1. Why do you want to enter the dietetics profession?
Ya’at’eeh (hello), my name is Amber Ashley. I am Díne (Navajo) and was born and raised on the Navajo reservation. I am of the Blacksheep clan and born for the Towering House clan. My maternal grandfather is Bitter Water clan and my paternal grandfather is Edge Water clan. In my culture I was taught to always introduce myself in Navajo.
Growing up watching my mother, a registered nurse, tend to her children, family, and Native community with compassion, love, and healing, it was only innate to pursue a profession in the health field. Inspired by my mother I completed two degrees in community and public health. At my last job, as a health educator for the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP),
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I followed up with DP clients once a month to review and discuss diet and exercise diaries. I instructed participants on simple exercises, healthy eating, and behavior changes. I also assisted other DPP staff with recruitment, retention, and coordinating education events for Native American clients. I really enjoyed the experience as I got to work with so many different tribes. In 2011, I was hired as a health educator for the DP program. The job entailed a lot more work and skills. I was required to facilitate the After Core program. The program encourages participants to maintain their healthy eating and exercise habits. At the time I was hired I was given little guidance to coordinate and begin the program. I took this challenge as an opportunity to learn, grow, and build. Prior to creating the classes, I recall learning about cultural tailoring, health literacy, and community-based programs in my graduate program. With these many concepts in mind I reached out to all my participants and collected their consensus on a program they wanted. I wanted it to be fun, useful, culturally sensitive, applicable, and professional. One of the methods I incorporated into the curriculum was the Shábík’ehgo As’ah Oodááł philosophy model. The Navajo wellness model is based on the Navajo teachings “a journey with wellness and a healthy lifestyle guided by the journey of the sun.” This teaching is …show more content…
I would like to help strengthen our Native peoples’ sense of self-knowledge and efficacy, well-being, health, and hope. I see myself in five years working with my Native American people on the Navajo reservation. I also see myself collaborating with other programs, health professionals, and community members to create health prevention programs for all age groups. I also would like to offer cooking classes tailored to more of a Native diet. Commodity foods and former government rations have become the main staple diet of many Native Americans. Many of these foods are high in saturated fat, sugar, and offer very little nutrition. I would like to inform and educate about healthier alternatives. Many of my people believe that they are destined to get diabetes. I strongly believe there is always hope and that our Native people can live healthy and happier lives. I plan to contribute to this beautiful change among our Native
Half of Pima and Tohono O’odham tribes are living below poverty level, which is a social determinant that increases the risk of contracting diabetes. According to the video populations with low income have more than twice of the susceptibility of contracting diabetes than populations with higher income. The U.S. military tried to curb the affects of poverty among the Native American tribes by providing commodity food. However, the downside of this service was the fact that the commodity food consisted of unhealthy foods that contribute to increasing the risks of contracting diabetes. Foods items like, white flour, sugar, candy, chips, and other unhealthy food were given to the tribes. Consequently the tribes made unhealthy foods with the ingredients, like fry bread, which is actually not a traditional food because it derived from the commodity
The knowledge that I will obtain in the public health portion of the program will allow me to be better prepared to understand the social and environmental determinants of health that contribute to the development of diseases, and this will allow me to care for my patients more effectively. As these and other public health issues become more prominent, having a well-trained workforce that is equipped to address community-level health concerns is vital. As a profession, PAs are well educated as primary care clinicians and are able to handle a wide variety of common health care disorders. Adding a master’s degree in public health equips PAs with an expanded skill set which can be used to manage the health of entire communities, specifically those which are
Perez, M. A. & Luquis, R.R. (2009). Cultural competence in health education and health promotion. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA.
If the community organizes a locavore movement, it will forge an easier method for individuals to acquire all the nutrients they need and a larger supply of healthy foods. A greater amount of people are malnourished in vitamins and minerals (some they may not even know exists) which most processed food do not contain. This is why fresh foods from local farmer’s markets are superior considering that “‘Nowadays, we know a lot more about the naturally occurring substances in produce,’ said [Cynthia] Sass. ‘It’s not just vitamins and minerals,
The program united my interest in healthcare and public health coupled with cultivating leadership and management skills. I have gained a broad exposure to the core public health disciplines, a macro-level understanding of the health care system, and honed my professional skills in direct application towards healthcare delivery. Ultimately, I aspire to practice at an urban hospital, and to have a leadership role where I can leverage my experiences and perspective to influence hospital initiatives to help underserved
There are multiple ways of learning, and teaching is only one of them, we learn a great deal on our own through examples,
Cultural competence is a skill essential to acquire for healthcare providers, especially nurses. Cooperating effectively and understanding individuals with different backgrounds and traditions enhances the quality of health care provided by hospitals and other medical facilities. One of the many cultures that nurses and other health care providers encounter is the American Indian or Native American culture. There are hundreds of different American Indian Tribes, but their beliefs and values only differ slightly. The culture itself embodies nature. To American Indians, “The Earth is considered to be a living organism- the body of a higher individual, with a will and desire to be well. The Earth is periodically healthy and less healthy, just as human beings are” (Spector, 2009, p. 208). This is why their way of healing and symbolic items are holistic and from nature.
