College of Biological Sciences, Class of 2019
Where are you now?
Pursuing a Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology (MPH) at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
How did the Pre-Health Student Resource Center support you in your goal of becoming a health professional?
I first heard about the field of Public Health in AHS 1101 - Orientation to Health Careers. I discovered it at a convenient time as I was starting to feel like Medical School was not the correct path for me. The description of the field of Public Health piqued my interest right away, as it combined my love of health and science with my desire to help as many people as possible, and continue to learn and share information. I pursued a Public Health minor at the U and joined the Undergraduate Public Health Association, and with each class and each meeting, I learned and fell more in love with Public Health. During my junior year over winter break, I went on a study abroad trip, put on by the PHSRC, in Thailand whereI had the opportunity to study Global Health and the One Health approach. Through this trip, I had the opportunity to study the determinants of tuberculosis contraction and found that there is a huge issue with antibiotic adherence. My group had the chance to come up with a potential solution to this problem. This was my first real opportunity to try my hand at Public Health and it solidified my love for it. This study abroad sealed my fate for applying to an MPH program and pursuing Epidemiology as my life-long career path. With the help of resources on the PHSRC website and advice from Dana Lovold in their office, I applied to the MPH program at UMN and was accepted to the Epidemiology program for Fall 2019. I have the PHSRC, their classes, and their advisers to thank for helping me find the career of my dreams and allowing me to get into such an amazing program to pursue my dreams.