A byproduct of the pandemic? Colleges see soaring interest in health fields

PHILADELPHIA — Vanessa Oppong thought about delaying her pursuit of a master’s degree in public health at Temple University, given that classes were moved online this fall as a result of the pandemic. Then, as the devastating effects of the coronavirus raged around her, she reconsidered. “I felt in a way called to continue my education,” Oppong, 23, of Woodbridge, Virginia, said. “There’s no better time than right now.” And apparently she’s far from alone in her thinking. Temple saw a 120% increase in first-year students enrolled in its master’s of public health program this year, from 69 to 1...