Scholarship / My Study Plan for writing the Language Proficiency Test and the GRE [2]

A STUDY PLAN TO SHOW THE REASON FOR WRITING THE TOEFL AND GRE EXAMINATION.

THIS IS IN ORDER TO CONVINCE THE BOARD TO GRANT ME SPONSORSHIP TO WRITE THESE EXAMS.
THANKS YOU IN ANTICIPATION OF YOUR EDITS. HOPE TO GET YOUR RESPONSE SOON.

Driven by the passion to improve the state of health in my country, I studied to become a pharmacist as an undergraduate. The undergraduate study and various postgraduate exposures introduced me to the field of public health and its role in filling the gap between health professionals, policy makers and the public. This sparked my interest to pursue a masters course in public health in an international university. This is in order to gain a global insight into initiating policies, developing reforms and conducting researches to prevent diseases and promote health and well-being.

Having satisfied all other criteria, I plan to write the language proficiency exam (TOEFL) and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in order to meet the requirement for graduate programs scholarships in the United States of America. The Masters in Public Health program in the U.S.A equips students with an in-depth understanding of the complex and varied nature of public health issues affecting people globally. With this exposure, I hope to get a holistic grasp and deeper insights into the application of public health assessment, epidemiological principles, data analysis and interventional design into addressing health disparities.

I have profound Interest in vaccination as I believe, vaccines represent the greatest advancement in healthcare and an increased awareness and access to them could result in a drastic reduction in the morbidity and mortality rates of the Nigerian population. Vaccine are both pharmaceutical products and public health tools, thus It offers me the opportunity to apply both undergraduate and postgraduate studies in achieving my career goal. As a postgraduate student of public health, I am interested in writing a thesis topic on vaccination in Nigeria, developing research methods focusing on the national vaccination schedule, assessing the level of full immunization in certain age groups of children, analysing the awareness levels of adults and women on vaccines such as the Hepatitis B and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines etc. I also plan to identify factors mitigating the achievement of a fully immunized Nigerian Population. Working with other top professionals, I plan to develop practical solutions to these problems.

Upon graduation, I hope to stay in my country of study for 2 years to gain practical experience in a top government or non-governmental organisation. This is usually an automatic employment for the overall best student. This exposure would also offer the opportunity to apply my acquired skill in improving the healthcare state of America.

Returning home, I hope to work closely with the ministry of health as a public health professional drafting local, regional and national health policy aimed at providing solution to challenges of vaccination and other public health issues. This is all in a bid to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals 3 in Nigeria. With my successful background, motivation, experiences and my plans for the future to come, this choice of Masters Programme is a right peg in the right hole for me.

Letters / Motivational letter for a Master's program at the Tampere University. Finnish Govt Scholarship [3]

Prompt-

Please give Full information on your motivation. background, career goals.

Why did you choose to apply to Tampere University and the programme(s) you are applying to?
Describe the reason why you want to study at Tampere University?
In the motivation, you must demonstrate the motivation towards studying In the program you are applying for in your own words.
Why did you choose the Masters Program? Describe why you chose Finland as the destination for study. Give challenges you hope to face and how you would prepare for them.

I was only 11 when I had my first experience with the deplorable state of healthcare in my country. I almost died from a case of wrongly dispensed drug. This near death experience not only forms the backbone of my career goals but also awakened in me, a sense of purpose and responsibility to improve the state of health in my country. This fueled my taking up an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy to gain requisite knowledge to improve patient's outcome from drug use and reduce adverse drug event.

The undergraduate course which uses a multidisciplinary approach exposed me to the field of healthcare in Nigeria, a field embattled with plethora of challenges which continues to pile even in the face of interventions from international organizations. A high death rate, a continuous increase in disease outbreaks and infection, Increase in Maternal and Infant Mortality and increasing inequality in the distribution of healthcare between the rural and urban regions and so much more make up the reason Nigeria's healthcare system regrettably ranks 187th out of 195 countries. To make matters worse, the initiatives available to improve the situation have proved insignificant as the life expectancy of an average Nigerian continues to reduce.

I became a President of the faculty in my 4th year as an undergraduate and engaged in a lot of volunteer roles. One particular volunteer work of note was when I formed part of the team that led an outreach to two rural communities near school. The work involved conducting basic diagnostic tests and sensitizations on preventive healthcare. The communities lacked an appropriate healthcare facility and are experiencing a spike in disease rate translating to an increased death rate for the communities. Upon consultations, we observed that most death occur from common preventable Cardiovascular and Infectious disease. If only there was a scheduled public health exercise into these areas. Many pregnant women, children and the elderly lives would be alive. We made referrals to the health facilities in town and appropriate follow up carried out. This activity became my first exposure to the significant real-life impact of public health in my country.

Recent studies comparing the public health state of the country to other developed countries have identified a sizeable gap in public health initiatives and preventive health strategies, and a lack of disease reporting techniques and emergency preparedness in the country. This gap was because of the public health demands outweighing the number of public health professionals skilled at developing and implementing effective strategies to combat these problems.

I graduated with a distinction in pharmacy and a renewed desire guided by both personal and volunteer experience; I took up an online course in Leadership and Management in Public Health, offered by the University of Washington. This course exposed to the multifaceted approach to developing and implementing public health strategies and its overwhelming impact on health of population. It also introduced me to epidemiological research and how it translates to reducing diseases outbreaks and improving disease preparedness. Finishing this course, I started my journey on improving public health, taking up various community consult roles in medication therapy management and disease prevention techniques. Currently, I am working in a rural primary healthcare center, reducing the burden of prevalent infectious such as HIV/AIDs and Tuberculosis.

A personal motivation to strive for knowledge and excellence in pursuing my career objectives and the passion to better the health status of individuals especially in the rural region of Nigeria through important public health initiatives forms my resolve to pursue a Master's of Public health program at the Tampere University, Finland.

Choosing the Master's program in the University was very easy, the multidimensional training of students to plan, monitor and implement health-promoting and disease prevention tactics at different levels played a significant role in my decision as it aligns. The all-important practical/ internship experience further strengthened my resolve.

Finland is fast becoming a diverse multi-cultural hub in Europe. Studying here exposes me to newer cultures and a global network of people from different backgrounds. The unmentioned possibilities this brings would be both exhilarating and fun. Besides, I love the fact that Tampere is only two and half hours from the country's capital; I get a win-win situation- easy access to the big city and while also having a comfortable and affordable lifestyle living in Tampere.

One challenge I would face as an international student is Culture shock, which I planned to overcome by joining the Nigerian Student Association in Finland. Another is the language barrier which I plan to surmount by engaging in voluntary activities where I can learn the Finnish language.

If admitted into the program, I hope to get a holistic grasp and deeper insights into how public health assessment, epidemiological principles, data analysis and interventional design can apply and deployed into addressing and prioritising health need and demands in Nigeria.

After my graduate studies, I intend to return home to work closely with the ministry of health as a public health practitioner drafting local, regional and national health policy aimed at solving public health challenges and contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals 4,5&6 in Nigeria. With my successful background, motivation, experiences and skills Andrew my plans for the future to come, this choice of Masters Programme is a right peg in the right hole for me.