c4imlle
Dec 24, 2016
Undergraduate / Interested in NYU Global Public Health - Culture and Health! [4]
Hi, everybody! Please help me with my NYU writing supplement :)
In junior year, I went on a medical service trip to Thailand. I had the opportunity to conduct basic health checkups on the Thai mountain tribes with other students. In one of the villages, we visited an elderly woman as nerve damage had left her bedridden. At her house, our guide explained how her family didn't believe in the use of Western medicine and technology to cure her condition, so they never intended to bring her to the hospital. Instead, they relied on traditional rituals to relieve her pain. It was clear to me that this approach wasn't making much progress and there was an urgent need for her to seek medical attention from a registered doctor. However, we needed to respect her family's decision because they believed their own customs were more effective.
This experience demonstrated how relevant culture is to our health as our values influence our health-related behaviors significantly. I believe we can eliminate the health disparities found in different communities by promoting cultural awareness within healthcare. With a better understanding of the cultural characteristics of a population, health officials can adjust public health to meet the needs of this group.
I chose NYU for its Global Public Health program because of the flexibility given to students in deciding what path they want to take with this major. I'm strongly interested in integrating either Anthropology or Social Work as these disciplines will fulfill my desire to learn more about culture and health. In addition, New York is my epitome of diversity as it acts as a landmark for cultures to converge altogether. If I were to be part of the NYU community, I have the chance to interact with individuals of distinct cultures on a daily basis. Although I'd be able to do the same in Hong Kong by simply reading about the traditions of other countries, having real human interaction is much more important because it exposes oneself to the raw, diverse perspectives of different nationalities. And, being able to witness this at firsthand in NYU, it prepares me to become successful in my future career goals.
Hi, everybody! Please help me with my NYU writing supplement :)
Thai mountain tribes health care
In junior year, I went on a medical service trip to Thailand. I had the opportunity to conduct basic health checkups on the Thai mountain tribes with other students. In one of the villages, we visited an elderly woman as nerve damage had left her bedridden. At her house, our guide explained how her family didn't believe in the use of Western medicine and technology to cure her condition, so they never intended to bring her to the hospital. Instead, they relied on traditional rituals to relieve her pain. It was clear to me that this approach wasn't making much progress and there was an urgent need for her to seek medical attention from a registered doctor. However, we needed to respect her family's decision because they believed their own customs were more effective.
This experience demonstrated how relevant culture is to our health as our values influence our health-related behaviors significantly. I believe we can eliminate the health disparities found in different communities by promoting cultural awareness within healthcare. With a better understanding of the cultural characteristics of a population, health officials can adjust public health to meet the needs of this group.
I chose NYU for its Global Public Health program because of the flexibility given to students in deciding what path they want to take with this major. I'm strongly interested in integrating either Anthropology or Social Work as these disciplines will fulfill my desire to learn more about culture and health. In addition, New York is my epitome of diversity as it acts as a landmark for cultures to converge altogether. If I were to be part of the NYU community, I have the chance to interact with individuals of distinct cultures on a daily basis. Although I'd be able to do the same in Hong Kong by simply reading about the traditions of other countries, having real human interaction is much more important because it exposes oneself to the raw, diverse perspectives of different nationalities. And, being able to witness this at firsthand in NYU, it prepares me to become successful in my future career goals.
