The University of XXXX is my first choice for graduate study for the Master of Public Health degree with a focus on Epidemiology for several reasons. In addition to the location, I am excited by the sheer excellence of your program and the vast resources devoted to public health investigations. Los Angeles is well known for its cultural and educational diversity; I think I would be extremely comfortable studying and working there. I especially look forward to learning under Dr. XXXX, who serves as a consultant for the WHO and is a world-renowned expert on disease control. His experience working in a Schistosomiasis Control Program and as a barefoot doctor during the 1970s in China inspired me personally. I very much appreciate his research expertise in substance abuse, cancer epidemiology, environmental diseases, and especially the grave challenges facing China, in particular. I seek to contribute to resolving these challenges through creative thinking and scientific advancement, building upon the work of leaders in our field such as Dr. XXXX.
My interest in epidemiology is closely related to growing up in a small town in China where quality health care was far away and non-affordable for the ordinary person. I had seen many of my loved ones suffer from avoidable and treatable conditions throughout the years, which made a big impression on me. While the wealthy have access to the best care in top hospitals with foreign doctors, ordinary people are relegated to overcrowded clinics lacking everything. The cutback of government funding for primary care systems has also led to the lack of access to preventative health services and education for most people. Inspired as a witness of the disorders that resulted in my own family from chronic diseases and substance abuse, I want to work extremely hard to curb many health crises and inequalities in China and help bring equal access to healthcare for everyone. After finishing my degree at UXXX, I plan to return to China eventually and put the knowledge and skills that I have gained in this program to excellent use. I intend to focus on those residents of underdeveloped areas with the lowest level of public health education and access to care, areas of the country like where I came from.
I envision spending the balance of my professional life fully connected with the academic world through teaching and research. Working in universities allows me to continue the health education I have always been passionate about. Since public health is still a slow-growing subject in China. I look forward to passing on the torch to new generations of the public health sector and training future decision-makers. I also keenly look forward to lifelong learning and research, always laboring to enhance our understanding of the determinants of chronic and infectious diseases across populations and how to intervene most effectively to reduce morbidity and mortality.
I hope to have a close relationship throughout my working years with the local government, collaborating on healthcare reform projects. Our goal is to eventually provide adequate health care services to everyone in China, building trust in institutions where people have lost confidence for some time. By working in epidemiology, I can bring my extensive experience to bear on the situation and contribute to making healthcare more accessible to those most vulnerable. I plan to pay special attention to families and children's mental and physical well-being, working so that they can grow, develop, and prosper in a home free of disease and substance abuse. I want to help people successfully reform the current healthcare system from the grassroots up and to have a voice in the formation of healthcare policy, working to attain the level of care that befits an industrialized country in the 21st century, especially one dedicated to the ideals of equal opportunity for all, placing the good of the community above that of individuals.
My experiences growing up with many relatives suffering from preventable, chronic diseases set me on course for a career in public health. I feel strongly that my humble background in China gives me unique abilities to understand the needs of those who have similar experiences to my own and my parents. Although I had to struggle to adapt to new lifestyles and college academics during my early years as an international student, I now have my academic life back on track and actively participate in the work I am passionate about. My favorite courses revolved around human life and well-being during my undergraduate studies. I have volunteered in both the US and China and have learned much through serving in multidisciplinary healthcare settings in both countries. I have also participated in various on-campus activities, such as student non-profit organizations where we held fundraising events for children in undeveloped countries, for example, with the money used to help cover the costs of surgeries.
The experience of volunteerism and servant leadership has ingrained in me heartfelt compassion for helping people in need, and an adamant dedication to the field of public health and epidemiology, making fundamental, significant public health improvements within my lifetime. Having earned my Bachelor of Science in Physiology at the University of XXXX this past June 2018, I am anxious to begin graduate school and throw myself back into my studies 24/7, fully embracing the program's rigors. I appreciate your consideration of my application to the master’s degree program in public health at UXXX.
MPH Epidemiology Personal Purpose Statement Example