Personal Narrative: My Interest In Public Health

The Advances in public health have been possible due to the contributions of people with ideals of change who decided to make a difference in their communities through the creation of innovative ideas capable of changing the lifestyle of a community. Public health is about helping people to stay healthy, and protecting them from that psychosocial factor that may affect their life and that is why the public health worker must have a passion for a change and for a better quality of life for their community. In the beginnings of public health there were two people who acted as agents of social change and they were Sara Josephine Baker and Clara Barton.

I was never a kid that knew who I would become when I grow up. My interests ranged from wanting to become an interior designer to having a strong desire of becoming a pilot. I was often surrounded by healthcare professionals but I never imagined myself striving to become one. Little did I know that I would end up at a stage in my life where I would be sure about pursuing a career in healthcare. Although I have decided on my career path, I have yet to discover a particular field within healthcare that grabs my interest. The RA Internship will help me learn more about medicine and help me find a right field of study through clinical research experience and monthly lectures offered to me as an intern. Though this opportunity I will be able to

This impacts not only their loved ones, but also the rest of the population. Spreading cancer awareness allows others to be informed about cancers they may have not known about and possibly prevent them from happening to them in the future. Another aspect of Public Health that is very touching is the fact that they deal with suicide prevention. This is a very complicated legal situation and deals with public policies. Furthermore, helping with drug addictions was another impacting topic of Public Health. Not only is it difficult to watch a drug addict suffer on a daily basis, but also watching their families struggle emotionally. Public Health helps educate drug addicts by helping them quit the drug they are using and provide epidemics. In turn, this will allow the drug addict to quit their addiction as well as help their family’s situation get back to normal again. In conclusion, I learned that Public Health is a field in which it helps people feel happy again, teaches about health care disease, and helps change the lives of others positively. That is why the Public Health field will be an important career in the

While both medical care and public health work to improve the lives of many people, there are several distinctions between the two fields. Healthcare providers such as nurses and doctors are responsible for diagnosing and treating illnesses for individual patients. The care ranges from minor injuries to severe and chronic diseases. Meanwhile, public health strives to improve the well-being of a population. Public health advocates for the overall “promotion and prevention” of diseases before it even becomes an issue for healthcare providers. Public health encourages people to adopt healthy lifestyle choices and strives to control the outbreak of diseases. Although public health is often overlooked in the grand scale of medical care, it is undoubtedly the main aspect in ensuring that the overall health of a community is prospering.

For second part of reading response, I choose to report on Promoting public understanding of public health article by our professor Stephen Bezruchka. I really enjoyed reading the article he wrote about how people in the America are being less healthy than those people in other rich nations. Promoting public awareness about this topic should be high priority for all Public Health majors. Health is the most important part of human life and it surprising to me that people in America are not really doing anything to change it. Solving this problem need individual supports and public supports.

‘Public health is everyone’s business’ illustrates Jones (2012, p.2). The Faculty of Public Health regard public health as a combination of health protection, health advancement and promoting health (Griffiths and Dark, 2006, cited in Jones, 2012, p.6).

My unwavering interest in infectious diseases began in middle school when I read the book, The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston that intricately describes the Ebola virus. While the description of how the virus destroys the human body are unpleasant, this virus fascinated me. Consequently, in my spare time I read about other infectious diseases, such as cholera and tuberculosis, on Wikipedia and other web pages for my personal enjoyment. Years later, I participated in Princeton Model Congress in high school where I first learned about public health. Participants made mock congressional bills to be passed in a congress comprised of high school and college students in order to implement a national change. My mock bill advocated for the incorporation of HIV tests within annual physicals. The purpose of this bill was to ensure that more people became knowledgeable about their status and with this knowledge, HIV positive individuals can receive care faster and take proactive measures to prevent infecting others with this virus. As I researched various facts about the HIV epidemic and how HIV impacts communities in Washington, D.C., my interest in public health evolved even though I did not know of the official name, public health. At the time, I wanted to be a lawyer and averted from anything science or math related. Yet, I cared about my community and I wanted to make a difference. I rediscovered my interest in public health in college as a biology major.

I pursued my undergraduate career – Human Development and Family Studies, Health Education and Promotion, and Nutrition – with the idea of wanting to broaden my understanding and experiences in the realm of health. A myriad of factors can influence a person's health decisions. I now understand how the power dynamics within a family unit can determine the choices an individual makes in regards to their health. I have seen how a person may have the best intentions of making healthful choices, but with limited availability of resources, that person is unable to be their healthiest self. Throughout my experiences, I have learned that health is a complex interworking of an individual and the relationships, community, society and systems they belong to.

This journal entry will provide an overview of my personal goals and vision as it relates to becoming a professional in public health. Give a brief synopsis of how the media interviews given by the faculty and health professionals impacted my view of public health. The understanding I wish to garner through this class and the entire Master of Public Health (MPH) program entirely. Finally, discuss the professional contributions I aspire to make in public health.

I was drawn to the idea of not only focusing on one-on-one patient care that doctors provide, but also solving problems that affect the health of entire populations. The study of disease and health within populations; for instance, preventing disease, promoting health, and reducing health problems between groups are the main reasons I want to pursue an M.P.H focusing on epidemiology. These are my strongest interests because I believe they are important in improving our world’s health.

America’s cities have been built upon population growth and economic development — essentially meeting the economic needs of investors. The problem is that public leaders don’t always think about public health. Thinking about what to build, and taking into consideration the health of the people in the community. According to Dr. Jackson, co-author of Designing healthy communities, states ‘what really impacts people’s health is where they live, how they live, and the other people they are with’ — i.e. their surrounding community. (Designing, 2013.)

In public health, as in many fields there are a set of conundrums that practitioners, leaders and law makers have to address in order to provide the most appropriate service to their populations. One of these conundrums is the battle between what is good for the community vs. what is good for the individual. This topic will be broken up to the community vs. the individual, and discussed based on research done by Kass et al, and Oriola, and will be concluded by presenting possible solutions.

Public health is about empowering individuals as well as communities to live healthy, happy lives and reach their

I am concerned with preventive health-care policies and how a proactive approach to disease can alleviate the disparities and prevalence of disease distributions. Furthermore, I want to effect change at the community level as opposed to the individual. I believe that a Master's of Public Health degree is a natural fit for me, one that will provide me with the big picture of health-care that I seek. Additionally, I believe that my interests and career aspirations will be best suited for the Epidemiology focus of Public Health. This advanced degree will give me the tools to strive for my career

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