Reflections on a Health Promotion Course: Lessons in Learning, Planning and Self-Awareness

Image generated using the prompt "generate an image that is representative of a course completion reflection, based on health promotion, the Ottawa Charter, social determinants of health, program planning, planning tools, unconscious biases," by OpenAI, ChatGPT, 2026.

This course offered an extensive range of learning: fundamental concepts of health promotion, social determinants of health, cultural safety, developing health promotion opportunities across organizations, and community engagement. Overall, I had a very positive experience, though I found it difficult to keep pace with the volume of material.

My learning outcomes were strong and directly applicable to my work. I struggled with the volume of reading required and balancing it against forum contributions. As the weeks progressed and projects mounted, my participation fell behind, and catching up became nearly impossible. Many weeks ago, I had to choose between absorbing the learning resources or writing meaningful forum posts, and I often chose the former for the value it provided. The readings taught me applicable skills, theories, and practices I will use going forward.

In particular, Unit 5, "Health Priority," offered learning I can apply directly to my role as a superintendent of a paramedic service. As I take on more responsibility for program planning, these lessons will serve me well. The unit provided planning tools and frameworks, outlined the steps in program planning, and contrasted different planning approaches. Though largely framed around community planning, I can apply these tools to the "community" of paramedics to support successful health promotion initiatives.

We began this course with a positionality statement, and I was curious whether mine had changed. Revisiting it, I noticed I had been vague about my political stance and religious beliefs, likely to avoid the topics. I now recognize I lean slightly left of centre, and I still identify as agnostic, though still uncertain where my spirituality lies. I also believed I understood health inequity, but now see it as far more multifaceted than I originally thought—something my positionality statement should reflect more strongly.

I'm grateful I took this course. It will inform how I approach individuals and groups, strengthen my workforce planning, and deepen my understanding of how unconscious decisions affect those around us.