at once. To address these challenges, Anna highlighted the value of having “friend-tors”—mentors a few years ahead on the same dual degree path who can provide guidance.
Grace Hayward is a senior majoring in Public Policy with a minor in Journalism. She is passionate about education policy and using research as a tool to drive improvements in the education system.