I interned a cardiologist where I got to see the life of a physician as he went about his daily routine. I achieved getting my Certified Nursing Assistant license after assisting patients at a nursing home. I became a camp counselor for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, where I took care of a 10-year-old child during a summer camp. Through these experiences, I gained confidence in my character and purposefulness. Furthermore, I went on a mission trip to Kenya where I experienced life in a third world country. It was here where my eyes were opened to see a world that is in dire need of help. These people are malnourished, living in detrimental conditions without accessible health care. The experiences I had in Kenya reminded me to never take anything for granted. My engagement acting on all these opportunities fueled my perseverance to pursue my career in health
I have an unquenchable desire to learn and develop the mind. I believe, one of the greatest ways to better care for individuals, families, communities and the population was to pursue the Master of Public Health Program and concentrate on Community Health Education. With the Master of Public Health degree, I can better understand how to implement, plan and evaluate health promotion and disease prevention programs to better serve different communities. I want to pursue a master’s degree to focus on my career interest more in-depth. Choosing to pursue the MPH program is a lifelong self-fulfillment, because there is no greater satisfaction than knowing I am going to wake up every day to improve the lives of people all around the world. Higher education is rewarding and can open the door to greater opportunities. I aspire a career with a purpose, that is why I chose to complete my graduate
I will look forward to becoming a healthcare administrator, and being part of a larger community. As healthcare educators, we are offered a chance to improve the quality of many peoples ' lives including family and friends. We are the faces of the community, with the common goal of building a healthy community. I want to be able to say I made a difference in someone’s life rather big or small. Being a healthcare administrator will be a lifelong career that I look forward to doing in the future.
I have an unquenchable desire to learn and develop the mind. I believe, one of the greatest way to better care for families, communities and the population was to pursue the Master of Public Health Program with a concentration in Community Health Education. With the Master of Public Health degree, I can better understand how to implement, plan and evaluate health promotion and disease prevention programs to better serve the communities. I want to get a master’s degree to pursue my career interest more in-depth. Choosing to pursue the MPH program is a lifelong self-fulfillment, because there is no greater satisfaction than knowing I am going to wake up every day to improve the lives of people all around the world. Higher education is rewarding and can open the door to greater opportunities. I aspire a career with a purpose, that is why I chose to complete my graduate
I declared my major as Community Health in the spring of 2013. I am fortunate to be a member of the School of Public Health because I have learned vital information that have positively shaped my view of what healthcare should be focused on. The many health courses I have taken has enabled me to see the importance of having a patient centered care. My major has emphasized that instead of health professionals focusing on the illness of a person, they should try to address the holistic health or well-being of an individual. There were several program competencies that were addressed through the dozens of health classes I took at Maryland.
’s volunteer in an enlightened health organization (non-profit) which is working in Houston to promote the public health through scientific research and spreading health awareness among the people through offering free screening for blood glucose, blood pressure, height, weight, BMI, free lab tests, offering health pamphlets and ensuring access to discounted physician visits to the uninsured people. Reading the curriculum of your epidemiology track made me more fascinated with your program. I will have the great honor and passion to pursue a master's degree in public health from such a prestigious and reputable school. My ultimate goal is to improve the practice and delivery of public health as a leader and teacher in the clinical setting. . I am excited to start my studies with the hope of making a meaningful contribution to this field and to the community.
The Schulich Interfaculty MPH Program emphasizes public health leadership, policy and sustainability. What are your career aspirations in public health and how will our MPH facilitate these aspirations?
I am certain that a master’s in public health from a university such as the University of Illinois at Springfield program will provide the knowledge and skills that will mold me as an individual to work best with the public and sequentially create a justifiable link between the public and the health services, refining the lifestyle of thousands of