Personal Narrative: A Career In Public Health

Please provide responses to the questions below. If you are selected for an in-person interview, we may discuss these items further.

I will never forget the day my life was changed forever; the day I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. In the matter of 24 hours, I was taught how to calculate carbohydrates, check my blood sugar, and give myself insulin shots. Among learning how to act as my own pancreas, I was told I could do anything I could have before my diagnoses. I took this statement to heart and never let diabetes stop me from reaching my goals.

Ever since grade school, I was passionate about working in the field of medicine, and science. I enjoyed anatomy, medical spelling and terminology, and reading about the healthcare industry. Because of my passion for healthcare, I decided to to attend Health Sciences High. There, I was given the best opportunities, such as, medical internships and college health courses. My plans and goals had turned me into a mature young adult. Now that I have my mind set on my aspirations, I hope to practice the qualities needed to be a triumphant dentist and dental surgeon. Of course everyone wants success, wealth, and happiness in the future. My long term goal is to pursue a career in the field of dentistry and earn my DDS (doctorate in dental surgery)

After nearly losing my eye, nearly having my veins and arteries give out, and watching my father become unresponsive, I knew that I wanted to go into the medical field. This became a part of my very being, I strove and strive to learn as much about first aid and treatments as I am able. As it came time for me to think on a career path I was forced to think about the logistics of college pricing and efficiency; I decided on going through an EMT course, attempting to get a job to pay for the rest of my schooling as a nurse or search and rescue

I am writing to express my interest in being a part of the Pharmacy Technician program under the Practicum study. I have always had an interest in the medical field and want to pursue a career in that field. I’ve had an interest in cardiology and now am showing a great interest in being a pharmacist and believe that Pharmacy Technician is the best way to get the experience I need and the first level feel as I work towards a doctorate degree and pursue its higher position.

I have chosen public health as my major because it is a dynamic field. I have a passion for making a difference in people’s lives and helping others achieve their goals. It is with great passion that I am dedicated and willing to contribute my service or skills to help someone in need. My philosophy of health education is very simple, to prevent, improve and educate the lives of individuals, families, communities, populations, and societies. Besides, there is no safer way to touch people’s lives than through public health.

Nursing, and everything that it entails, cannot be easily described in just one simple word or phrase. It goes beyond the meaning of a profession and the stereotypical definition of treating the ill. Nursing is the “protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations” (American Nurses Association, 2010, p. 1). Therefore, it is a career that requires dedication, passion, critical thinking, and knowledge. It demands commitment and an understanding of its core values and concepts, as well as the nurse’s own personal philosophy and principles.

At Miller Children Hospital in Long Beach I have developed certain skills that are necessary in order to go into the Human Services Career. At Miller I have learned how to communicate with different people, learn how to take things not seriously, and how to not let my emotions get in the way of assisting children and family.

Where do you want to be five years from now? For the majority of high school seniors, this may be a difficult question to answer, but it is simple for me: I want to be in medical school. Through the health occupations program at Edwardsville High School, I have been exposed to the medical field and now I am certain that I want to become a doctor, so the Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions program at the University of Illinois at Chicago would be an amazing opportunity because it would take some of the uncertainty about the future away, so then I can focus solely on preparing for medical school.

When I drove home from school, I stopped at a gas station. I wanted to put a full tank in my car. However, as I looked at the gas price, I realized I could not afford it. I panicked. I knew there was a shortage of gas this week, and the gas prices had increased. I was scared for many reasons, and one of them was I would be unable to go to school. I could not afford to miss any classes. My entire career plan depended on doing well in school. I wanted to become a Pathologist. I thought about different options of how to get gas money, and I thought of asking my parents. I knew my dad would give me some gas money. As I contemplated this decision, my guilt overwhelmed me. I realized I needed to stop depending on my parents. I needed to take action.

A public health student has an obligation to study community health. This is important for the following reasons: need to acquire important knowledge, competencies, and skills to promote and protect the health of communities and populations by understanding and applying community approaches, an appreciation of culture, economics, politics, and psychosocial problems as determinants of health and illness. The core competencies in public health. (ANA 2007)

I have been fortunate enough to have been able to major in the field of health sciences as an undergraduate. Now, I would like to continue my education and concentrate a career in nursing. My lifelong dream has been to help and take care of others. Volunteering at Health Central during my high school years really aided me in believing that it was possible to fulfill my dream. The ability to be there for someone in need and build a level of trust is important for any field but more importantly for the medical field. Being a nurse is someone who has to acquire those traits in order to be successful. My personal experiences in life directly reflect on my character and personality. I find myself to be an exceptionally empathetic and humane individual.

It feels like just yesterday I was a freshman in college unaware of what was before me. Now that I am about to be a graduate, reflecting will be bittersweet as this road comes to an end. When I was in middle school and high school I was always attracted to the medical field. Though my interests changed from wanting to be a doctor, to a vet, and then to an occupational therapist, my “dream job” always stayed in the medical realm. I believe this stems from me being an empathetic person and genuinely wanting to help others in any way I can, especially the people who are looked past including those with a disability or mental illness. Therefore, I came to husson in the five year occupational therapy masters program with my bachelors in health care studies.

When we were younger, did we really know who we were as a person, or what career goal we had in mind as we began to mature? When we think about it, as a young adult have we really found our way? Some of us reach those goals the way society say it is designed. However, many of us take the scenic route or totally switch careers altogether. I have always known I wanted to be in the healthcare field, but I do not think I was one-hundred percent sure in what capacity I would fulfill those aspirations. Would I become a physician, a nurse, a therapist, or an administrative support personnel?

I have always wanted to pursue a career related to the medical field, and it wasn't until my freshman year of college that I encountered the area of public health. I was immediately drawn to the specific area of epidemiology and infectious diseases. I am now a junior at the University of Texas majoring in Public Health with a concentration in microbiology and infectious diseases. I find epidemiology so enthralling, as it is implements ways in which we can scientifically and statistically describe diseases and the mortality/morbidity as well as predict how and why they spread. More so, I think the infectious disease aspect is interesting as well, because while the United States has shifted from burden of infectious disease to that of chronic