personal statement on public health and health promotion

• Find a Course
• For Business
• For Educators
• Product News

How to Write a Great Personal Statement for the Global MPH

May 15, 2019

Imperial College London’s School of Public Health is renowned for conducting world-class research on today’s most pressing public health issues. No matter how compelling your research findings are, it is essential to communicate them clearly in order to promote positive change.

The same principle applies to your personal statement for the Global Master of Public Health (MPH) program . This personal statement is a chance to make the case that you belong at Imperial. Making that case clearly and effectively can be as important as your academic and professional qualifications.

Many students get anxious about this portion of the application, or worry that their writing skills aren’t up to the task. Our advice? Don’t panic!

You don’t have to be an outstanding writer to craft a great personal statement. Your task is to provide Imperial’s reviewers with the information they’re looking for in 1500 words or less. Let’s break the key points down into three specific areas: your past, present, and future.

1. Past: your background in public health

Start by introducing yourself. You’ve already provided a CV with your application, so this is an opportunity to put your experience in context. Tell us how and why you became interested in public health, the skills you’ve developed, and what you’re most proud of in your studies and career. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through!  

Key points:

• Previous academic and professional experience
• Relevant exposures to public health related work and research
• Areas of interest in healthcare and why they interest you

Examples from the MPH Class of 2018-19:

“Throughout my years at University and recent postgraduate studies, I have worked in a pharmacy as a pharmacy/ dispensing assistant, in both community and hospital settings with the latter being involved with cancer clinical trials. These roles have greatly advanced my knowledge of patient care, different treatment options and health awareness strategies within the NHS and local CCGs.”

“I worked on a retrospective study to examine the trends and outcomes of aortic valve replacements performed on veterans from 2005 to 2015. Prior coursework in statistics equipped me to interpret data analyses. I co-authored two abstracts. I often considered how researchers contribute towards reducing health inequities in specific populations.”

2. Present: why you are applying to the Imperial College MPH

After you’ve introduced yourself, explain your motivation for your application. What is driving you to take your career in public health to the next level, and why is the Imperial Online MPH right for you? Make a compelling case why you are applying to this program, specifically, and why now is the right time.

• Your motivation for your professional and/or research career in public health
• Why you are applying for the Online MPH program, specifically

Examples from MPH Class of 2018-19:

“My healthcare background has given me the drive to move my career from disease treatment to increasing awareness of disease prevention. With an increasing life expectancy and an uncertain national healthcare budget, prevention of poor health from preventable diseases has never been more imperative.”

“I am particularly interested in studying at Imperial College London due to its Public Health Policy Evaluation Unit, as the research areas of the unit match my own areas of interest for future research which include big healthcare data, healthcare access and health policy; within these areas I have an interest in mental health, cancer and primary and secondary care.”

3. Future: goals for your research at Imperial and your career beyond graduation

Finally, show that you have a specific vision for your time at Imperial and your post-MPH career. Include a short proposal (150 words or less) for a research project that you would be interested in carrying out as part of your dissertation over approximately a three month period. This gives the team more of an idea of your research interests and motivation to undertake the online Global MPH program. If you are accepted, you will not be required to carry out the proposal from your application. If you’d like to pursue the proposal from your application as part of your research portfolio, you can.

Key Points:

• Your future career goals
• Your proposed research area

“I believe the course will be able to provide an opportunity to obtain a more in-depth knowledge within these areas, but also developing a strong theoretical understanding of health policy, epidemiology and research methods, which I will give me the underpinning knowledge to undertake a PhD in Public health evaluation and policy in the future.”

“I aim to perform research to evaluate and improve the effectiveness and accessibility of health services for chronic conditions in low-income communities.”

__________________________

One last piece of advice: write an honest statement that gets across your true character and motivations, rather than writing something you think the panel will want to hear. Imperial’s goal in requesting these personal statements is to get to know prospective applicants on a personal level. Focus on providing a clear account of who you are, why you’re applying, and what you plan to do during and after the program.

The Global MPH offers the opportunity to get a world-class graduate degree in public health from one of the top 10 universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2019). The program is affordable, flexible, and 100% online. As such, it attracts a diverse, highly-qualified group of students from across the globe. With a great personal statement, you can significantly increase your chances of joining the next cohort!  

Keep reading

• Guyana Launches National Training Initiative with Coursera to Empower Every Guyanese Citizen and Public Sector Employee with In-Demand Skills
• From Marine Corps to Georgetown: How Mack Found Success in the BLS Program
• Job search tips for a career change

• Online Experience

HOW TO WRITE A WINNING PUBLIC HEALTH PERSONAL STATEMENT

Public health is one of the most diverse fields in healthcare practice, and the public health industry is expanding and changing at a rapid rate. 1 To break into this competitive field, strong qualifications, such as a Master of Public Health (MPH) , are essential, and a winning public health personal statement is a critical component of a successful MPH application. However, writing a personal statement for public health graduate school is substantially different from crafting one as a recent graduate or first-time job-seeker.

This post explains the importance of the MPH personal statement, and highlights four elements to consider when crafting a strong, engaging, effective statement as part of your application.

WHY IS A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSONAL STATEMENT IMPORTANT FOR AN MPH?

In public health professions more than in most careers, who you are matters. Because public health focuses on the human side of sickness and well-being, public health professionals interact continuously with individuals, communities, policy makers and educators. 2 Your personality is an important factor in determining the professional you will become. Admissions committees, therefore, need to understand you as a person in order to appreciate you as a candidate.

Among your application documents, your personal statement most effectively reveals who you are to an admissions committee. It demonstrates your passion and suitability for the program you are applying to and establishes you as more than the sum of your skills and qualifications.

SHOW, DON’T TELL.

A list of who you are, what you do, and where you see your career going will give the admissions committee a good sense of your suitability for the program to which you are applying. However, if you really want to engage your readers, show them rather than telling them. Human beings are narratively wired; we learn, remember and relate to material better when it is delivered in the form of a story. 3 A strong personal statement will be made even stronger if it is structured around a particular narrative.

To incorporate storytelling effectively in your personal statement, think about your strengths as an individual and the episodes in your life that have demonstrated and developed them. Emphasize the strengths that best align with public health professions: interpersonal and communication skills, an analytical and problem-solving mindset, a strong sense of social justice , and cultural competency are all good choices. 4 Tell the story of your life and career with your chosen strengths in mind. Show how each new experience has helped you progress toward being the ideal public health candidate.

BE PASSIONATE.

The story you tell must illustrate more than just your relevant skills and experiences; it should highlight your passion for and commitment to public health. Admissions-committee members know that the field of public health is demanding, 5 and a good MPH candidate is one who has the drive and dedication to face its many challenges. In your personal statement narrative, explain why public health matters to you.

Public health is a universal concern , and the work of public health professionals touches many aspects of our everyday lives. As you decide on the experiences you’ll include, consider how they demonstrate your personal connection to the public health profession. How have public health leaders inspired you? Where have public health issues affected your life? How have your achievements contributed to improving public health? Where do you hope to see further improvement, and why? By linking the answers to questions such as these with personal narrative, you will demonstrate your passion for the field.

WHY YOU? WHY THIS PROGRAM?

Competition for admission to graduate school is always fierce, and this is especially true when it comes to MPH programs. 6 To craft an effective personal statement, therefore, you must show that you are the perfect candidate for the specific school and program to which you’re applying.

Provide details on how your goals, experiences and passions align with the specific MPH program to which you are applying. You may want to comment on the research opportunities embedded within the program, for example, or the research specializations of key faculty members . Show how the unique details of the program align with your unique characteristics as a candidate.

By including specific references to the MPH program, you show that you’ve done your research and invested your time and energy in choosing a program carefully. Your demonstrated desire to be a part of the unique community and culture of your chosen program will make you a significantly more attractive candidate.

TONE MATTERS.

Finally, it is essential that you pay close attention to the grammar, expression and tone of your personal statement. As it is in many careers, writing is a crucial component of effective public health professionalism. 7 A successful public health practitioner must speak and write effectively. Producing a well-crafted, accurate, clear, engaging personal statement will demonstrate your competency in this area.

As you compose your personal statement, strive for a tone that is professional and formal. It will help balance the intimacy of the narrative style discussed above, resulting in a personal statement that feels both human and competent.

Check your work carefully for any errors in formatting, grammar or vocabulary, and make sure that you’re using technical terminology appropriately; mistakes in these areas suggest a lack of care and attention to detail that will reflect negatively on you. Ask someone whose writing skills you trust to proofread your personal statement. Even proficient writers can become blind to their own typos, and someone else’s knowledgeable perspective is always helpful, even if only to confirm the strength of your work.

PUT YOUR STRENGTHS AND EXPERIENCE TO THEIR BEST USE.

An MPH is the first step on the path to success in a dynamic, fulfilling career. With your Kent State online Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management , Social and Behavioral Sciences or Epidemiology , or your Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology , you can make a difference in a field with wide-ranging impact.

• Retrieved on August 6, 2020, from degreequery.com/top-20-demand-careers-public-health/
• Retrieved on August 6, 2020, from apha.org/what-is-public-health
• Retrieved on August 6, 2020, from time.com/5043166/storytelling-evolution/
• Retrieved on August 6, 2020, from phf.org/programs/corecompetencies/Pages/Core_Competencies_Domains.aspx .
• Retrieved on August 6, 2020, from mphprogramslist.com/50-great-reasons-to-pursue-a-public-health-career/
• Retrieved on August 6, 2020, from mphprogramslist.com/mph-admissions-process/
• Retrieved on August 6, 2020, from nursingcenter.com/journalarticle?Article_ID=682376&Journal_ID=420959&Issue_ID=682375

Return to Blog

Kent State University has engaged Everspring , a leading provider of education and technology services, to support select aspects of program delivery.

• Area of Interest
• Contact Info
• Get Started

What program are you interested in?

Master of Public Health

MS in Clinical Epidemiology

Bachelor of Science in Public Health

Sample Personal Statement Public Health (MPH)

by Talha Omer, MBA, M.Eng., Harvard & Cornell Grad

In personal statement samples by field.

In this article, I will be providing a sample grad school personal statement in the field of public health. It is written by an applicant who got accepted to Masters’s program in Public Health (MPH). Variations of this personal statement got accepted at the University of North Carolina, Columbia University, and Emory University. This example aims to show how prospective applicants like you can seamlessly weave your passion, skills, and relevant experiences into a compelling narrative.

In writing this personal statement, the applicant has drawn upon key insights from a number of my previous writings on personal statements. You are also welcome to use my previous writings to help you write your personal statement. 

In those posts I’ve discussed the  art of constructing a captivating personal statement for grad school , and I’ve highlighted the  pitfalls to avoid  to ensure your statement leaves a positive impression.

I’ve also shared valuable tips on  structuring your personal statement for clarity and readability, not to mention  how to create a powerful opening  that grabs attention from the start. And let’s not forget about maintaining brevity while effectively telling your story, as well as offering a vast range of  personal statement examples  from different fields for reference.

And yes, do not forget to explore my  8-point framework  that anyone can use to self-evaluate their personal statement. Complementing this, I’ve also created a  7-point guide  to help you steer clear of potential traps and missteps in your personal statement.

I encourage you to explore these topics in depth, as they will be useful while we explore the sample personal statement for public health.

In this Article

1) Research the Program:

2) outline your mph personal statement:, 3) start with a compelling introduction:, 4) showcase your public health achievements and interests:, 5) unveil your public health motivations:, 6) highlight unique qualities for public health:, 7) addressing potential weaknesses or gaps:, 8) write a persuasive conclusion:, sample personal statement for public health masters (mph), my feedback on this sample.

• My In-depth Feedback on this Sample 

What do you Write in a Personal Statement for MPH?  

Writing a personal statement for a Master of Public Health (MPH) program requires careful consideration of your career aspirations, an organized outline, and a compelling introduction. The steps below will guide you to create a well-structured and captivating narrative that effectively presents your unique journey towards public health.

