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 questioning my future career choice as a physical therapist. Although I loved science and helping people, I felt restricted by the lack of variety within the field and its limited options for growth. I needed a career that helped a large number of people, emphasized prevention and primary care rather than tertiary care, and continually challenged and motivated 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 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 healthcare today.
Over 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 allowed me to view public health at a different level. I worked on a project at a county health clinic in Big City, 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 healthcare than I had previously seen. Service and organization were not assets of the county, 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 interest in public health led me to accept an internship in Washington D.C. this past summer. Working in the XYZ Department provided me with a greater understanding of a federal public health agency’s operations and allowed me to contribute in a variety of ways. Most importantly I worked on policy issues that 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 that was responsible for editing a 70-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. These activities confirmed my growing interest in preventive medicine, outcomes and effectiveness, and quality of care, particularly within the private/managed care sector. I believe these factors 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 specialized coursework offered as part of its health administration program. [The applicant provides specifics here about the program’s specific appeal and strengths]
Since rejecting physical therapy as a career, 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 accessible, high quality care? I would like to find answers for these questions during my career as a public health graduate student and professional.
This essay has a lot of strengths. It opens with a thought-provoking question:
“What if people lived healthier lives, practiced preventive medicine, and took precautions against illness and disease?”
The “what if?” opening immediately engages the reader and at the same time tells us that the applicant aspires to a career in the healthcare sector. We do not have to wait to discover the theme of the essay; it’s right there in the first sentence.
From the very start, the applicant also demonstrates her self-awareness. Let’s look at this great first paragraph: notice how every sentence builds on the one preceding it, adding context for the applicant’s decision to apply to a public health program. By the second sentence, she begins to present her background in the healthcare field, and by the third sentence, she explains why she now doubts that her chosen field of physical therapy will be satisfying in the long-term. This realization demonstrates self-knowledge that has come from her experiences thus far in the healthcare field. By the end of the paragraph, we clearly appreciate the applicant’s motivations for wanting a career on the bigger, broader stage of public health, rather than as a PT. Her decision reflects a logical progression in her career and in her thinking.
As the essay continues, she continues to build her case for admission by linking her prior work and education to their relevance to the public health field. She writes about relevant coursework she has taken, followed immediately by a succinct discussion of her field work experience. She doesn’t simply list what she did; she goes deeper, discussing what she learned and how these experiences and insights have solidified her commitment to earning a public health degree.
Her conclusion is also very effective because she has returned to her opening “what if?” theme. Here she asks a new question: “What if an aspirin a day could prevent heart attacks?” emphasizing that everything she has learned and done so far keeps her riveted by the challenge of finding answers to significant questions in public health.
This essay works because the prose is clear and active. Every sentence offers something new or additional information; there is no fluff. She demonstrates mature self-knowledge, a logical career progression, and offers relevant, specific facts that add strength to her candidacy. This clarity and momentum keeps the pace moving, effectively building the writer’s profile as a promising and serious public health applicant.
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