Michal worked clinically as a medical assistant for 10 years in family practice, rheumatology, and pediatric offices. Upon completing her Bachelor’s in Community Health, she became a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and began teaching as a medical assistant instructor. Her passion for patient education seamlessly transitioned to teaching. She completed a Master’s in Health Education, honing skills in instructional design and curriculum development, facilitating her transition to higher education.
Since its inception in 2019, Michal has contributed significantly to RMU’s DMSc program. Her roles include curriculum development, assisting adjunct instructors with Canvas, managing student records and helping them navigate the onboarding process, and spearheading research projects exploring the program’s impact on clinical practice. She is currently a PhD candidate and will graduate in 2024. Her research explores the psychological constructs of self-efficacy and empowerment in trail/ultrarunners and the resultant transfer mechanisms used to transfer these constructs to other life areas. Her academic interests encompass integrative health, behavior modification, population health, and social determinants of health.
Trail running, chili hot chocolate, homemade sourdough bread, and blackberry jam are the stuff of life. Convincing her two boys that trail running is fun is a daily task, and the most romantic thing her husband has done for her is create the trail running cards she carries in every race that have the course map and elevation on one side and the A, B, and C goal times on the other side to keep her on track.