Before applying to an MPH program, conduct a thorough examination of its specifics. Explore the program’s website, paying attention to its mission, curriculum, faculty expertise, and unique opportunities such as fieldwork experiences or community partnerships. Tailor your personal statement to emphasize relevant qualifications and match the admission requirements.

Attend informational sessions, connect with current students or alumni, and familiarize yourself with faculty research. Reflect on how the program aligns with your career goals in public health and infuse this understanding into your personal statement to showcase your commitment and compatibility.

Organize your content for a well-structured personal statement. Begin with a captivating anecdote or statement about public health, followed by your academic achievements and related work experience. Highlight projects, skills, and honors that underscore your commitment to public health.

Express your motivations for pursuing advanced studies in public health and articulate your long-term goals. Highlight unique strengths like leadership, analytical, or community engagement skills. Address any potential issues honestly, explaining the situation and remedial actions.

End by reaffirming your passion and qualifications for public health and your eagerness to join the program. This structured approach ensures a compelling, coherent narrative.

Grab your reader’s attention with an engaging opening. A significant experience, a compelling quote, or a statement about your passion for public health can effectively hook the reader.

For instance: “When I volunteered at a local health clinic, I saw first-hand the impact of social determinants on health.”

Introduce the core theme of your personal statement, possibly your drive for public health, reasons for pursuing advanced studies, or the unique skills you bring.

Example: “This experience solidified my desire to delve deeper into public health through graduate studies.”

Detail academic and professional accomplishments that demonstrate your readiness for the program.

For instance: “During my internship at a local health department, I contributed significantly to a community vaccination campaign, enhancing my understanding of health promotion.”

Discuss key achievements such as successful projects, publications, or recognitions. Explain how these experiences have prepared you for advanced studies and influenced your public health interests, showcasing your passion and expertise.

Articulate your motivation for pursuing an MPH program.

You might share: “My interest in public health was sparked when I worked on a project addressing childhood obesity in my hometown. Since then, my focus on public health studies and relevant internships have deepened my resolve to improve community health.”

Outline your goals, such as aspiring to influence health policy or public health practice, and discuss how the program aligns with these goals.

Strengthen your personal statement by emphasizing personal qualities suited to an MPH program. Highlight traits like leadership, problem-solving abilities, or a commitment to social justice, providing concrete examples:

“For example, as a health promotion volunteer, I led a team to implement a successful community nutrition program, demonstrating my leadership and community engagement skills.”

Confront any weaknesses or gaps in your application honestly. If you had a period of low grades due to personal issues, briefly mention it, emphasizing what you learned from the experience.

“Despite a challenging semester, my subsequent performance in advanced public health courses and my successful community project at my recent internship prove my dedication and capacity for this program.”

Summarize key points in your conclusion, such as your strong interest in public health, the skills you’ve honed, and your career aspirations.

For example: “My academic experiences, internships, and ongoing commitment to public health have equipped me well for this program.”

Express your enthusiasm to contribute to the field, stating, “I am excited to bring my passion and expertise to your program, working towards creating healthier communities.”

Reaffirm your alignment with the program, highlighting its distinct features that attract you, concluding with a confident statement of your readiness to excel in their program.

The countryside is said to be beautiful, with the melodious chirping and tweeter of birds, seas of high clouds in the palatial sky, and a feeling of a cool-tempered breeze dancing through tall swaying trees and flowing streams with evergreen meadows. Still, my village was quite the contrary. The beauty of nature was polluted with weapons of warfare.

I opened my eyes in a town that was rife with internecine disputes. The first voice I heard was the heart-wrenching cacophonic sound of machine guns and missiles. Despite living amid meadows, I saw decapitated human heads and torn skulls. My relatives were illiterate and fought over trivial issues. For example, generational wars ensued if the enemy tribe’s donkey came grazing in another tribe’s fields. Villagers believed “two eyes for an eye and thirty-two teeth for a tooth”.

It is well said, “As the company, so the colour”. As a result, I also craved power and became a part of that barbaric culture. I always wanted to join the military, the most privileged post in our community. On the contrary, my father, who was literate in our village, saw our bleak future in the town. Subsequently, on his orders, we migrated from country to city life. Relocating to a cosmopolitan city transformed me from a power-hungry person to the saviour of humanity. I reformed my mindset from a tribal savage to a civilized individual.

One day while roaming the city, a powerful blast ripped through the massively crowded, killing indiscriminately. I swiftly moved towards safety, and on the way, I encountered many people running for their lives. Sirens of ambulances and police vehicles echoed in my ears. I was deeply shocked at the nightmarish scenes. How gruesome and heart-wrenching it was. I saw pools of blood peeping out of the bodies of the injured. Scattered body parts were scattered everywhere, and human flesh was pasted on the walls. I saw screaming mothers and frantic relatives searching for their beloved. So many innocent people were killed by the wild beasts cloaked in human skin, far worse than my uncivilized villagers. Ambulances carried the critically injured to the hospital. Yet, many survived because of the endless endeavours of “Doctors, the saviours of humanity”.

In those brutal circumstances, a doctor made all the difference. The lives of seriously wounded depended on the skills of emergency surgeons and physicians. The absence of doctors simply meant death. Since that very day, I have developed a deep love for this profession. Only doctors, not bureaucrats, politicians, military officers, or engineers, could save lives. From there on, I strived hard to qualify for a prestigious medical college and became a doctor.

Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Similarly, my life has been a story of exemplary philanthropy. During my 8th grade, I taught underprivileged students. Nowadays, I treat indigent patients in my I.C.U. Ward. At college, I loved serving the sick and needy while I was serving as the Chairman of the Patients’ Welfare Organization. This association of students worked day and night under pitiful conditions in underdeveloped government hospitals.

Moreover, being a committed health activist, I worked during national disasters such as floods, earthquakes etc. I implemented various community strategies to engage volunteers at flood camps during these times. Due to these tactics, I successfully provided 90% coverage to children under five against nine deadly diseases, including Polio.

Furthermore, during my senior year, I organized a relief camp for the Rehabilitation of the victims of drought in the Sahara. I secured $1.7 million in aid, including edibles and emergency medicine. My team of senior doctors and I treated over 700 children suffering from Pediatrics diseases. During this time, I was exposed to people who lived in extreme poverty. I saw women and children with multiple infectious diseases. I saw the unhygienic environments in our hospital wards, where patients were prone to many hospital-acquired disorders.

I also saw levels of extreme malnutrition in children. The kind you have seen in the scenes of B.B.C. documentaries on African countries. It was heartbreaking that 824 children died from preventable diseases. 

Considering all the public health-related problems and the associated mortalities, I felt a need for time to become a public health professional to help people stay alive and increase life expectancy. Using health awareness, I want to reduce child mortality through continuous vaccination programs and family planning. In addition, I desire to eradicate infectious diseases that spread through the air, water, and unhygienic hospital environment.

It was well written on the wall of our research institute that medicine aims to prevent disease and prolong life. The ideal of medicine is to eliminate the need for a physician. In this journey in the medical field, being an active health professional, I also proved myself to be a social reformer. I opened a library with the assistance of my family and friends in our war-torn village. The library was a torch bearer for many inquisitive villagers who started sending their children to schools. Though at a snail’s pace but our literacy is perpetually increasing. 

I am an extrovert, and it’s exciting to move to a different country and meet people from different backgrounds. I aim to get professional and technical knowledge about various public health layers, such as program management, health research and disease surveillance. Using this skill set, I will serve in my country, nipping diseases in the bud at their primary occurrence level.

Moreover, I believe in good global philosophy and eradicating children’s malnutrition from my society. Similarly, providing universal healthcare saves everyone, and one of the best aspects of healthcare reform is to start emphasizing prevention. Martin Luther King Jr once said, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”

• Hook and Introduction (4/5): The imagery you used to describe the harsh realities of your village effectively captures the reader’s attention and sets the stage for your transformational journey.
• Background and Motivation (4.5/5): Your personal history is very impactful and your motivation to transform from a person with a violent mindset to a saviour of humanity is convincingly presented. However, the transition could be slightly more detailed to clearly convey this change in you.
• Relevance and Competency (4/5): Your work in various challenging environments and your dedication towards community service underline your competencies and your commitment to public health. However, make sure to highlight academic achievements and theoretical knowledge that you’ve gained and how it supports your practical work.
• Passion and Personal Drive (5/5): Your passion for public health is well demonstrated through the various initiatives and projects you’ve been a part of, as well as the life-changing events you’ve witnessed. The depth of your experiences and your commitment to improving health conditions in your community is compelling.
• Program Fit and Future Goals (4/5): Your future goals are well-aligned with the field of public health. It might be beneficial to specifically mention how this MPH program fits into your plan and how you intend to use the knowledge gained from this program to further your goals.
• Conclusion (4/5): Your conclusion effectively ties your story together. However, adding a final, focused statement on your immediate goal of joining the MPH program and your long-term vision of improving public health in your home country could be more impactful.

Overall, I’d rate your personal statement as 4.3/5. It is compelling and emotionally charged, highlighting your dedication to public health. However, it would benefit from more specific connections between your past experiences, your present aspirations, and the MPH program you’re applying to. Remember to articulate what unique qualities or perspectives you can bring to the program and how the program will help you achieve your long-term goals.

My In-depth Feedback on this Sample  

• Introduction: Your opening paragraph effectively sets the scene by illustrating the contrasting landscape and realities of your village. However, this part of the introduction is somewhat lengthy, and it may be more impactful to move sooner into the realities of warfare and conflict that were part of your upbringing. This would provide a more immediate hook for readers.
• Background and Challenges: You’ve described the challenges of your early life, including tribal conflicts and violence. You present a clear picture of a tough upbringing and the motivation that led you to seek a different path. The section could be improved by highlighting a few defining moments or experiences that influenced your decision to migrate and pursue education.
• Transferable Skills: Your transformative journey from a conflict-ridden region to becoming a doctor demonstrates perseverance, adaptability, and resilience. While these are valuable transferable skills, it would be beneficial to also include the academic and professional skills you’ve gained that are directly relevant to the field of public health.
• Passion and Goals: The story about the bombing incident and how it influenced your decision to become a doctor is very powerful and effectively shows your passion. However, you should also clarify how these experiences led to your specific interest in public health, not just medicine.
• Relevant Experiences: You’ve done an excellent job describing your various experiences working with underserved communities, disaster relief, and even establishing a library in your village. Each of these experiences speaks to your commitment to public health. However, you could strengthen this section by detailing some of the skills and knowledge you gained from these experiences and how they’ve prepared you for an advanced degree in public health.
• Program Fit and Future Aspirations: You clearly articulate your future aspirations in public health. However, there’s a lack of specificity about the program to which you’re applying. Detailing how this particular program will help you meet your goals would make your case more compelling.
• Conclusion: Your conclusion nicely ties together your past experiences, current motivations, and future goals. However, a more direct statement about your desire to join the program you’re applying to and a reflection on the benefits you anticipate from it would make the conclusion stronger.

Overall, your personal statement is strong and paints a vivid picture of your journey. However, adding more concrete examples of skills you’ve acquired, highlighting the influence of specific events on your career choice, and a clearer connection between your experiences and the program you’re applying to could make your statement even more powerful.

If you want me to review, critique, and give detailed feedback on your personal statement, then please share your email with us [email protected]

WANT MORE AMAZING ARTICLES ON GRAD SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENTS?

• 100+ Outstanding Examples of Personal Statements
• The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Winning Personal Statement
• Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Your Personal Statement
• Writing a Killer Opening Paragraph for Your Personal Statement
• Ideal Length for a Graduate School Personal Statement
• 100 Inspiring Quotes to Jumpstart Your Personal Statement

Sample Personal Statement for Masters in International Business

Sample Personal Statement for Masters in International Business My journey began amidst the kaleidoscope of Qatar's landscapes, setting the stage for a life attuned to cultural nuances. Transitioning to Riyadh in my teens, I absorbed a mosaic of traditions, sparking a...

