Sample Statement of Purpose for Public Health Studies
Statements by Americans
The Public Health Studies Student
What if people lived healthier lives, practiced preventive medicine,
and took precautions against illness and disease? My days in the
physical therapy department often made me think about the prevention
of injuries as well as the injuries themselves. I was already
doubting my future career choice as a physical therapist. Although I
loved the science of it and helping people, the lack of variety
within the field and its limited options for growth bothered me. I
needed a career that helped a large number of people, emphasized
prevention and primary care rather than tertiary care, and would
continually challenge and motivate me to improve. Knowing that I
really did not want to pursue physical therapy as I had originally
planned, my thoughts wandered to the area of public health,
particularly health management.
My first true introduction to the public health arena came in a
class offered through the Big U School of Public Health. As I
listened to experts speak about contemporary health issues, I was
intrigued. The world of "capitation," "rationing of care," and
Medicaid fascinated me as I saw the range of problems that public
health professionals were trying to solve in innovative ways. This
one semester class provided me with a basic but thorough
understanding of the issues faced in health care today. In the last
two years I have continued to learn about public health both through
coursework and work in the field.
Because field experience is such a valuable learning tool, I
searched for a research assistant position that would allow me to
view public health at a different level. I worked on a project at a
county health clinic in Englewood, a low-income, minority community.
The program attempted to increase treatment compliance rates for
adolescents diagnosed with tuberculosis who must complete a
six-month medical program. Working for the county exposed me to a
different side of health care that I had previously seen. Service
and organization were not assets of the county and yet its role in
the public health "ecosystem" was and is critical. Its job of
immunizing thousands and interacting with all members of the
community is often forgotten, but is important for keeping an entire
community healthy.
My work at the county health clinic as well as my knowledge of some
areas of public health led me to accept an internship in Washington
D.C. this past summer. The internship provided me with a greater
understanding of a federal public health agency’s operations and
allowed me to contribute in a variety of ways to the XYZ Department
in which I worked. Most importantly I worked on "policy issues"
which involved identifying and summarizing problems that were out of
the ordinary as well as documenting resolved issues in order to
establish protocols to increase the department’s efficiency. In
addition I served on a scientific review panel which was responsible
for editing a seventy-page proposed regulation before its
submission.
Along with my duties at XYZ, I attended seminars and met with public
health leaders at different functions and events. All these
activities confirmed my growing interest in preventive medicine,
outcomes and effectiveness, and quality of care, particularly within
the private/managed care sector. These are my strongest interests
because I believe they are fundamental to our nation’s health. We
must achieve efficiency and access without sacrificing quality.
The University of ____ would help me achieve my goals of furthering
my public health education through the specialize coursework offered
as part of its health administration program. [The person provides
specifics here about the program’s specific appeal and strengths]
Since rejecting physical therapy as a career possibility my interest
in public health has only grown. I welcome the challenge of serving
a large community and participating in such a dynamic and
challenging field. What if an aspirin a day could prevent heart
attacks? What if abandoning unnecessary procedures saved thousands
of dollars, which then allowed a hospital to treat other patients
needing care? What if every person was guaranteed care and that care
was good? I would like to find answers for these questions during my
career as a public health graduate student and professional.
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