Professional Summary
Personal Statement
While pursuing my Masters of Public Health (MPH), a professor who was a physician shared that only 20% of a person's health is determined by the medical care they receive. Rather than discouraging me from pursuing medicine, this statistic fueled my curiosity to understand what influences the other 80%. My MPH introduced me to concepts like spheres of influence, social determinants of health, adverse childhood experiences, and health inequities. My public health education has allowed me to understand my patients better and carry more empathy with me during patient visits. Awareness of the social determinants of health (like patients' access to fresh foods, if they feel safe to walk in their neighborhood, or their ability to afford their medications) provides more perspective than the simple label of nonadherence. Instead of feeling limited by the 20% of health that my medical care can influence, my public health background drives me to connect patients with solutions that address the broader determinants of their health and become an active participant in the community where I practice.
Why I Chose Cincinnati
I chose Cincinnati because from the very beginning of the interview process, I could already envision myself as a part of the program. Everyone I interacted with on interview day, leading up to it, and after has made me feel extremely welcomed and comfortable. Beyond the amazing people, the program itself is also incredibly innovative with a willingness to adapt to meet the needs of its residents. They also provide consistent and timely opportunities for formative feedback which was a detail I valued highly in my residency search. The cherry on top is that the city of Cincinnati is such a cool place to live and work!