Sample Personal Statement for Family Medicine Residency

Personal Statement Prompt: A personal letter is required. We are looking for mature, enthusiastic physicians who bring with them a broad range of life experiences, are committed to providing excellent patient care, and can embrace the depth and breadth of experiences...

[2024] 4 Law School Personal Statement Examples from Top Programs

In this article, I will discuss 4 law school personal statement samples. These statements have been written by successful applicants who gained admission to prestigious US Law schools like Yale, Harvard, and Stanford. The purpose of these examples is to demonstrate...

Sample Personal Statement Cybersecurity

In this article, I will be providing a sample grad school personal statement in the field of cybersecurity. This sample was written by an applicant who got admitted into George Mason, Northeastern and Arizona State University. This example aims to show how prospective...

100+ Grad School Personal Statement Examples

Introduction Importance of a Strong Personal Statement A personal statement is essential in the graduate school application process, as it plays a significant role in shaping the admissions committee's perception of you. In fact, a survey conducted by the Council of...

WANT AMAZING ARTICLES ON GRAD SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENTS?

• 100+ Personal Statement Templates

Call us : +88 (0) 1712969390, +44 (0) 7495942849, +44 (0) 7459725824

[email protected]

Sign in  |  Sign up     

Personal statement of purpose - MSc Public Health

• Sample personal statement

07 July, 2022

Personal statement of purpose - msc public health share.

• 12 May, 2013

I am keen to undertake the MSc Public Health course at Birmingham City University (BCU) to fill in my academic gap in knowledge and skills in the contemporary trending functional areas of Health. My Pharmacology & Therapeutics background has given me the drive to move my career to increasing awareness of disease prevention.

My previous study of BS in Pharmacology & Therapeutics at Delta State University, NigeriaIprovided me with comprehensive knowledge in core Health functions while covering other related functions that Public Health organizations possibly have. During BS in Pharmacology & Therapeutics studies over the last four years, the excellent course structure coupled with high academic standards further stimulated my interest in the field of Health. After graduating I chose to work for Temitayo Clinic & Mat. Home, Lagos to learn about Medical performance and develop professionalism. That was a great experience for me. One of the most valuable things I learned from my BS and work experience is a structured way of thinking that has enabled me to have greater clarity of the things I need to accomplish and respective priorities both in my academic and professional life. Following lead from my attainments, the study of this MSc Public Health degree will help me develop great interpersonal skills, be a quick problem solver and overall a health professional.

At BCU, this MSc Public Health programme is taught by professionals and entrepreneurs. This program is made up of courses for health, designed to provide the knowledge and practical skills necessary for a successful career. This course is designed to help students understand how health regulation operates in a global public health. In this class,I will have the chance to be introduced to the principal perspectives on several of the key issues and topics in Public Health Foundations, Public Health: From Health Protection to Community Development, Global Public Health: A Social Context Approach, Epidemiology and Evaluation, Leadership and Project Management for Health and Healthcare, Research Methods of Enquiry and Dissertation. Those are to help me understand different components of the career of public health.

Successful completion of this MSc Public Health degree would enhance my career prospects, enabling me to progress on to senior roles at either operational, policy or commissioning level in a wide range of areas. In addition, Public health research and practice is at the heart of tackling many of the world’s current threats to health including the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The study will provide me the opportunity to develop the skills and understanding needed to become a leader and agent for change in Public Health. From the study, I will be able to advance my public health knowledge, skills and approach to teamwork, multi-agency collaboration and community partnerships throughout the modules on this course and critically evaluate strategies to improve public health outcomes. These skills are increasingly relevant for the public health workforce and while in profession I will be able to use these in a variety of settings including multilateral and international NGOs, local health authorities, National Public Health authorities, the voluntary or the private sector.

During my studies in the UK, there will be an opportunity for me to develop the critical thinking skills, creativity and confidence that employers look for. The advantages of doing my degree from the UK will obviously boost my employability. UK qualifications are worldwide recognized. Choosing to study overseas at a UK university has many financial, cultural and social advantages as well. A shorter and a more intensive course structure means I will be able to fast-track my career. The UK welcomes over 400,000 international higher education students each year. Sitting at the top of the world rankings, UK universities have a reputation for developing the skills that employers are looking for. UK universities have an impressive international reputation and rank among the best in the world four of the global top ten is in the UK! Research carried out by UK universities also impacts our lives every day, and is internationally renowned for its excellence. By studying here, I will be immersing myself in centuries of high quality academia.

Birmingham City University is one of the UK’s leading universities. With around 24,000 students from 80 countries, Birmingham City University is a large and diverse place to study. BCU puts students at the heart of everything they do, giving them the best opportunities for future success. The University has an enviable reputation for providing quality, student-focused education in a professional and friendly environment. Over 97 % of their students are employed or in further study within six months of graduating. (Destination of Leavers from HE survey 2016/17). The University is the 87th in the Times University Guide 2019 and 97th in the Guardian University Guide 2019. This course has been developed in alignment with the Public Health Knowledge and Skills Framework (PHKSF, 2016) and the UK National Occupational Standards for Public Health. At BCU, I will have the opportunity to present my work at the University Faculty conference and at other relevant conferences. The university hosted a series of events to rewrite the world-renowned Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (World Health Organisation) as the UK Charter and gained international reputation in the area of health. With hospital ward, biomedical laboratories, simulation mannequins, skills practice and clinical enhancement facility, visual case creator resources alongside one of the UK's largest specialist health education libraries, Mary Seacole Library, BCU is my first choice for this course in the UK.

Find more resources

• MSc Finance and Accounting
• BSc (Hons) Business Studies (International)
• PersonalStatement- BSc (Hons) Pharmaceutical Science
• BSc (Hons) Business and Management
• SOP - MSc Management with Professional Development and Planning

Read similar resources

BA (Hons) Business Management (Final Year)

Business success requires a breadth of knowledge and abilities of efficient management to survive in fierce global co...

BA (Hons) Business and Marketing

Modern business is a dynamic environment in which customer wants and needs constantly change at an ever-faster pace. ...

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

Following my MSc in Financial Management qualification in 2012, I have been in constant search for a real career for ...

Are you looking to study abroad?

Touch your dream with University Admission Expert

• Offering 15,000+ courses at 100+ study locations
• Maintaining 99% visa success rate
• Serving with 14+ years accumulative admission experience
• Providing end-to-end services, almost 24/7

Newsletter Subscription

Keep up to date with the latest news on UK student visa, courses, universities, scholarships, start dates, study guides etc.

Post Comment

• AI Content Shield
• AI KW Research
• AI Assistant
• SEO Optimizer
• AI KW Clustering
• Customer reviews
• The NLO Revolution
• Press Center
• Help Center
• Content Resources
• Facebook Group

Guide to Effective Public Health Personal Statements

Table of Contents

A  public health personal statement  is a written account of an individual’s experience, qualifications, and expertise in public health. It demonstrates your suitability and capability for a position or program. 

A personal statement allows the writer to display their knowledge while providing insight into their values and beliefs related to public health initiatives.

Whether a student or professional, you’ll likely encounter a task requiring you to write a personal statement. Most special programs and postgraduate programs require applicants to include a personal statement .

The Importance of a Personal Statement

A personal statement is crucial in any application process because it provides recruiters and admissions board members a glimpse into your values .

Understanding an applicant’s values is important because you learn about the things that matter to them most. The values they embody will often determine their suitability for a role, program, or community. This is based on the premise that someone with specific values will likely work well with like-minded people.

Moreover, your personal statement is a golden opportunity to cement a good impression in your reader’s mind.

Tips for Writing an MPH Personal Statement

Add specific examples.

It’s easy enough to make bold claims and sweeping statements that sound great. Specific anecdotes are a surefire way to stand out from the crowd. They sound more authentic and are a chance to create a vivid image in your reader’s eyes. Be sure to also add specific, factual evidence to support your claims. 

Write with Emotion

Speak from the heart. We are inherently drawn to people and things that know how to evoke emotions. Choose words that evoke emotion in your reader, and show off your passion for the subject matter. Your reader may not remember every detail of your personal statement, but they will surely remember how they felt reading it. 

Avoid Repetition

Vary sentence structure and syntax to make your writing more exciting and engaging. To avoid repeating yourself and try using synonyms or uncommon words whenever possible. A clear, interesting personal statement will keep your reader hooked until the end. 

Use Colloquial Language Properly

Try sprinkling in slang or colloquial language throughout your essay to give it a casual, personable feel. However, remember to keep it professional by avoiding overly informal terms. 

Provide Clear Explanations

Your essay should always include clear explanations of why you want to pursue public health and what makes you passionate about the field. Explain in detail why this is the right path for you and how it will benefit you and society.

Public Health Personal Statement Samples

If you have difficulty applying these tips to your personal statement, try to gain inspiration from these examples.

I am an experienced healthcare professional eager to leverage my skill set and passion for public health management in a postgraduate program. From managing critical patients to delivering data-driven insights, I have gained invaluable insight into the importance of preventive and proactive approaches to healthcare. 

My commitment to taking calculated risks and never shying away from difficult conversations or challenging problems makes me an ideal candidate. Through my dedication to interpersonal relationships, I am confident I can serve as a strong collaborator and leader within any public health organization. As someone who thrives in chaotic environments, I look forward to this next step. I am to hone my expertise and become a respected figure in the field.

I have been passionate about the field of public health since I first started college. After completing my undergraduate degree, I pursued a Master of Public Health to further my knowledge and understanding of global health issues. My academic background and professional experience have enabled me to understand the importance of tackling public health challenges from different angles. This inspired me to create an interdisciplinary approach combining epidemiology, basic medical science, research, and practice for better disease prevention and health improvement initiatives. 

I am aware of our work’s impact on people’s lives and the world at large. This drives me to continually seek new opportunities to contribute positively to public health management. 

From researching effective interventions to helping communities access healthcare services, I strongly believe in making positive change through collaboration.

A master’s program in public health is the best step toward achieving this goal while also sharpening my skill set. In particular, I want to excel in global health promotion, policymaking, and data analytics. Attending such a course will undoubtedly enable me to become part of the worldwide effort to improve human well-being and life expectancy. 

Therefore, it is my sincere hope that this application will provide me with an opportunity to attend the desired postgraduate program. I wish to fulfill my ambitions of effectively addressing pressing health issues worldwide.

I am a student applying for a postgraduate program in public health management to further develop my career. Throughout my educational journey, I have had the opportunity to attend diverse universities and schools while focusing on the science of care. 

Through this time, I have been able to think critically about what it takes to lead policy development and teaching focused on public health. Each class has allowed me to expand my knowledge base and better understand how to best serve our community. I’ve been able to develop thought-out initiatives that are both effective and innovative. 

I am confident that I will be able to leverage the skills gained through my education to bring tangible results.

I am a graduate student highly interested in studying public health management. After researching this area for over a year, I have realized its importance in medical care and research. This is especially true when it comes to providing access to crucial information and resources to those who need them most. 

As a student passionate about medicine, my story has always been one of dedication and understanding. It has led me to take a deep dive into the world of public health. 

My experience with public health began long before I ever stepped foot in a classroom. Over the past few years, I have taken on various internships and worked closely with healthcare professionals to gain invaluable insight into the sector. This work has left me feeling strongly connected to public health as a whole and eager to further explore its implications. Throughout my studies, I have become more confident in asking questions and seeking answers that will contribute to better patient care. This is why I believe furthering my education is absolutely essential. 

A postgraduate degree in public health management is the perfect way to combine my passion for medicine with my knowledge of public health-related topics. It would allow me to apply what I have learned throughout my studies. 

Writing a public health personal statement is a straightforward affair that emphasizes your values and character . If you want to increase your chances of success, take the time to master these tips. While they won’t help you master the task overnight, they offer you the opportunity to create good habits. These will serve you well in your future endeavors, whether you work in a local hospital or with an international team.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

Explore All Write Personal Statement Articles

How to draft meaningful length of law school personal statement.

