preview

Epidemiology Personal Statement

Decent Essays

What if as a society we began to focus more on preventing chronic disease rather than treating them after onset? This is the question that has driven my interest in public health. My first true introduction to public health came in an Epidemiology class I took my junior year at Portland State University. It became apparent to me that chronic diseases are now our worlds biggest burden, particularly cardiovascular disease and cancer, and that the health of our world against these diseases begins with prevention. I began my undergraduate career as a Viticulture and Enology major. I loved the idea of spending my days in a vineyard, nurturing grapes to maturity and then creating a final product that was entirely different from its humble beginning. …show more content…

Public health should influence the direction of healthcare and medicine. It is because of this belief I’m passionate about attending a graduate program that emphasizes not only the importance of quantitative methodology, but also the importance of understanding the biology and etiology of disease. Through pursuing my XXXXXX I plan to study the dietary and nutritional determinants of chronic disease prevention. I hope to gain a thorough understanding of chronic diseases as well as the training, skills, and tools required to be successful in asking questions, analyzing problems and researching various solutions. This, in turn, will allow me to contribute to identifying new diagnostic and prognostic indicators for disease, mediators of disease processes, and clinical and population-level …show more content…

I was able to gain insight into how population based research is performed as well as the ways health disparities, social and economic status, and malnutrition contribute to the health of low-income and homeless individuals. As an interviewer I played an integral role in helping CCC develop programs to improve the population health of these individuals and help assist the company in creating an integrated model of care. After the initial surveys were completed, I had the opportunity to continue my training in data management, statistical analysis, and interpretation of results. I worked on cleaning data and analyzing the results of the survey. I authored a report on the research findings with Dr. Lynne Messer to help the agency plan future projects and research. This experience has contributed to my desire to better understand the modifiable lifestyle factors that contribute to the cause of disease, disease distribution, and the measures we can take for control and

Get Access