I am a young woman from the Middle East who was born in Kuwait and lived there for seventeen years until Iraq occupied it, then to Jordan, and home again because of Desert Storm. I like Jordan very much, however, and graduated from XXXX University there in 1996, with my B.A. in English Literature and Linguistics. I have been employed as a teacher for these past two years and have also worked as a private tutor during this period; but to be honest, I have felt bored with a deep need for new challenges. Still young at 33, I now have the maturity to realize that if I am going to deepen my professional identity, it is time to do so now.
As someone who has always been very goal oriented, I am looking forward to beginning a new chapter in my life. My professional experiences to date have prepared me to deal with my obstacles and to develop the determination; resilience, strength and caring that are part of my character and professional strength.
Being a wife of an interventional cardiologist, I have long been intrigued and engaged with his treatment of cardiac patients, often bringing them from the brink of death to survival because of medical procedures following a heart attack. My special interest, however, lies in the prevention of heart problems. Once, while doing observation in the Cath lab, I asked myself: what if people lived healthier lives, practiced preventive medicine, and took precautions against illness and disease? Is prevention better than curing? Ever since then, I have become increasingly aware of my growing sense of compassion and engagement with the issue of preventive medicine. This reflects what I believe to be my innate desire to help others achieve a healthier lifestyle.
For these reasons, I am very much attracted to the idea of pursuing an MPH degree and I am convinced that your program is the best place for me to realize my professional goals and to learn how to make the most constructive contribution possible to the lives of others. I want very much to be of service to my community. I have always placed a high value on community involvement; for instance, I devoted a great deal of my time and energy to volunteering in my husband's cardiology office, and seeing patients who, despite their life-threatening cardiac conditions, continued to smoke and have very unhealthy dietary habits. I always struggled to encourage them to terminate these fatal habits, and, along with my husband, I was successful in convincing many to do so.
In addition, I have long been an active member and fundraiser for the Arab American Medical Association (AAMA). I have also enhanced my leadership and organizational skills by serving as an officer in several other large non-profit organizations and have constantly refined my communication skills through participation in extracurricular activities, serving as a peer counselor, volunteering at my children's school, the Girl Scouts, and several different local hospitals.
The knowledge that I have gained through these experiences has helped me to develop critical thinking skills that will serve me well in your MPH program where I look forward to an in-depth study of a wide range of challenges faced by public health professionals. I am confident that I can be successful in your program if given the opportunity and I want to thank you for your consideration of my application.
MPH Personal Purpose Statement Middle East Kuwaiti Advancing Public Health in Kuwait
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