Are you confused on how to write a law school personal statement? One of the essential elements of your application…

• Write Personal Statement

Effective History and International Relations Personal Statement to Try

Are you considering studying history and international relations? Or you may be curious about what a degree in this field…

Guide to Quality Global Management Personal Statement

Are you applying for a global management program and want to stand out from the crowd? A well-written personal statement…

How to Draft Better Examples of Personal Statements for Residency

Achieving a residency can be a massive accomplishment for any aspiring medical professional. To secure your spot in one of…

Tips for Drafting a Free Example of Personal History Statement

A personal history statement can be crucial to many applications, from university admissions to job search processes. This blog will…

Writing Compelling Dietetic Internship Personal Statement

Applying for a dietetic internship is a rigorous process and requires submitting a personal statement, which is an essential part…

• EXPLORE Random Article

How to Write a Personal Statement for Public Health

Last Updated: February 24, 2023 Approved

This article was co-authored by Daniel Santos . Daniel Santos is a College Admissions & Career Coach and Prepory's co-founder and CEO. Prepory is a leading college admissions consulting firm that has guided over 9,000 students from 35 countries through the US college admissions process. Prepory is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling and a trusted admissions counseling partner to several competitive high schools across Florida. Prior to founding Prepory, Daniel worked at various leading law firms and the United States House of Representatives. Daniel has been featured as a college admissions and career coaching expert across several major publications, including the Wall Street Journal, FORTUNE, and The Harvard Crimson. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 86,046 times.

Graduate programs in public health require a personal statement as part of the application process to gauge whether a student is a fit for the program. This statement, also referred to as a statement of purpose, outlines a person's academic achievements, professional background and personal characteristics. Particularly in highly competitive programs, the personal statement is weighed carefully in admissions decisions. The following are important considerations for writing a personal statement for public health.

• Pay attention to the required word count, character limits and line spacing instructions. Some public health programs sort through large numbers of applications. Make a good first impression by complying with the length and formatting requirements.

Expert Q&A

• Provide original content. Many universities issue warnings against hiring a writing service to create a personal statement because they want to hear your thoughts and voice in the letter. Write the entire letter yourself and ask someone with solid language skills to provide feedback on content, grammar and tone. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://career.berkeley.edu/Grad/GradStatement
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/job_search_writing/preparing_an_application/writing_the_personal_statement/index.html
• ↑ https://ctl.yale.edu/sites/default/files/basic-page-supplementary-materials-files/writing_personal_statements_for_graduate_school.pdf
• http://sph.berkeley.edu/students/admissions/5_essays.php

About this article

Reader Success Stories

Fidel Bu Contreras

Feb 20, 2017

Did this article help you?

Wilfred Asombang

Jul 1, 2017

• About wikiHow
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings
• Browse Titles

NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

Haugan G, Eriksson M, editors. Health Promotion in Health Care – Vital Theories and Research [Internet]. Cham (CH): Springer; 2021. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-63135-2_1

Health Promotion in Health Care – Vital Theories and Research [Internet].

Chapter 1 an introduction to the health promotion perspective in the health care services.

Gørill Haugan and Monica Eriksson .

Affiliations

Published online: March 12, 2021.

Currently, the world faces a shift to an older population. For the first time in the history, now most people can expect to live into their 60s and beyond. Within this trend of people living longer, many grow very old; 80, 90 and 100 years. Today, 125 million people are 80 years or older; the proportion of ≥80 years increases the most. Age is not an illness, still most chronically ill are older people. Consequently, all countries in the world face major challenges to ensure that their health and social systems are ready to make the most of this demographic shift. Globally, finding new and effective ways to improve people’s health is crucial. Thus, in the years to come, health promotive initiatives will become ever more important. Accordingly, learning how to reorient the health care sector in a health promotion direction is highly needed. The salutogenic approach seems useful for such a reorientation.

Salutogenesis is a resource-oriented theoretical approach which focuses on the origin of health along with people’s abilities and capacities for well-functioning and well-being. Salutogenesis is an area of knowledge and learning, a way of relating to others, and a way of working in a health-promoting manner. From the salutogenic point of view, health is a movement on a continuum between ease and dis-ease. In this approach, no one is categorized as healthy or diseased; we are all somewhere between the imaginary poles of total wellness and total illness.

This chapter, as well as this book, comprehend the salutogenic health theory as a model of health and a life orientation, representing a vital theoretical basis for the health promotion field. Accordingly, this chapter presents some important points in the development of the health promotion field, followed by the core principles and strategies of health promotion and the promising potential of the salutogenic health theory.

1.1. Introduction

1.1.1. demographic trends.

Currently, the world faces a shift to an older population; 125 million people are now aged 80 years or older [ 1 ]. While this shift started in high-income countries (e.g. in Japan 30% of the population are already over 60 years old), it is now low- and middle-income countries that are experiencing the greatest change. Today, for the first time in the history, most people can expect to live into their 60s and beyond [ 2 ]. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years will nearly double from 12% to 22%; by 2050, the world’s population aged 60 years and older is expected to total two billion, up from 900 million in 2015 [ 1 , 2 ]. All countries in the world face major challenges to ensure that their health and social systems are ready to make the most of this demographic shift [ 1 ]. Within this trend of people living longer, many grow very old; 80, 90 and 100 years. Today, 125 million people are 80 years or older; the proportion of ≥80 years increases the most.

Thus, it is important to ensure that the extra years of life are worth living, despite chronic illnesses and loss of functionality. This is of great importance not only to the individual elderly, but also to the families, the local community and the municipality. However, there is little evidence showing that older adults today have better health than their parents had in their older years. Age is no disease; however, most chronically ill people today are older people. Increased age is followed by an increased incidence of functional and chronic comorbidities and diverse disabilities [ 3 ], which for many leads to the need for medical treatment and different levels of nursing care. Accordingly, the WHO’s Action Plan on Aging and Health [ 4 ] highlights a global need of systems for providing long-term care to meet the needs of older people globally.

All countries face major challenges to ensure that their health and social systems are ready to make the most of these demographic shifts [ 2 ]. For instance, in the North Africa and the Middle East, due to very rapid demographic ageing, the estimated number of people with dementia is expected to grow exponentially, two million people in 2015 rising to four million in 2030 and ten million in 2050 [ 2 ], an increase of 329% from 2015 through to 2050, the second fastest in the world. Currently, North Africa and the Middle East are estimated to have the highest age-standardized prevalence globally [ 5 ].

The increasing burden due to cancer and other non-communicable diseases poses a threat to human development, which has resulted in global political commitments reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Action Plan on Non-Communicable Diseases. Between 2006 and 2016, the average annual age-standardized incidence rates for all cancers combined increased in 130 of 195 countries or territories, and the average annual age-standardized death rates decreased within that timeframe in 143 of 195 countries or territories [ 6 ]. Thus far, few countries have been able to overcome this challenge. Nevertheless, in the US cancer incidence (for all cancer sites combined) rates have decreased among men and were stable among women. Overall, there continue to be significant declines in cancer death rates among both men and women. With early detection and treatment people survive cancer and are living with several side effects [ 7 ].

Heart failure (HF) is a global pandemic affecting about 38 million people and is a growing health problem worldwide [ 8 – 10 ]. Even though the incidence of HF is stable, the prevalence is going to rise because of the ageing population and improvements in treatment [ 11 , 12 ]. The HF condition is common in both developing and developed countries; the switch towards a Western lifestyle in developing countries may be contributing to a real HF pandemic. Consequently, HF health expenditures are considerable and will increase dramatically with an ageing population. HF is one of the most common causes of hospitalization and readmission [ 13 – 16 ]. The prevalence, incidence, mortality and morbidity rates reported show geographic variations, depending on the different aetiologies and clinical characteristics observed among patients with HF. The risk factors for HF are multifactorial and complex, and there is no known prevention other than treatment of the risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity; whereas prevention and early treatment strategies (i.e. early revascularization) appear to be effective in reducing the risk and severity of acute myocardial infarction [ 17 ].

Moreover, today depression is the most common psychological disorder, affecting about 121 million people in all ages worldwide. WHO states that depression is the leading cause of disability as measured by Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) and the fourth leading contributor to the global burden of disease. By the year 2020, depression is projected to reach the second place in the ranking of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) calculated for all ages.

This demographic development will have consequences both economically, socially, culturally and politically [ 18 ]. The health care systems around the globe will face great challenges in the years to come. Health promotive initiatives will become ever more important; not only for people with physical and mental disabilities and older persons living at home or in care facilities, but also among the healthy population in supporting them to stay healthy. Facing these demographic trends, finding new and effective ways to improve people’s health globally is imperative. Health promotion should be a vital part of the health care systems.

1.1.2. The Background of Health Promotion

WHO has for a long time promoted a common approach to health policy by developing a series of targets for improved health status, i.e. the Health for All Strategy—Targets for Health for All [ 19 ]. Several health conferences have been arranged by WHO. Two of the most significant conferences were arranged in Alma Ata in 1978, resulting in the Alma-Ata Declaration, which emerged as a milestone of the twentieth century in the field of public health [ 20 ]. The second was arranged in Ottawa, Canada, where 200 delegates from 38 nations came together and made a commitment to health promotion; based on the Alma-Ata Declaration, the Ottawa Charter for health promotion was born [ 21 ]. This charter defined health promotion as ‘ the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. To reach a state of complete physical mental and social wellbeing, an individual or group must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment ’ [ 22 ]. The Ottawa Charter became a core policy document and a cornerstone in establishing the health promotion field [ 23 ].

The Lancet—University of Oslo (UiO) Commission of Global Governance for Health stated that ‘ health is a precondition, outcome, and indicator of a sustainable society, and should be adopted as a universal value and shared social goal and political objective for all ’ [ 24 ]. According to Samdal and Wold [ 23 ], health promotion is a modern ideology and strategy to improve public health. It represents a reorientation of public health from addressing individual risk factors of health or risk behaviours toward targeting determinants of health and empowering individuals and communities to participate in improving the health of their communities [ 25 , 26 ].

‘ Health promotion is positive and dynamic. It opens up the field of health to become an inclusive social, rather than an exclusive professional activity. It represents a broadening of perspectives in relation to health education and to prevention as a whole ’ ([ 27 ], p. 3). In these words, the former Chair of the Editorial Board of Health Promotion International introduced this new scientific journal in 1986. She was one of the key persons strongly and deeply involved in the discussions of the content of health promotion and how health promotion differs from public health and disease prevention. Some of the key notions of these discussions were summarized in a document by the WHO European Office [ 28 ]; Scriven and Orme described this publication as the emergence of health promotion as a major movement [ 21 ].

1.1.3. The Core Principles and Strategies of Health Promotion

• Advocate: Political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, behavioural and biological factors can all favour health or be harmful to it. Health promotion action aims at making these conditions favourable through advocacy for health [ 22 ].
• Enable: Health promotion focuses on achieving equity in health. Health promotion action aims at reducing differences in current health status and ensuring equal opportunities and resources to enable all people to achieve their fullest health potential. This includes a secure foundation in a supportive environment, access to information, life skills and opportunities for making healthy choices. People cannot achieve their fullest health potential unless they are able to take control of those things which determine their health [ 22 ].
• Mediate: The prerequisites and prospects for health cannot be ensured by the health sector alone. Professional and social groups and health personnel have a major responsibility to mediate between differing interests in society for the pursuit of health [ 22 ].

Build a healthy public policy.

Create supportive environments.

Strengthen community action.

Develop personal skills.

Reorient health services.

These principles have stood the test of time, and the first four actions are developing well. However, the principle of ‘reorienting health services’ has until recently been given less attention. Available evidence guiding the health care services into a more health-promoting direction is still scarce. What does it mean to reorient health services? According to the Ottawa Charter [ 22 ], it means that the responsibility for health promotion in health services is shared among individuals, community groups, health professionals, health service institutions and governments. They must work together toward a health care system which contributes to the pursuit of health. Health services need to embrace an expanded mandate which is sensitive to and respects cultural needs. This mandate should support the needs of individuals and communities for a healthier life and open channels between the health sector and broader social, political, economic and physical environmental components. Reorienting health services also requires stronger attention to health research as well as changes in professional education and training. This must lead to a change of attitude and organization of health services, which refocuses on the total needs of the individual as a whole person.

