MD/MPH Personal Statement

Science and medicine has always fascinated me and has been interesting to be since my education started as a child. All my cousins used to play video games, playing house, playing cards, but instead I always forced everyone on pretending my patients and me treating them and caring for them as a doctor. I also wanted my family members to act if they were sick and they needed help. As time passed, I no longer had to play as it was the reality now and they really now needed help. I have witnessed my family members, my grandmother who passed away due to heart attack at an early age, my other grandmother who currently is sick, my grandfather who passed away also due to heart attack.

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.

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

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.

Before being introduced into the medical field, I had always seen myself as an engineer. Growing up I was fascinated by how everything worked. When something would break down I would be the first with a screw driver in my hand ready to take it apart. Of course being at such a young age, I would often worsen the situation than fix it, but the thrill and excitement from fixing a broken object meant the world to me. I thought becoming an engineer was my lifelong passion.

I have been passionate about working in healthcare since childhood. This passion was solidified by a health program that offered free, life-saving surgeries for deprived patients with critical medical conditions. The joy and smiles that spanned the faces of the patients after they received their surgeries further bolstered my interest in pursuing a career in the medical field. I had the opportunity to work as a medical scribe at the University of Chicago Medical Center's hematology/oncology department after my graduation, and I sincerely appreciate this opportunity for many reasons. Most importantly, it gave me firsthand exposure to various healthcare careers and provided me with a wealth of medical education.

“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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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