MD/MPH Personal Statement

“Letto diciassette!” I froze at the sound of “bed seventeen,” and watched with horror as the Italian nurse ran into my grandmother’s hospital room. The monitors were beeping out of control, yet my heart seemed to be beating even faster and louder. I stood at the end of the dimly lit hall, shaking and unable to move. A health care provider spotted me standing there, desperate, alone, and vulnerable, and made her way over to comfort me. The feelings I experienced next were what I remember most when I look back on that dark and gloomy day in Italy. ***The feelings of hope, reassurance and genuine kindness. The feeling that a missing piece of my heart had been put back where it belonged. That is what I remember most and that is the role I want

The healthcare sector offers a variety of professional opportunities that include pediatric, geriatrics, public policy and many other areas in which I hope to make a impact towards. I have always been intrigued by medicine and continue to gain more interest in public health. In the future, I desire to combine both medicine and public health by participating in an MD and MPH program. My experiences and education provide me with constant motivation in achieving my goals.

I am applying for the Mayo Clinic Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) because of my intrinsic motivation to serve people through the healthcare field, which developed from a very early age. The motivation developed because I had an opportunity to see the miracles research and medicine could do first hand back in Pakistan, as my father was an ENT surgeon. Research wise, classes like Psychobiology and Molecular and Cellular Biology have consistently increased my interest in neurobiology and immunology, and equipped me with the laboratory training needed to perform productive laboratory research. Also being born in Pakistan, a third world country lacking quality health care and through living in a region of the world torn by socioeconomic issues, I have noticed many around the world lack access to healthcare. I aim to change that throughout my life by partnering with organizations like the United States Navy or the Doctors Without Borders, and the attainment of a MD/Ph.D. degree is an essential part of it.

I come from a small rural town nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. My hometown is split down the middle by a set of railroad tracks. On the north side, one can find pristine neighborhoods, newer schools, most doctors’ offices, and the only hospital in town. The south side of the town stands as a stark contrast. On the south side, you no longer find the wealthy neighborhoods but rather dilapidated and condemned homes and housing projects. One seems to find abandoned buildings on every corner, many inhabited by those that have lost their homes. Limited help is coming for those who need it, mostly through churches and volunteer programs targeting the underserved. Many doctors, dentists, and nurses are giving their time and resources to help

For my CESL project, I intend to be an instructor for the NJMS Mini-Med Program. This program holds personal significance to me as I too was a student in this program when I was a sophomore in high school. This program was my first exposure to medicine and the insights I gained, not only from the lecturers, but also from medical students, has shaped my passion medicine. Therefore, I want to give back to the program that has had such a significant impact on my life. Furthermore, before coming to NJMS, one of the most rewarding experiences of my life was teaching chemistry for a program called ODASIS at Rutgers- New Brunswick where I was able to provide resources and guidance to students from minority and underserved populations. Consequently, I want to use my experiences and affinity for teaching to introduce young students to the various topics in medicine.

While interacting with current medical students pursuing the MD/MPH dual degree at a UTHSCSA student panel, I realized that obtaining an MPH would align greatly with my interests and career goals, allowing me to expand the scope of my medical education and enhance my critical thinking skills. I enjoy how public health combines various aspects needed to treat disease and improve health outcomes, and I know that integrating the MPH core concepts with my medical degree, will help me to become a well-rounded and better physician who approaches healthcare through both an individual and population-based perspective. An education in public health will provide me with various opportunities ranging from the creation and development of community health projects, to contributing to the modification of current health policies. I will seize the opportunity to work with professionals from all occupations including educators, clinicians, executives, and I will become an advocate and a credible voice for positive change through a better understanding of the healthcare system that is in place

After high school, I’d wish to pursue a degree as a physical therapist assistant. Ever since I was younger I always knew that I wanted to become a PTA or else an athletic trainer. Sports introduced me to physical therapy and physical therapy assistants. I’ve played sports ever since I was a little girl. I also got injured many times playing sports which led my to go to physical therapy. I’ve always thought that the body was so fascinating and always want to learn more about it. I participate in Health Occupations where I am able to actually go shadow a physical therapist and see what they do.

Combined BA/MD programs are often singularly focused with an intense pace and rigorous coursework. In my eyes, they are beauteous opportunities, suitable for both my skills and my goals. Being part of a combined medicine program would not only provide me with the motivation to continue challenging myself, but also offer me the freedom to explore my other interests, and in turn receive a more well-rounded foundation for specialist medical training.

1. I hereby express my intent to compete for consideration into the Interservice Physician Assistant Program. I graduated from University of Ghana with a combined major in Information Science and Sociology and an overall GPA of 3.2. I am also currently enrolled in Organic Chemistry I w/lab and Genetics to improve my science GPA of 3.6. I will complete these classes well in advance before the program start.

My chosen profession is health information technology in the Kaplan University online course. I chose this as a career because I could use the skill later in the future to start a non-medical home care business agency as a long term goal after graduation. The objective of the Associate of Applied Science in Health Information Technology program is to prepare a person with the knowledge, technical skills, and work habits to pursue an entry-level position in the health information management field. I also learnt that the curriculum is geared toward the ability to process, maintain, compile, and report health information data for patient care, reimbursement, facility planning, marketing, risk management, quality assessment, and research.

I look back at the personal statement I wrote when applying to undergraduate studies and feel the passion and excitement I had for a fascinating career that would allow me to serve my community; I was determined to pave my path in the medical field. Five years later, I realize I am still that driven, motivated and passionate student prepared to excel, but I now have a stronger sense of which career in medicine best suits me and will allow me to succeed. While still holding the fundamental values of providing for those in need and being part of a field that fascinates me, my answer to “Why do you want to be a Physician Assistant?” now entails more than the generic notion of wanting to help others. My experiences at Clinica Tepati, Dr. Gupta’s

A year ago the Harvard Business School Executive Education programs dominated my thoughts. Somehow thanks to Google, data mining, and a few powers at be, an ad popped up about the Harvard Extension School. Naturally I clicked on it and was astonished by what was available. A Finance degree, that sounds like a path to grow my business. However, my love for science cajoled me to take a look at what was then the environment science sustainability program. Not only could I take some management classes to fulfill my degree requirement, but also I could extend my financial analyses to include social and environment impacts. Moreover, in my daily reading of the Bible, I came across a verse: And the work of righteousness shall be peace; And the

My interest for public health stems from the need to aid numerous people in disease and injury prevention, health protection, and strategies for health promotion. I hope to earn a Master of Public Health with a focus in the area of health care management as well as hospital administration in relation to public health policy development and education. I aspire to develop enhanced intervention policies that can provide the population with direct access to primary health care due to public health preparedness education and strategic planning.

The practice of public health most aligns with my passion for science, culture, and the community. The aspects of public health that I am most drawn to is the opportunity to work with diverse and underserved patient populations, and the emphasis that is placed on disease prevention and healthy lifestyle promotion. My academic and extracurricular experiences during my college career contributed to my interest and preparation for a career as a physician in the public health practice. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Science with a minor in Anthropology. I took a variety of classes that expanded my perspective of the role of nutrition in disease prevention and treatment. Through my studies in anthropology, I learned about the complex

My Public Health Practicum course at the University of California Irvine (UCI) and my mission experience to South America further propelled me toward a career in public health. In the final year of my undergraduate degree, I took my Public Health Practicum course, which was a requirement to