In the special supplement of Health Promotion International entitled ‘The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion 25 years on’, a panel of diverse commentators reviewed progress and opportunities. Authors agreed that there had been slow progress in making health promotion a core business for health services, and there was a need to reframe, reposition and renew efforts. One proposal was to focus on reorienting the system itself—not just the delivery of services—by health promotion leaders engaging more actively in system development [ 29 ]. In an Editorial in Health Promotion International , John Catford claimed that it is time to reorient health services [ 30 ]. He expressed that at the time of Ottawa in 1986 the conferees agreed that ‘ The role of the health sector must move increasingly in a health promotion direction, beyond its responsibility for providing clinical and curative services ’ ([ 30 ], p. 1). What has happened after Ottawa? Twenty-three years later ‘ there still seems to be an urgency towards the empowerment of patients to truly take control over a hospital environment that too often seems counter to their health ’ ([ 31 ], p. 106). This echoed earlier comments that ‘ across the world there appears to have been stubborn resistance to systematic change in health care services, and only limited examples of effective and sustainable health services reorientation ’ [ 32 ]. Thompson, Watson and Tilford come to the same conclusion after summarizing the efforts done 30 years after the Ottawa ([ 33 ], p. 73): ‘ Although its principles have been widely applauded, opportunities to transfer these principles into the radical changes and practical solutions needed globally to improve health have been missed. Nevertheless, it is argued that the Ottawa Charter retains its relevance to the present day and that all policy makers and professionals working to promote positive health should revisit and take heed of its principles ’ .

• Empowering (enabling individuals and communities to assume more power over the personal, socioeconomic, and environmental factors that affect their health).
• Participatory (involving all concerned at all stages of the process).
• Holistic (fostering physical, mental, social and spiritual health).
• Equitable (guiding by a concern for equity and social justice).
• Sustainable (bringing about changes that individuals and communities can maintain once initial funding has ended).
• Multistrategy (using a variety of approaches and methods).

An editorial entitled ‘Turn, turn, turn: time to reorient health services’ in the Health Promotion International journal ([ 30 ], p. 3) emphasized a changed way of working from ‘downstream’ acute repair—to ‘upstream’ health improvement and from patient compliance—to consumer control and centredness. This way of working can be visualized by using ‘health in the river of life’ as a metaphor for health promotion [ 35 ].

The river as a metaphor of health development (Fig. 1.1 ) has often been used. According to Antonovsky, it is not enough to promote health by avoiding stress or by building bridges keeping people from falling into the river. Instead, people have to learn to swim [ 36 ]. Lindström and Eriksson (2010) presented Salutogenesis in the context of health promotion research, using a new analogue of a river, ‘Health in the River of Life’. The river of life is a simple way to demonstrate the characteristics of medicine (care and treatment) and public health (prevention and promotion) shifting the perspective and the focus from medicine to public health and health promotion toward population health.

Health in the River of Life. (Published with permission from Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Lindström & Eriksson ([35], p. 17))

The aim of this anthology is to describe and clarify health promotion in the context of health care settings. By doing so, we argue that the most appropriate theoretical foundation for health promotion in health care is the salutogenic theory of health by Antonovsky [ 36 – 38 ]. An integration of salutogenesis in health care could be a way to re-orient health services in line with the Ottawa Charter for health promotion [ 22 ].

1.1.4. The Salutogenic Theory as the Foundation of Health Promotion

In many countries, health promotion has been primarily a field of practice and less a field of research [ 23 ]. The Ottawa conference in 1986 established the health promotion field, while the Jakarta conference in 1997 started a discussion of theory-driven approaches and evidence in this field. Throughout the two decades following the Ottawa conference, the health promotion field has developed from a practice and policy field to also include a stronger theory and research field. There is currently a strong drive toward research-based practice in this field building on numerous evaluations of practices and programmes that have been developed and implemented in the course of these years ([ 23 ], p. 7). Samdal and Wold ([ 23 ], p. 9) provided an overview of theories relevant to health promotion; at the individual level, numerous concepts and theories in behavioural sciences contribute to the identification of conditions and processes that enable people to develop the personal skills necessary to make healthy choices. Vital psychological phenomena found to influence healthy choices are beliefs, knowledge, self-efficacy, skills, roles, attitudes and values. Important psychosocial concepts include social support, social cohesion, interpersonal stress, significant others and social norms. Social influence processes on health are explained by social psychological theories, such as social learning theory (social cognitive theory), the theory of planned behaviour, the self-determination theory, the social reproduction perspective and various socialization theories (e.g. ecological systems theory). In her lecture, ‘The history and the future: towards a new public health’ at the conference Next Health in Trondheim, Kickbusch [ 39 ] described how people involved in the Ottawa conference were influenced by various theories, both health theories (Antonovsky, Illich, Lalonde) and sociological theories (Giddens, Mead, Foucault). However, the theoretical base for health promotion came in the cloud of more practical health work.

Just before the Ottawa conference in 1986, a special meeting was held in Copenhagen hosted by the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Aaron Antonovsky was invited and participated in the meeting and discussions. Nonetheless, the salutogenic theory did not appear in the formulations of the Ottawa Charter. Tamsma and Costongs ([ 40 ], p. 45) from the EuroHealthNet partnership stated that even if much evidence has been generated about the value of health promotion to health systems efficiency, outcomes and sustainability, yet the health (care) sector itself has been unable to adopt a systematic health promotion perspective and integrate it into broader systems and governance. The wide gap between the worlds of promoting health and curing disease remains. The reorientation of health sectors is where least progress from the Ottawa Charter principles can be noted. To conclude, there is still much work to do to implement health promotion into the health care sector in general, and the salutogenic theory and perspective in particular. Therefore, this book provides knowledge on health promotion and the potential role of salutogenesis in order to reorient the health care sector in a health promotion direction.

1.1.4.1. The Ontology of Salutogenesis

Ontology is the study of reality [ 41 ]. What do we know about the ontological background of salutogenesis? In his second book, Unraveling the Mystery of Health [ 36 ], Antonovsky described how he perceived the world. Two important things stand: (1) he saw man in interaction with his environment and (2) chaos and change as normal states of life. The former calls for system theory thinking where the focus is on the individual in a context [ 42 , 43 ]. By the latter, Antonovsky perceived daily life as constantly changing; a heterostatic as opposed to a homeostatic state. For the individual, the challenge is to manage the chaos and find strategies and resources available for coping with the changes in everyday life. As a medical sociologist, he distinctly expressed systems theory thinking, this was a natural way for Antonovsky to perceive the world: seeing humans as part of and in interaction with the environment and context.

1.1.4.2. The Epistemology of Salutogenesis

Epistemology is the study of knowledge [ 44 ]. Going back to Antonovsky’s writings [ 36 , 37 ] , little insight into his thoughts about knowledge generating and learning is provided. As far as we know, he did not manifest an epistemological basis for salutogenesis, neither describing his view of how knowledge in general arises nor how learning can be meaningful in the salutogenic framework. It appears that he was preoccupied with examining and describing how a strong SOC may have an impact on perceived health. A search in different databases provides little response [ 43 ]. Epistemologically, salutogenesis can be conceived as a constant learning process as shown in Fig. 1.2 .

Salutogenesis from an epistemological perspective. (With permission from: Eriksson M. The Sense of Coherence in the Salutogenic Model of Health. In: Mittelmark MB, Sagy S, Eriksson M, Bauer G, Pelikan J, Lindström B, et al., editors. The Handbook (more...)

Figure 1.2 portrays that knowledge supports the movement toward the ease pole of the ease/dis-ease continuum (Fig. 1.3 ), while knowledge increases health literacy, which facilitates development in the ways one relates to one’s world. The process of relating to others produces learning, and the knowledge gained from practice expands one’s area of knowledge. In the course of daily life, this integrated learning process is continuous. The concept of work-integrated learning (WIL) is a new concept describing distinctive aspects of pedagogics and learning processes in health care settings [ 45 ]. The core of the salutogenic theory is to maintain and even develop health; this happens here and now in the context and culture where people live. To relate to health promotion and the Ottawa Charter for health promotion [ 22 ], culture becomes a resource in everyday life.

The ease/dis-ease continuum [36]. (Published with permission from Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Bengt Lindström, Monica Eriksson, Peter Wikström [35])

1.1.4.3. Health as a Process in an Ease/Dis-Ease Continuum

According to Antonovsky, health is the movement on a continuum between (H+, Fig. 1.3 ) ease and dis-ease (H-, Fig. 1.3 ) [ 46 ]. He referred to the ability to comprehend the whole situation and the capacity to use the resources available as the sense of coherence (SOC) . This capacity was a combination of peoples’ ability to assess and understand the situation they were in, to find a meaning to move in a health-promoting direction, also having the capacity to do so—that is, comprehensibility, meaningfulness and the manageability, to use Antonovsky’s own terms [ 43 , 47 ]. In such an approach, no one is categorized as healthy or diseased. Since we are all somewhere between the imaginary poles of total wellness and total illness, the whole population becomes the focus of concern. Even the fully robust, energetic, symptom-free, richly functioning individual has the mark of mortality: he or she wears glasses, has moments of depression, comes down with flu and may also have yet non-detectable malignant cells. Even the terminal patient’s brain and emotions may be fully functional. The great majority of us are somewhere between the two poles. The idea of movement along an ease/dis-ease continuum is illustrated in Fig. 1.3 .

… life is inherently full of stressors, with life-situation stressor complexes by far deserving most of our attention if we wish to understand either health or disease. Focusing on health, I expressly rejected the implicit assumption that stressors are inherently pathogenic. Their health consequences can only be understood if we understand the coping process ([ 48 ], p. 48)

1.1.4.4. The Key Concepts of the Salutogenic Theory

Three key concepts form the salutogenic theory: (1) sense of coherence and (2) generalized and (3) specific resistance resources (described more in detail in Part I, Chap. 2 and Part II, Chap. 4 ).

SOC is a global orientation that expresses the extent to which one has a pervasive, enduring though dynamic feeling of confidence that (1) the stimuli from one’s internal and external environments in the course of living are structured, predictable, and explicable; (2) the resources are available to one to meet the demands posed by these stimuli; and (3) these demands are challenges, worthy of investment and engagement. (p. 19)

Behind a global orientation, SOC is a way of viewing life as structured, manageable, and meaningful. At least three dimensions form the SOC: comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness. It is a personal way of thinking, being and acting, with an inner trust, which leads people to identify, benefit, use, and re-use the resources at their disposal [ 49 ].

Generalized and Specific Resistance Resources (GRR and SRR) : Along with the SOC, the other key concepts in the salutogenic theory are the resistance resources [ 36 , 37 ], including generalized resources (potentially available for engagement in a wide range of circumstances) and specific resources (particular resources relevant to particular circumstances). The resistance resources are of a different nature: among others genetic and constitutional, psychosocial, cultural and spiritual, material and a preventive health orientation [ 47 ]. Resistance resources exist at the individual, the group (family), the subculture and the whole society levels ([ 37 ], p. 103) and represent the prerequisites for developing a strong SOC.

1.1.5. Salutogenesis Is More Than the Measurement of the SOC

Salutogenesis is an area of knowledge and learning, a way of relating to others and a way of working in a health-promoting manner [ 43 ]. First and foremost, salutogenesis is a resource-oriented approach focusing on health and on people’s abilities and capacities. Currently, there is extensive research that focuses on the resources of individuals, groups, and communities; this includes much more than the measurement of the SOC. Today, we talk about salutogenesis as a model of health and a life orientation (the SOC) [ 50 ], as well as the salutogenic conceptual framework. Salutogenesis now represents an umbrella concept with many different theories and concepts with salutogenic elements and dimensions [ 35 ]. Several of these concepts are highlighted in this anthology in Chaps. 4 – 18 and shown in bold fonts in Fig. 1.4 .

