Graduate / Personal Statement for MPH Program - Concentration in Community/Global Health [5]

Hello everyone,

Below please find my personal statement for MPH programs. I am interested in applying to only the Global/Community Health programs and therefore have centered my statement around that. I have re-read it and changed it a few times but I think its ready for peer reviews now. Constructive criticism will be really appreciated. Thank you all for your help.

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The distressed family seated in the lobby of a private hospital waited anxiously for the cancer counselor. The mother had bluntly refused to go for her radiation session because she was tired - tired of pain and the regular hospital visits. Guilty that her expensive treatment was preoccupying her children's lives, she decided to put an end to her treatment all together. Despite all the efforts from the family, it wasn't easy for them to convince her about the importance of life. Eventually, the family sought help of a counselor provided by a local non-profit organization who is trained to answer whatever concerns the patients or their families might have about the treatment, and work in conjunction with physicians to provide proper guidelines about health, hygiene and nutrition. After an hour long conversation with the patient, the senior counselor and I decided to give the patient sometime to sink in what we had said. Later that week, on the way back home from the psycho-oncology training, I got a call from the patient's son. My heart went racing when I heard him sobbing at the other end of the line, which was soon followed by a tear of joy and a sigh of relief when he informed me that his mother agreed on giving life a second chance. For the first time in my life, I felt content; I was happy and satisfied being a small part in making a difference to someone's life. With a desire to serve humanity on a large scale, my interest in Public Heath sparked as a volunteer at Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA), the biggest non-profit organization dedicated to working with the underserved population of cancer patients all over India. Who would have known that a holiday to my native country after ten years would open my eyes to a whole new realm of Healthcare that I was completely oblivious to.

The organization being a fine example of where talent meets opportunity, I had the privilege of working with people from disparate cultures and backgrounds. A breast cancer research project led by a graduate student from London allowed me to analyze the common trends in the women affected. Throughout the internship, I carried out all the responsibilities given to me very diligently with a desire to gain as much knowledge out of it as possible. As days passed by, I realized how content I felt by giving two cents back to the community.

Having lost some battles within family to cancer, and after seeing so many people affected by it, the hysteria instigated my desire to learn about this viscous illness in general and what parts of the globe were most affected and why. In the hindsight of situation, I spent countless hours in searching for articles and statistics online to find out where there is more need of proper awareness and screening. Trying to find a solution, all but implementation has been a fiasco until now. Gandhi once said, "Action expresses priorities." After a year of research, I finally decided to start a non-profit organization geared towards raising funds to set up cancer screening and awareness camps, especially in remote parts of India where such measures are not readily available. The objective started with India since knowing the native language would only prove to be beneficial in establishing a strong base as a non-profit organization. "Cancer Konnect", a non-profit, came into existence with a strong belief that everyone, regardless of their socio economic background and condition, deserves to be educated on the importance of early detection of cancer and the preventative measures that should be adopted in everyday living. My goal is to unravel the strong influence of social stigma that is linked with cancer which keeps the people confined to their own self, not getting the treatment at the right time and facing it's repercussion at a later stage.

Having grown up in an environment and culture where underserved were considered untouchable and absolutely no priority is given to their health, this reality hasn't been an easy pill to swallow. The daunting task in more ways than one was strengthened by seeing the efforts of Mr. Yogendra Kumar Sapru, Chairman and CEO of CPAA; an epitome of strong will and dedication, he had single handedly started the non-profit in 1969 which has come about as a blessing to the underserved population. His dedication and selfless work ethics honoring the constant improvement in the public health sector left me in awe. He serves as a source of inspiration as he has taught me that if one has the will to empower a change in the community, nothing can get in his way from reaching to that goal.

It takes the right knowledge from the experts in the field along with a strong commitment to oneself to make a difference in the lives of many to be able to make a difference. Pursuing a Masters in Public Health in the Global Health will not only give me a strong base to build my career foundation on, but will also be a turning point in my life where I would be able to put my ideas on the table and make a difference in the real life setting. Since I am interested in health care at an individual and a population level, my ultimate goal is to practice medicine, more specifically in the underserved populations. With the collaboration of the respective program with six of the other graduate schools and the vast amount of resources made available to the students, I can't think of any other program that serves a better fit for my interest and career. Though my medical mission for this year with Cancer Konnect will give me exposure to the some of the health crisis in one part of the globe, there is still a lot more to learn and give back to the rest. Learning from the experts at XXX, working with peers who would share the same commitment in improving health of the people, and to be given a chance to offer my services to a large population and make a career out of it would be an honor and a privilege.

Thank You.