Networking for better health outcomes (Chevening essay)

Hi all. First draft of my networking essay:

Chevening is looking for individuals with strong networking skills, who will engage with the Chevening community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession. Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your networking skills, and outline how you hope to use these skills in the future.

(minimum word count: 100 words, maximum word count: 500 words)

network of Physicians and Medical Personnel

Over the past two years, I have managed to build a strong network of doctors and other health care providers in the HIV/Aids sector in South Africa. My current position as Medical Advisor for {organisation} has enabled me to be in regular contact with doctors and nurses from all 13 hospitals in our district, as well as many of the clinics. I have established my network by conducting support visits to the hospitals, and I maintain it by regular follow-up and by inviting these doctors to clinical symposia and trainings. I also have contact with some of the expert HIV clinicians in other parts of the country, and regularly make use of these contacts to link local doctors to the specialists for advice on management of complicated patients.

Since joining {organisation}, I have extended my network to also include district and provincial HIV and TB program coordinators, the district clinical specialist team, monitoring and evaluation leads and pharmacovigilance managers. I met some of these contacts at data review and planning meetings, and were introduced to others by colleagues. In the past year, I have used these contacts to act as speakers at symposia, and to obtain invitations to important strategic planning meetings. In return I have assisted them with specific quality improvement projects, such as a TB screening QIP and a PCR positive baby tracing QIP.

Earlier this year, I benefited from my networking efforts when a colleague from another NGO, whom I had met a few years ago during a training and kept in touch with ever since, nominated me for a sponsorship to attend the INTEREST Conference in Malawi. This was my first international conference, and it was fantastic to listen to and meet some of the experts in the field of HIV medicine during this week. I also met several other health care workers at the conference, one of whom introduced me to the idea of studying in the UK, where he had obtained his MSc from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Keeping in touch with him has inspired and assisted me in getting this far in the planning and application process.

When I return to South Africa, I want to assist in improving the health care sector in the rural Mpumalanga province where I am from. Most HIV research efforts in South Africa are currently focused in the Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, leaving endless research opportunities in Mpumalanga. If I become a Chevening Scholar, I want to cultivate relationships with other Chevening scholars, as well as students and academics from my chosen university, in order to create a centre of excellence and promote HIV research in the province. Extending the valuable Chevening network to this area will not only benefit patient care, but also the doctors and nurses working here.

(473 words)

I hope these are helpful:
minor:
health care->healthcare
trainings->trainings
centre->center
, and I maintain it by regular follow-up and-> , maintaining it by regular follow-up, and
I also have contact with some of the->I have also contacted some of the

and I saw less explanation about how you influenced and led others in your experiences.

I have extended my network to also include remove also
act as speakers at symposia, and to obtain remove ,

good ideas

Christi, this one of the more applicable and impressive networking essays that have been posted in this forum. Congratulations on successfully drafting an effective networking essay. It can serve as an example to the others applying for the Chevening scholarship and who are struggling with how to write this particular prompt. That said, there is one portion of the essay that you need to better develop.

It seems to me that you were inspired to study in the UK after networking with a Chevening scholarship graduate. Hence the reference to the assistance that you got from this person regarding your application process. Now, this is where "name dropping" will come in handy. Since you know a person directly connected with the scholarship, mention the name of that person as a "reference" in relation to "networking". The relationship you have with this person just might help boost your application because of the pre-existing relationship you have with the program. I am asking you to do this because I am sure that the person will vouch for your application, which can help in the final round of considerations, should you get that far in the application process.