Salutogenesis. Theoretical concepts relevant to health care

Certain trends in the salutogenic research can be identified. These are (1) the translation and validation of the original SOC questionnaires (29 and 13 items), to other languages than English, (2) the use of the SOC questionnaires in different areas of research, (3) the term theory is more frequently used instead of idea of health and health model. What is a theory? The development of a theory begins with an idea, continues via various models, development of questionnaires, testing in empirical practice, systematically synthesize research, new instruments and insights. When all these steps take place in a systematic order, a theory arises. Such a development can be seen according to the salutogenic theory. Further, (4) development of programmes and interventions aiming at strengthening the SOC among patients and professionals and (5) the use of the SOC questionnaire for the evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions. The SOC questionnaire has been used in different areas compared to when the research began. Examples of new areas are oral health, health behaviour and work–life research. Currently, a tendency to move from only measuring SOC to applying salutogenic principles into practice when programmes and interventions are planned in various settings can be seen; such promising approaches among different populations in the health care are presented in Part III of this book; examples are the SHAPE intervention among older community-dwelling people (Chap. 23 ), the inter-generational platform intervention study in Singapore (Chap. 24 ), nurse–patient interaction as a health promotion approach in nursing homes (Chap. 10 ) and the bodyknowledging among chronical ill (Chap. 16 ). This implies that along the original SOC questionnaires, a range of different questionnaires have been developed and validated for use in the field of health promotion research. This is promising. As presented earlier in this chapter, due to the demographic development worldwide, the health care systems in all countries will face great challenges in the years to come. Facing the demographic trends, finding new and effective ways to improve people’s health globally is imperative. Hence, health promotive initiatives will become ever more important worldwide.

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

The images or other third party material in this chapter are included in the chapter's Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the chapter's Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.

• Cite this Page Haugan G, Eriksson M. An Introduction to the Health Promotion Perspective in the Health Care Services. 2021 Mar 12. In: Haugan G, Eriksson M, editors. Health Promotion in Health Care – Vital Theories and Research [Internet]. Cham (CH): Springer; 2021. Chapter 1. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-63135-2_1
• PDF version of this page (390K)

In this Page

• Introduction

Similar articles in PubMed

• Review Future Perspectives of Health Care: Closing Remarks. [Health Promotion in Health Car...] Review Future Perspectives of Health Care: Closing Remarks. Haugan G, Eriksson M. Health Promotion in Health Care – Vital Theories and Research. 2021
• Review Nurse-Patient Interaction: A Vital Salutogenic Resource in Nursing Home Care. [Health Promotion in Health Car...] Review Nurse-Patient Interaction: A Vital Salutogenic Resource in Nursing Home Care. Haugan G. Health Promotion in Health Care – Vital Theories and Research. 2021
• Review Tuberculosis. [Major Infectious Diseases. 2017] Review Tuberculosis. Bloom BR, Atun R, Cohen T, Dye C, Fraser H, Gomez GB, Knight G, Murray M, Nardell E, Rubin E, et al. Major Infectious Diseases. 2017 Nov 3
• Future directions for the concept of salutogenesis: a position article. [Health Promot Int. 2020] Future directions for the concept of salutogenesis: a position article. Bauer GF, Roy M, Bakibinga P, Contu P, Downe S, Eriksson M, Espnes GA, Jensen BB, Juvinya Canal D, Lindström B, et al. Health Promot Int. 2020 Apr 1; 35(2):187-195.
• Review Health Promotion Among Home-Dwelling Elderly Individuals in Turkey. [Health Promotion in Health Car...] Review Health Promotion Among Home-Dwelling Elderly Individuals in Turkey. Körükcü Ö, Kabukcuoğlu K. Health Promotion in Health Care – Vital Theories and Research. 2021

Recent Activity

• An Introduction to the Health Promotion Perspective in the Health Care Services ... An Introduction to the Health Promotion Perspective in the Health Care Services - Health Promotion in Health Care – Vital Theories and Research

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

Connect with NLM

National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20894

Web Policies FOIA HHS Vulnerability Disclosure

Help Accessibility Careers

• Undergraduates
• Ph.Ds & Postdocs
• Prospective Students & Guests
• What is a Community?
• Student Athletes
• First Generation and/or Low Income Students
• International Students
• LGBTQ Students
• Students of Color
• Students with Disabilities
• Student Veterans
• Exploring Careers
• Advertising, Marketing & PR
• Finance, Insurance & Real Estate
• General Management & Leadership Development Programs
• Law & Legal Services
• Startups, Entrepreneurship & Freelance Work
• Environment, Sustainability & Energy
• Media & Communications
• Policy & Think Tanks
• Engineering
• Healthcare, Biotech & Global Public Health
• Life & Physical Sciences
• Programming & Data Science
• Graduate School
• Health Professions
• Business School
• Meet with OCS
• Student Organizations Workshop Request
• OCS Podcast Series
• Office of Fellowships
• Navigating AI in the Job Search Process
• Cover Letters & Correspondence
• Job Market Insights
• Professional Conduct & Etiquette
• Professional Online Identity
• Interview Preparation
• Resource Database
• Yale Career Link
• Jobs, Internships & Other Experiences
• Gap Year & Short-Term Opportunities
• Planning an International Internship
• Funding Your Experience
• Career Fairs/Networking Events
• On-Campus Recruiting
• Job Offers & Salary Negotiation
• Informational Interviewing
• Peer Networking Lists
• Building Your LinkedIn Profile
• YC First Destinations
• YC Four-Year Out
• GSAS Program Statistics
• Statistics & Reports
• Contact OCS
• OCS Mission & Policies
• Additional Yale Career Offices

Writing the Personal Statement for Health Professions Applications

• Share This: Share Writing the Personal Statement for Health Professions Applications on Facebook Share Writing the Personal Statement for Health Professions Applications on LinkedIn Share Writing the Personal Statement for Health Professions Applications on X

🎥  Watch this short video

The personal statement gives you the opportunity to present a compelling snapshot of who you are and perhaps why you want to be a doctor. Use your personal statement to say what others can’t. The personal statement can be a tricky genre to master. On the one hand, you want to give the admissions committee a sense of your personality and who you are. On the other hand, you must sound focused and professional, which sounds like it might impede your ability to capture your personality.

But this does not have to be the case. What you need to do is figure out how to say what drives you to want to become a healthcare professional in as specific a way as possible. The more specific you can be, the more the admissions committee will feel as if they have a sense of who you are.

You don’t need gimmicks, jokes, artificial drama, or hyperbole to express who you are or why you would make a good medical student or doctor. All you need are carefully selected details that you can craft into a unique and compelling story that conveys a sense of purpose and motivation.

What Makes a Good Personal Statement?

• There is no exact template for an effective personal statement. Often, however, strong personal statements combine a concise description of a personal experience with reflection on how this experience either led the writer to pursue medicine or indicates the writer’s character or commitment.
• Good personal statements often have a strong sense of narrative. This does not mean that they read like short stories, though they can relate a few scenes or anecdotes from your life. They have a strong sense of narrative, rather, in how they convey the writer’s sense of dedication to medicine. Strong personal statements often give readers an idea of how applicants see their experiences as leading to the decision to pursue medicine.

How to Get Started

The personal statement is an exercise in self-reflection. Questions to consider:

• Who are you?  I am driven to… I have learned to… I believe…
• What are your most passionate interests or concerns?  What problem(s) most occupy your thinking and your efforts?
• How did you develop those interests?  (Not just the story, but what drives you.)
• What errors or regrets have taught you something important about yourself?
• When does time disappear for you?  What does this tell you about your passions, your values?
• What ideas, books, courses, events have had a profound impact on you?  How so?
• To what extent do your current commitments reflect your most strongly held values?
• When have you changed?  Consider yourself before and after; what does this change mean?
• How do your interests and who you are relate to your goals in medical school and as a doctor?

Start a “shoebox”; a place to keep random notes for your personal statement; be ready to write at any time. Review these items occasionally; let them tell you more about what you want your personal statement to say. Start writing drafts, experiments; you will know when a paragraph begins to gel.

A Suggested Writing Process

Everyone writes differently, so these are potential strategies rather than rules.

• Make a list of some of your most defining experiences – extracurricular activities, specific classes, volunteer work, research, hobbies, etc. Try not to include overly personal experiences (breakups, trouble with parents, illnesses in the family, and so on). It’s difficult to write about such things without being sentimental or cliché. You want experiences in which you did something and had to make a choice.
• From this list, try to select an experience that particularly demonstrates your intellectual curiosity, your dedication to service, your composure under pressure, your leadership ability, or any other personal trait that you think is particularly relevant to your case that you would make a good doctor or medical student.
• Start writing a draft based on this experience. You want to be specific, but don’t get bogged down with an abundance of anecdotes or minutiae. Try to use your draft to craft a succinct story that demonstrates your character and your motivations.
• Set the draft aside for some time (a number of days or weeks), and then revisit it with fresh eyes. Be as honest with yourself as you can be: What works in this draft? What doesn’t work? What sounds cliché or unspecific? Would a reader who doesn’t know me at all get a sense of my personal character and dedication?
• Revise, revise, revise: tighten the structure, add new things to make your point clearer, take away sentences or sections that now seem unnecessary, use the active voice as much as possible, and anything else that needs to be done. If what you have just doesn’t seem to be coming together, do not be afraid to start over.
• Solicit feedback from a couple of trusted readers and revise again based on the suggestions that you find most useful. Don’t solicit feedback from too many people though – too many responses can be overwhelming.
• Edit your work for grammatical mistakes, typos, clumsy repetitions, and so on. Make your prose impeccable before you submit your statement. Asking help from other readers can be especially helpful with editing, as sometimes it gets difficult to read your work with fresh eyes.

Things to Do

• Use the experience that you describe to tell a story of personal progress, particularly progress towards your commitment to medicine.
• Write with active verbs as much as possible.
• Strive for concision.
• Sound humble but also confident.

Things Not to Do – Common Pitfalls

• Don’t talk in hyperbolic terms about how passionate you are. Everyone applying to medical school can say they are passionate. Instead, show your readers something you have done that indicates your passion.
• Don’t adopt an overly confessional or sentimental tone. You need to sound professional.
• Don’t treat the personal statement like a piece of creative writing.
• Don’t put your resume in narrative form.
• Don’t use jargon, abbreviations, slang, etc.
• Don’t use too many qualifiers: very, quite, rather, really, interesting…
• Don’t write in overly flowery language that you would normally never use.
• Don’t include famous quotations. If you must quote, use something that shows significant knowledge.
• Don’t write about yourself in an overly glorifying or overly self-effacing manner.

What to Remember

• They are read by non-specialists, so write for an intelligent non-medical audience.
• Actions sometimes speaks louder than words so give examples of experiences rather than describing them.
• All information must be accurate – don’t pad, but don’t be falsely modest either.
• The personal statement, in part, serves as a test of your communication skills.  How well you write it is as important as the content.

Writing Resources

• AAMC: 7 Tips for Writing your AMCAS Personal Statement
• Graduate Admission Essays: What Works, What Doesn’t and Why , Donald Asher, Ten Speed Press
• On Writing Well , William Zinsser
• Elements of Style , Strunk and White, Macmillan
• Article :  2 Med School Essays that Admissions Officers Loved
• Guidance for Writing Personal Statements, Work & Activities Section, Secondary Applications

Office of Career Strategy

Visiting yale.

SOP & LOR

SOP for Public ...

SOP for Public Health: How to Write Statement of Purpose for Masters in Public Health (MPH/MSc)?

The SOP for public health is your opportunity to demonstrate why you belong at your desired university. Making a strong case for yourself can be as crucial as your academic and professional achievements.

Master's in Public Health programs in other countries are open to students with backgrounds in medicine, social sciences, law, and the humanities. A graduate degree in public health will equip you with the right capabilities to address community-wide health challenges, collaborate with people from other sectors, and educate the public about best healthcare practices. 

