Graduate / Hitted by "LIFE" (mother disease) - MPH SOP [3]

Hey guys. I am new to this forum. I am applying for MPH. Will be glad to get some insight. This is not my final draft. I still have to include a lot of things but still. The limit is 1500 words and I am currently at 780 words. Any help/suggestions is appreciated.

Let me first introduce myself. I am a 24 yr old woman from India, born and raised in a middle class family in New Delhi, India. As a child, I always dreamt of becoming an astronaut. I never thought of becoming a physician. But then, one day, out of nowhere, our family got hit by what now I call as "LIFE". My mother was diagnosed with Interstitial Lung Disease, a form of lung fibrosis. I saw her struggle everyday with the tasks that we don't even think of at a conscious level. She struggled every day, for breath. And that is when I decided to be a physician. I would have never thought a woman like her, so active, a non-smoker, with absolutely no predisposition for this disease, would get it.

I realize, now, the importance of one's genetic make-up and how the environment influences and hence triggers a set of "reaction" in our body. This is the reason why I am interested in not only treating but also in researching the basis of a disease.

While growing up, due to my father's postings all over India, I had the pleasure to see the rich cultural diversity that my country boasts off. But, it was only when I started my training of becoming a physician in India, that I truly understood the impact of difference in culture and environment can have on one's health and general well-being.

I pursued my bachelor degree in Medicine and Surgery from Lady Hardinge Medical College, Delhi, India. During my MBBS, I learnt about the anatomy and physiology of a human body. In our third year, while studying community medicine, I got to know the true meaning of health, which we define as the total well being of an individual inclusive of physical, mental, social and spiritual well being. I was fortunate to be a part of a team for field visit of the local community and the primary health care centers located in Delhi and that is when I actually realized the importance of public health and how prevention, just by making people more educated and aware, can be an answer to many problems. But, as easily as it is said, it's very difficult to be done too. The reason for that, we realized, was the cultural beliefs that many people have associated to certain practices and it is something that cannot be changed in the blink of an eye. One of my professors told me no matter where and when, every community has its problems. If we can understand the environment and the culture, we can find a cure for half of the problems.

Throughout the four years of medical education, I volunteered to be part of a team for pulse polio immunization. It was exhilarating as in January 2014 India was declared to be polio free. That is the true power of public health. During my clinical rotations as an intern, I was posted as a physician at several local primary health care facilities where, everyday, we educated 100s of men and women regarding many health care issues that plague India including Population explosion, Family planning, Tuberculosis, Malaria, Dengue, Diarrheal diseases, Chicken pox, Measles, HIV/AIDS and Prevention of STDs among many others. While treating and getting to know the personal beliefs of the locales, I realized how strong the link between poverty, illiteracy and health is.

I started appreciating that health is not just treating the patient when they step into a clinic. It includes a lot of things before and after as well. The air that they are breathing, the water they are drinking, sanitation, basically the environment surrounding them, whether they have the knowledge that how changing it can help them remain healthy or a faster road to getting healthier and if they have, whether they are able to comprehend the same and apply it! This is another aspect of medicine, which if applied properly can significantly decrease the number of people who, worldwide, suffer from diseases that can be simply prevented. But the lack of policies and infrastructure especially in developing world nations has made it, a bit difficult, if not impossible. That is precisely the reason why I want to pursue MPH. It would provide me with an opportunity to learn how a policy can change the fate of a disease, how change in one's environment can alter the entire course of a disease.

I believe that Public Health is the new face of Primary health care, the other significant half of Medicine. And I am sure that in my future, having acquire the knowledge imparted in this program will make me a better physician in future.