3 fantastic choices for infectious disease studies - Chevening

course in UK choice essay

Hi all. First draft of my course choice essay is below. I discussed the first two together because the courses are similar, just at different universities. I initially tried describing them in different paragraphs, but it seemed forced because the info was very much the same... Suggestions on improvement are welcome

Outline why you have selected your chosen three university courses, and explain how this relates to your previous academic or professional experience and your plans for the future. (minimum word count: 100 words, maximum word count: 500 words)

I am currently working as Medical Advisor at {organisation}, an NGO focused on Technical Assistance to the South African Department of Health with regards to the HIV/Aids and TB programs. This work has opened my eyes to the challenges of the public health sector, the lack of infectious disease specialists in South Africa, and the myriad of potential research opportunities in this field. Completing the Diploma in HIV Management after my medical studies has enabled me to understand the clinical and programmatic side of the disease better, but at this stage in my career I realise the need for more intense training in a wider field of infectious diseases, in order to make a bigger impact in my community.

My first two course choices are the MSc in Tropical Medicine and International Health (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) and the MSc Tropical and Infectious Diseases (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine). Both courses are designed to provide doctors who already have some experience in settings with high burdens of infectious diseases, with expertise and knowledge in order to approach these conditions from a clinical and public health perspective. There is also a strong focus on equipping doctors with knowledge in research methods, in order to continue the crucially important research into communicable diseases in their own settings. These courses both include a supervised research project during the last term, which gives students the opportunity to apply the skills they have gained earlier in the course. The project can be done overseas, allowing students to be exposed to and learn from another low income / high burden health system other than the one they come from. Strengthening my clinical and public health knowledge will be invaluable in my future work in the South African HIV/Aids program. Additionally, the research skills and experience obtained will enable me to contribute to the HIV and TB research efforts in {name of province} specifically and South Africa generally.

My third choice is the MSc in Control of Infectious Diseases (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine). This course focuses more on the epidemiological, laboratory and public health approaches to communicable diseases. Completing this course will enable me to contribute to the public health system in South Africa by investigating, designing, implementing and evaluating not only the HIV epidemic, but also other bacterial, viral and parasitic infections that are so prevalent in our low resource setting.

All three my university courses will enable me to learn from experts at UK universities that are regarded as some of the world's best with regards to infectious disease management. This will enable to make an impact in the field of communicable diseases through disseminating expertise to colleagues, conducting research and improving patient care.

==> 455 words, so there is a bit of room for adding more information.
Should I elaborate more on the choice of universities and their reputations etc? I wanted to, but the prompt just stated choice of course.

I don't believe that you fully explained in your second paragraph why these courses would benefit you. Attaching two sentences at the end of a course description doesn't seem to me to emphasize why you specifically would benefit from these courses.

Christi, you need to give the reviewer your academic background in relation to your course choices aside from the information about your current professional experience. The reviewer will need the extended discussion in order to decide if you have the skills and training to actually fulfill the requirements of the courses you have chosen. That is also why you need to separate the discussion of the two universities. You cannot discuss them in the same paragraph even if the discussion for the courses are related. Each university must be discussed separately because the intention that you have for each course should be different from one another, regardless of the course curriculum. In the official form, you are asked to list these universities separately, along with your course intentions and some other information. The essay must follow the same format. Your discussion for the first 2 schools, because you combined it, sounds more like an advertisement for the universities instead of a discussion regarding how each course will help your career and what academic courses you took in college along with what professional skills you have that will help you adjust to and complete the course requirements. That should be the major point for discussion about the universities instead of the blurbs about the overseas project. Your third choice doesn't even mention your career goals and preparations at all. You may just do very well to not edit this essay due to the non-compliant aspects of your essay, and just write a new, more applicable essay.