A statement of purpose for public health plays a crucial role when applying to some of the top MPH universities, such as Harvard. These b-schools evaluate your qualifications, motivation, and potential to contribute to the field of public health. Similarly, other key capabilities can also be highlighted and substantiated through a statement of purpose for masters in public health.

Are you working on crafting an effective SOP for a public health program? Let’s take a closer look at the critical steps to follow and understand the intricacies of a good statement of purpose for public health. 

What can lead an MPH statement of purpose to be rejected right away?

Ans. Plagiarism and poor syntax can get your SOP rejected.

What is the best writing style for a Public Health SOP?

Ans . Narrative writing style keeps it engaging. So, write your SOP effectively, to illustrate healthcare related experiences. 

How many SOPs to write for Public Health?

Ans. Each university requires a separate and original SOP. Hence, you need to write a different MPH SOP sample for every university you’re applying to.

How to save and submit your SOP?

Ans. SOPs have to be uploaded in PDF as part of the applications. This makes your SOP look professional and eliminates the possibility of any formatting inconsistencies. Universities may also provide forms to paste contents of SOP as part of applications with or without the option to upload it.

How to Draft a MPH Statement of Purpose?

Before you start working on your MPH statement of purpose examples, brainstorm, free-write, and organise your thoughts. Your SOP should be a dive into relevant life experiences, academic and professional background (if applicable), career goals, co-curricular activities, volunteering/community involvement, and more.

So, refer to these effective guidelines and draft a top-notch SOP for public health.

Introduction

What motivated you to choose public health/global health science as your interest? For example , illustrate how health-related statistics, health issues, and health policies piqued your interest during your undergraduate research and how this formative experience eventually intrigued you to pursue public health and institute innovative strategies to cure unforeseen health hazards.

• Mention when you first became interested in Public Health.
• Alternatively, you can also begin with a research problem statement that you consider exploring in the MSc/MPH program. 

Second Paragraph

Discuss relevant academic and life experiences that have augmented your interest in public health. How has each of these experiences pivoted your approach, streamlined, or transformed it?

• Here, you can discuss relevant undergraduate experiences or courses in which you developed a particular interest. For example, you must have developed an interest in epidemiology or health economics to choose public health for education. 
• You can also discuss other relevant co-curricular experiences worth sharing. 

Third Paragraph

Have you faced any setbacks in your academics? If you just made the cut or have lesser scores, you can mention that here. 

• Have you faced any other unique challenges or setbacks that have redefined your perspectives or interests? 
• How did you overcome these challenges, and what is/are the positive outcomes of these experiences? 
• It’s essential to reflect on the lessons from these experiences to underscore your resilience.

Fourth Paragraph

In this paragraph you can talk about your extracurricular activities. Universities are interested in knowing more than just academics. So, here’s where you can discuss your hobbies, social work, volunteering, and more. You can also mention any workshops or certifications you have attended to improve your skills. 

Fifth Paragraph

If you have work experience, add it here. But if you do not, you can discuss your internship experiences, reflecting on your specific learnings and take-aways. Identify a knowledge gap and the need for you to go for MSc in Public Health/MPH course.

• How has the work experience/s influenced your career goals? Why do you wish to go for an MSc in Public Health/MPH now? 
• Define your short-term and long-term goals. 
• How will the MSc in Public Health/MPH program from a specific public health school help you achieve these goals? 
• How does the program align with your areas of interest?

Develop an engaging conclusion using the pointers below: 

• How do you wish to contribute to the University?
• What activities, clubs, sports, student associations, groups, etc, piqued your interests?
• What diverse experiences do you bring to your graduate classroom? 

Suggested: How to Write a Good SOP?  

Do’s and Don'ts of SOP for Masters in Public Health

Following are the Do’s and Don’ts to write a sample statement of purpose for masters in public health. 

Suggested: Common mistakes in Writing SOPs and Application Essay

Goals and Skills to Include in Your SOP for Public Health

Your SOP for masters in public health should be written after an in-depth and through research. Public Health is a dynamic and ever-changing field of study. It is always evolving everyday focusing on disease prevention, health promotion, and prolonging life.

Students can gain expertise in a variety of fields through Public Health studies, including Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Environmental and Occupational health, Health education, Behavioural science, Infectious disease, Public policy, Global health, Nutrition, or Maternal and child health.

Therefore, your SOP should portray these skills to make it unique and appealing then the rest. 

• Research Aptitude
• Academic/Research Writing Skills
• Knowledge of Public Health Specialisation applying for
• Relevant Skills/Past Experience (Analytical skills, Innovation, Communication skills, Policy assessment and implementation, etc.)
• Critical Thinking
• Friendliness
• Responsibility
• Problem-solving

Besides, this the following are some of the essential health services to include in your SOP as part of your future goals. 

• Monitoring population health status and the factors influencing public health. 
• Investigating health problems and educating people on how to improve their health.
• Implement health-related policies and initiatives to improve public health through continuous quality improvement.
• Ensure equitable access to health services and care to all.
• Build and support a skilled/diversified public health workforce.
• Maintain a strong public health organisational infrastructure.

Now you know the parameters to showcase in your MPH statement of purpose examples. Nevertheless, let’s check the SOP guidelines given by top universities. 

Our counsellors at Yocket Premium can guide you through the entire process, on how to write SOP just to make it perfect! 

SOP Requirements of Top Universities for Public Health Programs

While most universities have similar SOP requirements, we’ve shortlisted a few top universities for MSc in Public Health/MPH along with their specific guidelines below.

1. Harvard T.H. CHAN School of Public Health 

If you are applying for the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at Harvard T.H. CHAN School of Public Health, follow these guidelines. Plus, note that the SOP guidelines will be same for all the public health course universities in the US. 

• The Statement of Purpose should not exceed 750 words. 
• What is your focused interest within the domain of public health?
• Mention your previous professional, academic, and/or extracurricular achievements demonstrating your passion for public health or health-related concerns. 
• Why are you interested in pursuing the joint JD/MPH degree program at Harvard?
• Talk about your career plans after completing the joint degree program.

Besides this, the essay should illustrate (1) your determination to undertake this intense course of study, (2) your knowledge of the MPH course of study, and (3) why the course is a good fit with your specific interests and short- and long-term goals.

2. Stanford University, United States

Stanford University requires the following points in the statement of purpose to apply for Masters of Science in Health Policy (MSc in Health Policy).

• Upload only one file that is no more than two pages long and single-spaced.
• Make sure your computer’s language setting is set to Western European or another English-language setting. 
• What is your motivation for applying to the proposed program at Stanford, and your preparation for this area of study?
• What are your research and study interests?
• Mention your future career plans, as well as areas of your experience and interests that may aid the admission committee assess your motivation and aptitude for graduate study.

3. University of Oxford, England

For the MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology, the University of Oxford requires an SOP of maximum 1000 words in length, written in English language. 

In the SOP, explain why you are applying to this program, how your previous studies and work are relevant to the course, the specific areas of the course you are interested in, and how the MSc will benefit your career.

This statement will further be assessed on the following pointers:

• A demonstrated interest and dedication towards the population health and epidemiology.
• The reasons for choosing the department and the course.
• A clear and well-supported picture of the course’s advantages for your future prospects.
• Any academic or professional experience or training that is relevant.
• Your capacity to present a reasoned and coherent case in proficient English.

Applicants aspiring to pursue a DPhil or equivalent doctoral degree in population health research are given priority at this university.

Suggested: 5 SOP Questions that Must be Answered

We understand writing an SOP can be daunting. But, don’t worry. Yocket is here to help you understand the nuances and draft a concise SOP for public health in terms of the format and guidelines. The SOP writing style for most countries remains the same. However, with program-specific requirements, you can re-engineer the original draft to suit above-stated requirements.

Sumeet Jain

Articles you might like

• Applying to Uni
• Apprenticeships
• Health & Relationships
• Money & Finance

Personal Statements

• Postgraduate
• U.S Universities

University Interviews

• Vocational Qualifications
• Accommodation
• ​​​​​​​Budgeting, Money & Finance
• ​​​​​​​Health & Relationships
• ​​​​​​​Jobs & Careers
• ​​​​​​​Socialising

Studying Abroad

• ​​​​​​​Studying & Revision
• ​​​​​​​Technology
• ​​​​​​​University & College Admissions

Guide to GCSE Results Day

Finding a job after school or college

Retaking GCSEs

In this section

Choosing GCSE Subjects

Post-GCSE Options

GCSE Work Experience

GCSE Revision Tips

Why take an Apprenticeship?

Applying for an Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships Interviews

Apprenticeship Wage

Engineering Apprenticeships

What is an Apprenticeship?

Choosing an Apprenticeship

Real Life Apprentices

Degree Apprenticeships

Higher Apprenticeships

A Level Results Day 2024

AS Levels 2024

Clearing Guide 2024

Applying to University

SQA Results Day Guide 2024

BTEC Results Day Guide

Vocational Qualifications Guide

Sixth Form or College

International Baccalaureate

Post 18 options

Finding a Job

Should I take a Gap Year?

Travel Planning

Volunteering

Gap Year Guide

Gap Year Blogs

Applying to Oxbridge

Applying to US Universities

Choosing a Degree

Choosing a University or College

Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Guide to Freshers' Week

Student Guides

Student Cooking

Student Blogs

Top Rated Personal Statements

Personal Statement Examples

Writing Your Personal Statement

Postgraduate Personal Statements

International Student Personal Statements

Gap Year Personal Statements

Personal Statement Length Checker

Personal Statement Examples By University

Personal Statement Changes 2025

Personal Statement Template

Job Interviews

Types of Postgraduate Course

Writing a Postgraduate Personal Statement

Postgraduate Funding

Postgraduate Study

Internships

Choosing A College

Ivy League Universities

Common App Essay Examples

Universal College Application Guide

How To Write A College Admissions Essay

College Rankings

Admissions Tests

Fees & Funding

Scholarships

Budgeting For College

Online Degree

Platinum Express Editing and Review Service

Gold Editing and Review Service

Silver Express Editing and Review Service

UCAS Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Oxbridge Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Postgraduate Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

You are here

Postgraduate public health personal statement example 2.

At an early age, I realised that I had more questions than answers about life and living things. A growing interest in understanding the origin, growth, structure, and function of living creatures led me to major in biology with no certain career plan in mind.

Immediately after completing the Lebanese Red Cross first aid training session in 2007, I became part of Jounieh's volunteer Red Cross Emergency Medical Services. My being on duty more than seventy-two hours each month has been extremely enriching yet challenging, for the center is the second busiest in Lebanon.

As my team and I had to deal with over three-hundred emergency calls per month, I learned to cultivate time management skills especially that time was no longer abundant. Nonetheless, our activities were not only restricted to rescue missions; rather, they encompassed conducting first-aid posts and educational conferences to raise awareness about basic emergency procedures and healthy practices.

While transporting patients in the ambulance, I came to understand that their bad condition is the result of their rudimentary understanding of basic health care and restricted access to the best medical facilities in the Middle East.

Until very recently, I still had no career objective in mind. However, after attending the meeting held by the Faculty of Health Sciences at AUB, I recognized that I could combine my broad academic background in biology and the skills I gained from my practical experience as a first aid volunteer to engage in a vocation as a public health practitioner.

I want to pursue the Master of Public Health Program with a concentration in Health Behavior and Education in order to research and implement intervention policies aimed at providing the population with direct access to health care services. Also, I inspire to infuse health care concepts in young men and women by integrating health awareness in educational programs and conducting campaigns that would elevate a sense of responsibility for a better well-being.

Furthermore, as a current volunteer at the Lebanese Red Cross, I am looking forward to gaining more responsibilities that would enable me to improve the efficiency of services that the Red Cross provides. I believe that my studies in public health at AUB will enlighten my perception of current health issues and more, provide me with the skills necessary to avert preventable health concerns.

I am more than sure that the friendly and supportive atmosphere at the AUB School of Public Health, a school long renown for its commitment to excellence in all that it does, will enable me to exhaust and develop my capacities to the full, thus allowing me to become a successful well-rounded person, able of playing an active role in my community.

