For Angela Belnap, DHPE (’19), MS, CMA (AAMA), a love of learning inspired her to enroll in Logan’s Doctorate of Health Professions Education (DHPE) program.
“I saw Logan’s DHPE program as an opportunity for enrichment,” Dr. Belnap said. “I was very happy in my current position but wanted to take the next step to become the best health educator I could be.”
Dr. Belnap is a program coordinator and associate professor at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) in Salt Lake City, Utah. Working within its School of Health Sciences, she oversees several full-time and adjunct professors and helps manage program budgets and marketing efforts, among other responsibilities. Dr. Belnap has also taught courses in physiology, anatomy, medication administration, diagnostic testing and more to aspiring health care professionals.
“My favorite part of working in education is helping people become the best they can be,” Dr. Belnap said. “One of the most fulfilling things I do is help students and other faculty members overcome challenges. I’ve enjoyed seeing so many people succeed.”
Dr. Belnap was able to apply many of the practical skills and in-depth knowledge she gained through Logan’s DHPE program to her role at SLCC.
“Whether it was teaching tips, research or curriculum design, I was able to take lessons from my courses and use them every day in my career to function better,” Dr. Belnap said. “For example, without the thorough understanding of curriculum design that I received from Logan, I wouldn’t be able to meet expectations for the programs I work on at SLCC. It’s set me up to do a lot of good.”
Although Logan is located more than 1,000 miles from where she lives and the DHPE program is taught 100 percent online, Dr. Belnap was impressed with the amount of collaboration and level of engagement her professors cultivated in their courses.
“They really did an amazing job making us feel like a part of the university community,” Dr. Belnap said.
She was also grateful she did not have to put her career on hold to complete her DHPE.
“I really appreciated the flexibility, especially as a mom with two children and a full-time job,” Dr. Belnap said. “Although the program was very doable, it is still quite rigorous, so it was an excellent learning experience overall.”
While she decided to pursue her DHPE for the learning experience, she is looking forward to the doors it could open for her in the future.
“I have enjoyed getting involved with other SLCC instructors and programs,” Dr. Belnap said. “The knowledge I gained in the DHPE program has put me in a unique position to engage throughout the college. I have had the privilege to step outside my program and assist others with things such as faculty development and curriculum design. If I ever decide to move on from a teaching role, I can see myself moving into an administrative position where I can do more of this. It is nice knowing that, if decide to pursue this, I have the opportunity to do so with the DHPE.”