Personal Statement: Public Health

Sleep is often over looked as an intervention for ME, but through the improvement of environment, medication, life style changes and self-help strategies, sleep can be improved to help provide symptom relief and increase an individuals energy envelope. (ANZMES, n.d.c; Pemberton & Berry, 2009; Wright,

According to National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR) an estimated 70 million Americans suffer from sleep problems, in which 60 percent are chronic disorders. The NCSDR also estimates $15.9 billion to the national health care bill are correlated to sleep disorders, sleep deprivation, and generalized sleepiness. Consequently, this has increased the cost of lost work production, accidents connected to lack of sleep, and/or contribute to other health problems (National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, 2016).

Sleep disorders alter ones sleep pattern and often results in the inability to either sleep or sleep soundly. They often cause you to feel restless, tired, fatigued, and irritable. It is estimated that nearly 75 percent of adult Americans experience sleep disorder symptoms at least a few nights per week. At the same time, sleep disturbances in some form are seen in as many as 25 to 30 percent of infants and children (“Sleep Disorders” 2013). Clearly a huge conundrum in the world, sleep disorders affect an inordinate amount of people. Millions of people suffer or have suffered from a sleep disorder at one point in their lives and if mistreated can impact organ systems functioning negatively. Physical disturbances, medical issues,

Specific Purpose: My audience will understand the importance of sleep, the effects a lack of sleep can have on a person’s body, and ways to improve the quality of sleep.

Studies have shown that daytime drowsiness, reduced alertness, and diminished intellectual performance is the result of poor sleep quality and shortened duration of sleep (Badran, Yassin, Fox, Laher, & Ayas, 2015). Moreover, it has been documented that disturbances in sleep and shortened duration of sleep can have negative effects on quality of life (Badran et al., 2015; CDC, 2013). Furthermore, without exception, sleep is vital for the brain and body to relax and repair itself for the purpose of functioning adequately (Jackson, Redline, & Emmons, 2015). Several epidemiologic research studies have linked untreated sleep-disordered breathing to several negative health and safety repercussions, including the increase threat of diabetes, depression,

I have always been enchanted by the idea of sleep. As a child, I laid in bed attempting to understand why I was unable to fall asleep. I knew I wasn’t the only one, but the snoring of my family convinced me otherwise. Biology taught me to understand genetics and environmental cues, but they were unable to explain to me how my sleep pattern was different. Unable to figure the cause of my sleep problems, I delved into self-treatments instead. Curiosity for knowledge in sleep therapy prompted my interest in understanding sleep consequences and health.

Constantly striving to maintain optimal health is the key to prolonging ones wholesome lifestyle. Although the multi-dimensions of health seem fairly general, they are must be observed in great detail to truly rationalize whether one are at their highest level of wellness. In my initial review of my own wellness, I could easily establish that my psychological health was in the most need of beneficial changes, while other concepts like physical and occupational health seemed to be in better standings. Little did I know, that while I was consciously working on my weakest points of health, I was overlooking many paramount details associated with the aspects on my health I believed to be my strongest. It was brought to light through the Dr. Oz Real Age Test that my constant forgetfulness of what some consider the most important meal of the day, breakfast, could cause me to age prematurely. After researching the benefits of not skipping this morning meal, I knew I had to alter this horrible habit.

The silence of the night was peaceful and calm until a shrill sound cut through the air. BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! It was 6:00 am and the alarm clock you had set the night before at midnight had gone off. As you trudge around through the day nodding off while working and when you are awake not being able to focus on the task at hand, you tell yourself you will get more sleep tonight. Alas, the cycle will inevitably repeat. Many Americans struggle with this problem and often do not recognize just how important it is to get a proper amount of sleep. Unfortunately, the health problems(both physical and mental) of sleep deprivation can be more severe than many people realize.

Sometimes I ask myself, what if society was made in a way where individuals lived healthier lives, were able to exercise preventive medicine, and take safety measures against illnesses? Poverty and an ineffectual health care system are some of the things that most Americans will rarely experience. I was born in America but my parents were born in Ghana before they had me and moved to America. Suffering and malnutrition are very common in Ghana. My degree choice has been shaped by events I’ve been caught up in researching of what goes on in Ghana like, high rates of malaria, parasitic diseases, irregular and unpredictable electric power outages, and much more. This just shows the infrastructure of Ghana and its fragile economy and why I

I have been interested in the health areas since I was 4, it was my dream and still is. Every time i go to the doctor's office my face brightens up, not because i am getting treated but because i get to see someone doing my dream job.

When trying to find a medical school that would be a good fit for my interests, I first wanted to look for a school that had a Medical Degree/Masters in Public Health dual degree. After I showed a strong interest in HIV prevention in a biology course, a professor recommended I look into the undergraduate program in Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-CH and enroll in a HIV class in the spring. Once I was accepted into Gillings, my public health education has encouraged my curiosities in medicine and health through my classes, as well as through research. I was hired to work in the Baric virology laboratory in the Epidemiology Department my sophomore year. I will graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Public Health with a concentration in environmental health science. Combining this with a MD/MPH would allow me to integrate my education in a family practice setting to enhance my knowledge of preventive care. A strong background in public health would allow me, as a family physician, to understand not only the health of an individual, but also strive to improve the health of the greater community.

I have earned a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration in a school of public health which has equipped me with the knowledge of major health factors including the most important which are the determinants of health such as social factors. My degree has allowed me the capability of analyzing all health and safety hazards for people to live in a safe, healthy environment. Poor health outcomes are a result of interactions between individuals and their social and physical environment when exposure to crime, violence, and social disorder are high. By knowing this and other risk factors, I am have the skills to deal with the demands of protective services and the benefits that come with this work environment. Such job related skills including,

I come from a long line of family who has struggled from several health problems such as diabetes. For instance, my grandmother, who has been living with diabetes for over 20 years, occasionally has trouble maintaining her sugar levels and keeping it at a normal level. When I witnessed her becoming unconscious due to her diabetes, it was a startling experience and opened my eyes to the fact that in order to reduce the chances of gaining certain health problems, a person has to be willing to live a healthy lifestyle and practice healthy behaviors. Due to health diseases that run in my family and wanting to prevent health diseases at the primary prevention stage through health promotion or specific protection, and the secondary prevention stage through screenings and early diagnosis/detection, this has made me want to pursue a career in public health.

There have been many people - from rural communes in Vietnam to various research organizations in both Vietnam and Canada - who I am grateful for their support though out my doctoral study program. Their support has helped me this far in my journey/adventure of further education and career development moving beyond my human medicine and public health background and into a fascinating and challenging holistic research area that involve not only humans but also animals and their environment – i.e., EcoHealth/One Health/Global Health.

I’d fallen ill while visiting my grandparents in the northern part of Nigeria and was taken to a 2-room health facility where I witnessed an unfathomable scene. In the hallway, lying on a wooden bench, a pregnant woman moaned loudly, in labor. Tossing and turning, she flinched in pain as she reached around the rusted nails protruding from the bench while simultaneously following the midwife’s directions. For many weeks, I couldn’t get the image out of my head. I remember thinking, ‘Why was she giving birth on a wooden bench? Are there no beds?’ Of course, as I advanced in my education in the world of healthcare, I came to realize that those were deceptively simple questions that delved into issues of access to quality healthcare in low resource settings. This and other questions drove me to research and birthed my interest in public health.