I graduated from Wayne State University's Master of Public Health program in December 2020. Starting in the fall of 2022, I'll enroll in the Ph.D. in Epidemiology program at the University at Albany, SUNY. I am originally from Bangladesh, a southeast Asian developing country. There, I completed my Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) in 2016. While I was an undergraduate, I developed a keen interest in clinical interventions for disease prevention and health promotion. After moving to Detroit, I decided to make the most of the opportunity to gain in-depth public health knowledge from a highly reputed research university with a meticulously designed accredited MPH program that was only a few steps away from my home. At that time, my goals were to investigate public health fields, identify my interests, strengths, and weaknesses, and prepare for the job market. The Public Health Practice concentration offered those opportunities, including the opportunity to map out my MPH plan of work. As a result, it appeared to be the best fit for me.

The MPH program taught me the theory and practice of culturally competent research among underserved diverse populations. Here, I was able to learn from incredible faculty members who are passionate about teaching students, as well as meet supportive and friendly peers. In my second year, I joined the Public Health Student Organization to improve my cultural competency through informal interaction with community members during its activities.

In addition to my academic success, I believe that enrolling in quantitative elective courses, as well as engaging in cancer epidemiology and HIV prevention research with Dr. Theresa Hastert and WSU Prevention (W'SUP) respectively, facilitated my acceptance into the epidemiology doctoral program. Our professors always emphasized getting the most out of the program in terms of experience and competence. That is one piece of advice I followed and would like to share with students interested in advancing their careers and education in epidemiology.