Alumna Jody Merrill takes health communication skills into a new venture, her own consulting firm
Jody Merrill (MET’21)
Principal and Consultant, Merrill Marketing
MS, Health Communication
This interview was originally published in summer 2021. Jody has since accepted the position of Integrated Strategic Growth Marketing Manager for Mass General Brigham.
What compelled you to return to school and pursue a graduate education? What is your long-term objective?
I had been working in hospital marketing for many years and wanted to take my career to the next level while learning all of the latest tools and skills necessary to be the best healthcare communications professional possible. I felt that the only way to supplement my experience was to pursue a master’s program with the objective of continually advancing in my profession while preparing to tackle some of the biggest issues healthcare will face, such as affordability, health literacy, access and now navigating healthcare in a pandemic. Good communication has always been key to a great patient experience and it’s always been important to me for patients to receive excellent, compassionate healthcare that they can afford.
Why did you choose MET for your graduate studies? What set MET apart from other programs you were considering?
I looked at many programs in the Boston area as well as nationwide and had begun taking some classes at Tufts University in a certificate program. When I realized I wanted to pursue my master’s, my advisor at Tufts gave the BU MS in Health Communication program a glowing recommendation, raving about the professors and the curriculum. When I looked at the courses and faculty and then factored in the online option, which worked well for me as a working mother of two, I knew it would be the best direction.
Is there a particular faculty member from your courses who enhanced your experience at MET? Who and why?
There are a couple! I really appreciated Professor Megan Healey’s approach and her openness to helping with epidemiology, while Professor Tim Sullivan’s real-world anecdotes and advice on media communication, especially crisis communication, have already helped me professionally.
How do you apply concepts you learned in your courses at MET in your current job?
When I began the program, I was the director of marketing for an independent hospital and I was able to use concepts I was learning right from the get-go. From creating more effective project briefs and SWOT analyses to directing a photo or video shoot and using storyboards and shot lists, I was becoming a much more effective marketing director on both the management and creative side of the job.
What is currently, in your opinion, the most valuable thing that MET provides you?
The real-world advice and experience from the professors has been invaluable and put to great use in every aspect of my career. From being a hospital marketing director to being able to found and operate a marketing agency, I’ve felt great knowing I have the best industry-specific skills to offer my clients. I’ve also loved the networking that has resulted, and being able to meet other students from all over the country and world. Learning from them and hearing about how they approach health communication in their areas of expertise has been great.