Personal Statement

I see higher-education as a transforming experience that deepens one s sense of

appreciation for public service. My profound desire for human fulfillment throug
h service
to others caused me to focus early on in the area of Public Health. I have been
drawn to study
in this area because it strikes me of such basic or fundamental importance to he
alth services.
Faced with the difficult decision of where to continue my studies, I have decide
d to
make your institution my first choice.
My greatest strengths as a candidate to your program are the fact that I am
an extremely hard worker and a very quick learner; I have almost always succeede
d in
whatever I put my mind to. Ghana is in need of major help in terms of a complete
health
systems overhaul; especially in such a way that health care is made increasingly
available to
those who have heretofore not been able to afford it. I seek the tools to make t
his possible.
I am especially attracted to the idea of studying at your university , and it i
s my first choice since I am
particularly interested in Epidemiology and research . It will be important for
me someday.
I am most concerned about the critical public health issues faced not only by Gh
ana, but most developing countries, the way that trends in health care tend to b
e limited by the
same powerful forces of globalization that drive the economy. Exploding rates of
urbanization greatly exacerbate the central problems in Africa as elsewhere and
I am deeply passionate about and devoted to the study of demographic trends and
epidemiological transitions. I especially look forward to learning a great deal
more about the industrialization of food production, globalization of the food
supply and its distribution, and marketing channels, along with what all of this
means for the diet of the average person. With the massive move to cities, life
styles are increasingly sedentary and obesity has gone global, further exacerbat
ing chronic yet treatable diseases in Africa.
The MPH program will enable me to make a contribution that will go beyond my lo
ve for direct hands on care, and help me to contribute to progressive, structura
l change. Your program is a perfect match for my quest to integrate advanced Med
ical practice with population-based pubic health perspectives through the exerci
se of my critical thinking skills, serving the cause of the advancement of publi
c health through improved health services. I also appreciate the fact that I wi
ll be able to select from a broad variety of elective courses that will allow me
to customize my curriculum in accordance with global perspectives and Third Wor
ld consciousness and enhance my critical thinking skills in terms of global soci
al issues. My long term professional goal in life is to some day be able to harn
ess my passion for a more just and humane world to the practical skills that wil
l enable me to make a significant contribution, especially to the medically unde
rserved members of our global human society.
I look forward to working on an international level for a government agency or g
lobal nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of health care in Africa.
African leaders must be encouraged to realize that if they want better health to
work as a poverty reduction strategy, they must provide better health care to t
he poor. We cannot let the costs of health care drive impoverished households ev
er deeper into poverty. My interest in public health has continued to grow the m

ore that I have become aware of the intricacy of the medical system . It is he
re that I hope to fully pursue my capacity as a communicator who is able to buil
d and continue to strengthen understanding between diverse organizations that al
l too often adopt adversarial positions. I see this as one of the greatest tasks
of the public management specialist, bringing parties together and building bri
dges of cooperation where they had not existed before.
I am accustomed to working in Ghana where we do not have a standardized medica
l system and there is still a lot more use of paper rather than technology. Ghan
a, in particular, is in desperate need of my help as a Professional health worke
r . In view of this, I humbly ask for admission to your program in order to ful
fill my mission. I am confident that I can be very successful in your program if
given the opportunity and I want to thank you for consideration of my applicati
on.