How I chose my field of study
My interest in public health is dated back to my undergraduate days. I was involved is several medical outreaches where my colleagues and I provided free preventive and clinical services to inhabitants of rural communities. I could see smiles on their faces and how impactful our interventions were on a larger scale rather than providing clinical services to individuals. In addition, I had the opportunity to provide some volunteer services such as participation in immunization of more than 500 children under the age of 5 against vaccine-preventable illnesses, health talk on healthy living habits, and clean and safe environments to victims of insurgency in internally displaced persons camp in Maiduguri located in the northeastern part of Nigeria.
Besides, I was opportune to work in an establishment with one of the staff having breast cancer. She felt some lumps in her left breast and decided to present at a health facility. She had some tissues taken for histology, and the diagnosis came out to be breast cancer in the early stage. The plan was to undergo a left breast mastectomy, which she declined due to the misconception that it was evil to remove the breast. I met her a year after this episode, after which I was able to counsel her appropriately and let her see the consequence of her actions. Unfortunately, the breast cancer has spread beyond the left breast to other parts of her body. We eventually lost her. This was summarily as a result of misconceptions of treatment options of breast cancer. I then figured out from this experience how health education could help save lives. These experiences inspired me to go for public health.
How I plan to use my degree from UIS
Undertaking a MPH would afford me the knowledge to proffer practical solutions and offer workable counsels that would help solve the challenges facing my community. I hope to be equipped with skills needed to further identify the distribution and determinants of diseases and other events in my community, and the use of the knowledge to control and prevent future occurrence of such. There is an ongoing paradigm of health care globally toward preventive medicine, being cost-effective. With MPH, I would be in a better position to be one of the people championing the course of preventive medicine after my program. MPH would afford me the opportunity to propose good and cost-effective polices to decision-makers for implementation.
My ability to learn the process of behavioral modifications and appropriate health education methods will help in addressing the misconceptions of people toward family planning and immunization in my community. I would have learned leadership and management skills such as diplomacy, capacity to mobilize people, and ability to encourage people in the decision-making process, which would help in the assembly of a formidable team to address the public health challenges plaguing my community.
My experience at UIS
UIS has further given the opportunity to serve humanity in various capacities. As a graduate assistant in public health, I had the opportunity to mobilize my colleagues to create awareness on Hepatitis B to inhabitants of Springfield, most especially African-Americans. This has led to more people getting to know about their status and subsequently get vaccinated for Hepatitis B. This was made possible by UIS and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and UIS who jointly organized the program. I’m so thrilled to be involved in this.