Chevening scholarship - MPP and HPPF at Oxford or LSE

In February 2014 I began what was supposed to be a routine expatriate job as an external audit manager in a mid-tier expanding firm, this became a life and career changing move. After finishing all my exams and qualifying as a chartered accountant, I was looking forward to a lucrative position in finance in the private sector, and then Ebola came! The horrors of watching a struggling health system entirely collapse with no systems and policies to respond brought back the all too familiar horror memories of seeking health services in rural Zimbabwe. I decided i had to be part of the change i wanted to see and upon leaving Liberia, I joined Clinton Health Access Initiatives in Zimbabwe as an entry level Analyst in Sustainable Health Financing. This was a huge career change that altered my lifelong trajectory from profit to service. However it came with the need to retool and acquire expert knowledge in the field of public policy, health systems and financing. A degree that is centrered in policy analysis and development will give me the critical thinking path I need to succeed and grow from entry level positions in the field of health policy to become a policy expert within my organisation. In addition, studying in the UK will give me an upclose look at the systems and policies which Zimbabwe initially mirrored before it lagged behind due to stagnation. With a renowned NHI through the NHS system, UK also provides an opportunity to study this health reform that can be a key to achieving universal health coverage if well adapted for economies like Zimbabwe.

I am interested in studying an Master in Public Policy at Oxford due to its firm grounding towards professionals and not research or theory. This program offers me a wide range of insight into policy development and analysis which has been hitherto missing in my training as a chartered accountant. Even though I have studied courses in strategy and decision making, the program will allow me to cement it with public service philosophy which is critical if I am to fully combine my private sector skills and experience in effective public service delivery. The placement during the summer project will firmly strengthen my experiences in policy development in other organisations which can be critical for lessons learnt and ability to compare theory and practice.

Over the last two years, my work in health financing policy development, costing national health strategies, health sector resource mapping and Program Based Budgeting speaks closely to the Master in Health Policy, Planning and Financing offered jointly by the LSHTM and LSE. Not only do I get insight into the 3 major components of health systems, I am able to interact with experts from two leading universities in both fields of health and economics. The multidisciplinary approach allows me to relate skills in finance and my experiences in health policy reform in a structured way which I believe will shape a better leader in me upon my return.

*To add on last degree choice

Mar, I would rather decide on the validity of your Study in the UK essay once you have completed all of your course choices. At this point, it would seem that your essay has passed the border of redundancy in terms of information. Remember how the standard instruction in the essay prompts is that there should not be any duplication of information? You have mentioned the Clinton Health Access Initiatives and Ebola virus in your previous essays. So you should not be repeating that information here. You must focus solely on your reasons for studying in the UK. Mention something other that the Clinton work and the outbreak of Ebola in Nigeria. Try to develop a new angle related to the need for higher education at present, without the previous information to rely on. I would suggest looking into the health initiatives of the UK in Nigeria at this point and then creating a believable connection between your desire for higher studies and the promotion of the UK initiatives in Nigeria at present. That way you will provide a different take on your need for education in the UK at a higher academic level.