Indeed, the MPH program will be demanding, but I am willing to give it my very best, for I have the solid dedication, maturity, and desire to become a public health practitioner.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by amsan for application in 2009.

amsan's Comments

I am publishing this personal statement to provide help and some inspiration to all who are in the process of writing a personal statement. It is indeed one hell of a job and I hope this could make it easier. And please, be creative, don't plagiarize.

This personal statement is unrated

Related Personal Statements

Thank you for sharing your.

Fri, 13/12/2013 - 21:06

Thank you for sharing your personal statement and your story for all to see! I truly appreciate it. I am currently navigating through the graduate process and could use all the help I can get

Thank you so much

Wed, 14/03/2018 - 18:00

Thanks very much

Sun, 15/07/2018 - 17:35

This has really been of help to me

Add new comment

• Global navigation
• Site navigation

School of Public Health – Bloomington Bulletin 2024-2025

•   IU Bulletins
• Undergraduate
• Policies & Procedures
• Departments & Centers
• Organizations & Services
• Online Graduate Certificate in Safety Management
• Graduate Certificates
• Public Health Certificate
• Addiction Intervention Certificate
• Environmental Health Major
• Epidemiology Major
• Biostatistics Major
• Joint Graduate Degrees
• Master of Public Health Degree (M.P.H.), Public Health Administration Major
• Master of Public Health Degree (M.P.H.), Environmental Health Major
• Master of Public Health Degree (M.P.H.), Epidemiology Major (Note: courses offered online are synchronous)
• Master of Science in Kinesiology Degree (M.S.K.), Kinesiology Major
• Online Master of Public Health Degree (M.P.H.), Environmental Health Major
• Online Master of Public Health Degree (M.P.H.), Epidemiology Major (Note: Courses offered online are synchronous)
• Online Master of Public Health Degree (M.P.H.), Public Health Administration Major
• Public Health Administration Major(MPH)- Health Behavior Major PhD
• MSAHS Nutrition MS – Dietetics BS
• Accelerated Programs
• Advising & Registration
• Financial Aid, Awards & Scholarships

Graduate Academic Programs

Master's degree programs, master of science in applied health science degree (m.s.a.h.s.), health promotion major, description of program, degree requirements, special opportunities.

Health Promotion enables individuals and communities to increase control over and improve their health. Graduate level students acquire skills for serving as health education and promotion specialists in educational, clinical, occupational, and community settings and for managing a diverse array of Health Education and promotion programs.

A minimum of 33 graduate credit hours is required for the Health Promotion program. A minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) is required for graduation. A minimum grade of C is required in each course. All electives for completing the degree must be approved by the advisor.

Required Courses (27 cr.)

Public Health Foundations Requirement (0 credits) All new master's degree students must complete the Public Health Foundations online course no later than the end of their first semester of graduate study. Complete details and registration information for this course can be found  iu.instructure.com/enroll/MNG3L6

Complete each of the following Research & Research Tool Courses: (6 Cr.)

• SPH-Q501 Introduction to Statistics in Public Health (3 cr.) Or Equivalent
• SPH B650 Quantitative Methods I for Public Health Research (3 cr.) Or B634 Sexual Health Research and Evaluation (3 cr.)

Complete each of the following Health Promotion core courses (6 Cr.):

• SPH-B 589 Theory & Conceptual Frameworks in Public Health (3 Cr.)
• SPH-H 500 Foundations of Health Promotion (3 Cr.)

Complete each of the following Health Promotion major courses (12 cr.):

• SPH H 519 Contemporary Issues in Health Promotion (3 Cr.)
• SPH H 552 Instructional Planning for Public Health Settings (3 Cr.) Or H633 Advanced Instructional Methods in Sexual and Reproductive Health (3 Cr.)+
• SPH-H 562 Health Program Evaluation (3 Cr.)
• SPH-H 662 Acquiring and Managing External Funds (3 cr.)

Complete capstone project/experience options (3 cr.):

• SPH X 580 Qualitative Research in Public Health (3 cr.) Or comparable independent research course as determined in consultation with an advisor

Elective Courses (6 cr.)

Complete 6 credits of graduate-level elective course work preferably with the following prefixes: B, F, H, N, P, Q, S or other to be approved by academic advisor, based on student career goals and interests.

Recommended Electives:

• SPH-B 602 Intervention Design (3 Cr.)
• SPH-B 630 Sexual and Reproductive Health Surveillanc (3 Cr.)+
• SPH-B 632 Sexual Health: Contemporary Discoveries and Controversies (3 Cr.)+
• SPH-H 518 Alcohol and Drug Education (3 Cr.)
• SPH-H 555 Issues in Human Sexuality and Health (3 Cr.)
• SPH-H 595 Practicum in Sexual and Reproductive Health Education (3 Cr.)
• SPH-H 697 Internship in Health Promotion (3 Cr.)
• SPH-S 552 Principles of Workplace Safety Behavior (3 Cr.)

+ Only students completing the Graduate Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health

Students matriculated into the M.S. in Health Promotion degree program may also wish to complete one of the alternate online graduate certificates listed below. Some graduate certificate course work may be taken as “electives”; however, concentration completion may require course work beyond the minimally required 33 credits. Interested students should plan their entire course of study, including all online certificate course work, in close consultation with their advisor.

Online Graduate Certificate in Gerontology and Health (12 credits) Successful completion of the following requirements earns the student an online graduate Certificate in Gerontology and Health.

Complete the following course.

• SPH-H 524 –or-- EDUC-P 513 Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Gerontology (3 cr.)

Complete three (9 cr.) courses from the following.

• EDUC-D 505 Adult Learning through the Lifespan (3 cr.)
• EDUC-D 506 Adult Education Planning and Development (3 cr.)
• EDUC-P 517 Adult Development and Aging (3 cr.)
• SPH-B 535 Contemporary Issues in Aging and Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-B 615 Health Longevity, and Integrative Therapies for the Later Years (3 cr.)

Online Graduate Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health (15 credits) Successful completion of the following five courses earns the student an online graduate Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health.

• SPH-B 630 Sexual and Reproductive Health Surveillance (3 cr.)
• SPH-B 632 Sexual Health: Contemporary Discoveries and Controversies (3 cr.)
• SPH-H 633 Advanced Instructional Methods in Sexual and Reproductive Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-B 634 Sexual Health Research and Evaluation (3 cr.)
• SPH-X660 Population Health Department (3 cr.)

Online Graduate Certificate in Safety Management (12 credits) Successful completion of the following four courses earns the student an online graduate Certificate in Safety Management.

• SPH-S 502 Instructional Strategies for Safety Education (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 513 Safety Management in Business and Industry (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 610 Occupational Risk Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-S 632 Safety & Health Program Design (3 cr.)

Online Graduate Certificate in Addiction Intervention (15 credits) Successful completion of the following five courses earns the student an online graduate Certificate in Addiction Intervention.

• SPH-H 664 Public Health Approaches to Substance Use Disorder Prevention for Adolescents and Young Adults (3 cr.)
• SPH-H 665 Substance Use DisorderTreatment for Adolescents and Young Adults in the Context of Public Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-H 670 Introduction to Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders for Public Health Professionals (3 cr.)
• SPH-H 667 History of Public Health Approaches to Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery for Adolescents and Young Adults (3 cr.)
• SPH-H 668 Motivational Interviewing (3 cr.)

Students develop professional skills through required capstone project near the end of the program of study that can be completed in a variety of settings afforded by the Bloomington community. Students can also be involved in research with faculty members and fellow students.

Prospects for employment are excellent. Sources of potential employment for program graduates are numerous and include public and private colleges; local, state, and federal agencies; international agencies; voluntary health agencies; professional associations; clinics, hospitals, and private health care facilities; business; industry; and the military. 

Academic Bulletins

• Indiana University
• IU Bloomington

Copyright © 2024 The Trustees of Indiana University , Copyright Complaints

Princess Kate having preventative chemotherapy after cancer discovered during abdominal surgery

Princess Catherine has revealed she has been diagnosed with cancer in a personal video message, in which she told the public it had been an "incredibly tough couple of months" for her family. 

The 42-year-old has been on leave from public duties after undergoing abdominal surgery in January, with her health becoming the subject of intense media and online speculation . 

In her video, Catherine said the cancer was uncovered in post-operative testing and her medical team had advised her to undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy. 

"This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family," she said in the video. 

"As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.

"Most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK." 

The Prince and Princess of Wales wanted to wait until the Easter holidays to make this announcement, so their three children would not be at school. 

"We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment," she said. 

"My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery." 

'I'm getting stronger every day'

Earlier this year, Kensington Palace said it was expected that the princess would return to work after Easter.  

Catherine, Prince William and their three children will not be taking part in the annual royal tradition of attending the Easter service at St George's Chapel in Windsor this year. 

"It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I've had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful.

"Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both," she said. 

"I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal."

King Charles also revealed earlier this month that he was undergoing treatment for cancer, and would be stepping back from many public duties but would continue desk work and some meetings.

It's left Camilla, the Queen Consort, and Prince William to lead the royal family at public engagements. 

Buckingham Palace today released a statement saying the king has been in close contact with the Princess of Wales over the last few weeks. 

The king is "so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did", the palace statement said. 

Both the king and queen "will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time". 

The Princess of Wales used her video message to thank the public "for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery".

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan also issued a statement . 

Catherine has only been seen a handful of times since her surgery, mostly in paparazzi and tabloid images and video.

The palace released an image of Catherine and her three children earlier this month, but it led to a media frenzy after photo agencies pulled the photograph because it had been digitally altered . 

The last time she attended an engagement was on Christmas Day, when she met members of the public outside a church service at the Sandringham Estate. 

Catherine will not return to royal duties until she has been cleared by her medical team, but is expected to attend some events when she is feeling well. 

The Palace said this would not be considered a return to public life, but would allow Catherine to be present in moments that matter to her. 

Cancer diagnosis follows intense scrutiny

Catherine's announcement comes after weeks of media and public scrutiny of the princess and her health, with reports hospital staff had attempted to access her medical records , a media frenzy over the edited photo, and conspiracy theories spreading online. 

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the princess had shown "tremendous bravery with her statement today". 

"My thoughts are with the Princess of Wales, Prince of Wales, the Royal Family and in particular her three children at this difficult time," he said in a statement.

"The Princess of Wales has the love and support of the whole country as she continues her recovery. 

"In recent weeks she has been subjected to intense scrutiny and has been unfairly treated by certain sections of the media around the world and on social media.  

"When it comes to matters of health, like everyone else, she must be afforded the privacy to focus on her treatment and be with her loving family."

The princess's younger brother, James Middleton, has offered his sister words of support and shared an old childhood photo of them together. 

"Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together," he wrote on Instagram. 

"As a family, we will climb this one with you too." 

Some royal watchers have now said the news of Catherine's diagnosis is a sobering moment of reflection for the press and public.

Afua Hagan, a British royal commentator, said there had been "weeks of swirling conspiracy theories".

"From the sublime to the ridiculous, from social media to front pages of newspapers, it's honestly just been crazy," she said.

"I think people are thinking now, wow, actually, she's exactly where she said she would be, recovering at home with her children and actually, this is far more serious than we thought it would be as well.  

"I hope it's a moment of reflection for people spreading rumours on TikTok or wherever, it's definitely a moment of reflection for the British media."

Catherine used her video to tell other cancer patients, "You are not alone".

"At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer," she said.

"For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope."

Charities, doctors and members of the cancer community have praised the king for being open about his cancer. 

"This has happened at the same time, probably within the space of the same few weeks, we have two principal members of the royal family diagnosed with cancer," Ms Hagan said. 

"This is unprecedented, unheard of." 

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

'butt out': man touted to be britain's next pm wants wild speculation about princess kate's health to end.

'Incredibly, woman goes to shop is breaking news': The reaction to Kate's pop to the shops

Do the Royals think they're 'above' the internet?

• United Kingdom
• Women's Health