Public Health Personal Statement

I believe that health care is an essential resource that should be available to all regardless of socio-economic status. Dr. Paul Farmer is one of my inspirations for what selfless service of others looks like in the field of healthcare. Surprisingly I first became interested in the work he is doing with Partners in Health through an Anthropology course I took in my sophomore year. I had in mind to be involved in some form of health organization or a public health research oriented career, but I was not certain on how to approach this dream. I thought that I had to go through the route of research in one of the core sciences before transitioning to public health. This past summer, I was privileged to work in the molecular biology research laboratory

As a Medical Laboratory Science student I have acquired a solid background in infectious disease pathology and testing procedures and I believe that the skills and knowledge I have will grant me an upper-hand during the MPH in Epidemiology program. It will also enable me to contribute to research from a different perspective on the various disease patterns and how best to tackle prevention and control issues in public health. I plan to take the Board of Certification to acquire the initials “MLS (ASCP)”. I aspire to make an impact not only in health care in the United States, but also globally in underdeveloped countries like Nigeria. The U-M SPH vision exactly parallels mine of using various factors of research, education and community involvement to inspire more effective solutions to health care issues. Public health impacts lives and can revive communities that have lost due to the devastation of diseases. For example, the Ebola epidemic that occurred served as a reminder that we are not fighting the war on diseases here in the United States alone. In this age of globalization, we are all intricately connected and no one is completely isolated. Since that epidemic, various training and educational programs have been set up to more effectively prepare for and prevent similar epidemics in the future. I believe that is how public health contributes to the greater good. The U-M SPH especially is one of the pinnacle institutions that are in the forefront of public health and medical