Please help!! I have finished my SOP, but would like recommendations and any other pieces of advice to improve this!! Thanks!
During my first deployment to Afghanistan, I was dispatched to remote sites on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border as part of a Medical Civic Assistance Program (MEDCAP) team. The purpose of this program is to identify and treat patients in austere environments who have limited or no healthcare. Additionally, this provides a means for the military to collect crucial information on enemy combatants in the area. Two villages were selected on location, population size, and security. As we drove into the first village, we were inundated by children screaming and cheering at us. Shortly thereafter, the entire village descended upon us immediately knowing we brought medical supplies and bottled water. We quickly set up a triage area and started seeing patients. I stood there awestruck at the numbers of cases with cutaneous leishmaniasis, malaria, and other infectious diseases. We finished seeing patients in the morning and drove 20 kilometers to the next village. They had the same medical issues with the exception of suspected hepatitis cases. Not just one or two cases, but approximately 40% of the village. Where did they get this infection? Collectively, we agreed it was most likely an environmental source based on the demographics of the patients. Therefore, I set out on foot looking for the culprit. It did not take long until I stumbled across the village well. This well was the only one in the village and was used by everyone for their drinking water. I asked the town mayor if the water had ever been tested for bacteria and he responded that the water had never been tested for anything. I collected water samples and was not surprised to see that the water had tested positive for fecal pathogens. I did not have time to shock chlorinate the well, so I provided a case of bleach for disinfection and an instructional manual printed in their native language on properly disinfecting well water. As I walked back to the triage sight, I could not help, but think to myself how this country was in dire need of a public health system. It was overwhelming to see all of the public health challenges these two communities have endured and will endure years from now. With all of the medical supplies and support we brought that day, did we affect change for them? Was their quality of life improved? Did I make a difference?
I had long struggled with choosing a major in college. I knew I wanted to do something in medicine, but could not find an area that sparked my interest. In 1995, I watched the movie, Outbreak and distinctly remember walking out of the theatre with an enormous amount of questions in my head. Could this virus really spread that quickly? Could it be that virulent? Is this a realistic scenario or just sensationalism on the part of the director? These questions ultimately lured me to the fields of microbiology and epidemiology.
After I had earned a Bachelors of Science degree in microbiology from XXX University in 1997, I pursued a Masters of Science in Epidemiology at the College of Public Health, University XXX in 2000 where I had my first true introduction to public health. During this time, I was fortunate to have many professors and other public health professionals discuss their research projects in-depth with me. This really opened my eyes to the myriad of research opportunities out there. I also attended Epidemiology Student Association journal club where we would critique published studies. We would peruse through each study looking at sample size(s), power, limitations, risk factors, and other elements influencing the outcome or association. The experiences I took from the journal club and my classes completely nurtured my foundation in Public Health.
While attending graduate school, I also gained some public health experience when I worked part time at the XX Laboratory (XXL) in the Environmental Microbiology (EM) section. My job generally consisted of routine water testing, recreational water testing, and heterotrophic plate counts. However, EM was also contracted by several government agencies for microbiological testing on various research projects. Although I participated as a lab assistant on many of these projects, the time spent on these projects was invaluable. I learned a great deal about proper environmental study designs, host-environment relationships, and environmental public health indicators. One study in particular dealt with recreational water sampling of various lakes throughout Iowa. The research focused on identifying environmental risk factors (e.g., rainfall events) influencing growth of fecal pathogen(s). Prior to the study, it was very common for beach closures to occur as a result of surveillance activities. Surveillance consisted of two parameters; routine lake water testing positive for total and fecal coliforms or suspected (contaminated) lake water exposure to swimmers with reported diarrheal disease. The intent of the study was to identify environmental risk factor(s) that could be used as pro-active indicator(s) to warrant beach closing(s) without ever putting the public at risk for exposure. This study ultimately defined to me what Public Health was all about - prevention.
Although I was offered a full-time position at XXL, I chose to pursue a public health position in the United States Army as an Environmental Science Engineering Officer (ESEO). The term "ESEO" is an all-encompassing term meaning we function as a Scientist, Engineer, and Public Health Practitioner. Whether I am in an Army brigade or assigned to a hospital, my roles and responsibilities are essentially the same. In fact, the program areas I manage reflect the same ones you would find in the Environmental Health Section in a county public health department. These areas include, but are not limited to, food service and general sanitation inspections, drinking and recreational water testing, entomological surveillance, and outbreak investigations.
I have gained a wealth of experience in my eight years as an ESEO, especially during overseas. During my two deployments in Afghanistan, I have been involved in risk management of numerous rabies exposures involving local nationals, avian influenza outbreaks in chickens, active tuberculosis exposures, and rapid response to suspected drinking water poisonings. Of course, we collect data on various demographics every week, store it in a database, and report those data sets every quarter, but we do a poor job of using this data to improve upon our program areas and more importantly, improve upon the quality-of-life for our Soldiers and their families. I was recently involved in a project with XXX involving tick populations scattered throughout Fort Anywhere. Ticks were collected from random sites and sent to CHPPM for genus/species identification and testing for various tickborne diseases. Environmental factors, such as soil type, tree type, and amount of rainfall were also observed and captured as data. The goal of this project, much like the lake study in Iowa, was to identify environmental conditions that influence tick populations. One thing we do very well in the U.S. Army is risk assessments. It is a requirement to do risk assessments prior to bivouacs, ranges, airborne operations, etc. If we were able to incorporate some of these environmental predictors into risk assessments, than effective risk communication could be provided to Soldiers and control measures established. Once again, it is simply taking a pro-active and preventive approach to an ongoing problem.
As the U.S. Army continues to expand military operations globally, the need for research increases. From the burn pits in Balad to the adenovirus outbreaks in military training facilities, the military provides an enticing platform for research opportunities, especially with the size of the military population and the ability to follow this population over time. The College of Public Health, University of XXX would help me achieve my goals of furthering my public health education through the specialize coursework offered as part of its PhD program in Global Health. Specifically, I am very interested in host-vector-environment interactions, especially as it relates to medical threats of military importance. Vector-borne, food-borne, and water-borne diseases have always contributed to Disease Non-Battle Injuries (DNBI) throughout our military history and continue to be a problem today. I am confident that my past experiences and sincere commitment to the public health mission will allow me to succeed in your program. I look forward to the challenges ahead and hope that I am given the opportunity to excel and contribute to your program. Thank you for your consideration.
