Prospective Students

Career goals: I would like to contribute to research in the field of respiratory diseases epidemiology with a special focus on genetic and allergic respiratory diseases. I would also like to be actively involved in academia and be a faculty member in the department of Epidemiology in one of the leading research institutes.

What philosophy guides you in your work & studies? Mahatma Gandhi very aptly summarized what I firmly believe and follow: “Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning.”

Favorite quote: “The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis.” – Dalai Lama

Newest song added to your iPod: “Bombay Theme” – A. R. Rahman

Favorite book: The Story of My Experiments with Truth – Mahatma Gandhi

What advice do you have for students interested in applying to a graduate program in public health? The field of public health is diverse and multi-disciplinary. My suggestion to a prospective graduate student would be to enter a program in public health with a broad focus. Plenty of opportunities can be had during the coursework to narrow down the focus area by taking a variety of elective courses. 

Career goals:  Upon graduation, I would love to work as an infection preventionist in a hospital, or as a study coordinator for a clinical trial or other medical research project. I have always been interested in projects that use that utilize the skills of epidemiologists to advance medical research or best practices.

How did you become interested in public health? As a genetics student at Iowa State I was toying with the idea of medial school upon graduation. I knew that I wanted to work with people but I didn’t want to stray too far from the science field that I loved. I always thought that the only way to satisfy this desire for patient interaction was to become a doctor. This all changed when Patricia Quinlisk, the state epidemiologist, came to my medical microbiology class at ISU and gave a presentation on controlling an outbreak of E.coli. I was fascinated by the presentation. I couldn’t believe how exciting the tasks were. They typed the organism, worked with local agencies to stop the distribution of the contaminated food. It was all so exciting! From then on, I decided that I wanted to be an epidemiologist.

Is there a CPH teacher or faculty member who has helped shape your education? How? Dr. Loreen Herwaldt. As a new epidemiology student I was unaware that there were so many facets to the field. I have enjoyed learning how hospital epidemiologists work to ensure that they vulnerable hospital population is as safe as possible during their hospital stay. I have been able to do small projects in the hospital, all of which have given me a “behind the scenes” look at what goes on to protect the patients.

Why did you choose the University of Iowa? With its Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health, the University of Iowa is a great place to learn about public health. There is a great deal of collaboration that is required in order to work successfully in public health and the University of Iowa provides is an excellent place to learn.

Favorite book: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Favorite way to spend a Sunday afternoon: Watching movies or grilling

What advice do you have for students interested in applying to a graduate program in public health? Get Involved! I am the current president of CPHSA, secretary of ESA, and organizer of the Epidemiology Journal Club. I traveled to the annual APHA conference, and participated in a number of extra curricular activities.  All of these activities have allowed me to interact with faculty and other students. Getting to know people in the college and department will benefit you in immeasurable ways. I know that I have lifelong friends and fabulous career connections all because I took the extra step and got involved.

Career goals:  I will continue to work as a practicing neurosurgeon and would like to work towards directing a program geared towards improving the care of brain and spine tumor patients, either in an academic or private institutional setting.

How did you become interested in public health?Initially I was simply looking for some courses to take to improve my understanding of the medical literature. This gradually developed into an interest and eventually a number of publications in evidence-based medicine. Now I am working to gain a thorough understanding of clinical trial design and patient outcome data analysis.

Personal interests: I have always had an interest in music and played keyboards and guitar growing up and through college. Interestingly I started playing again more frequently and have found that my training as a neurosurgeon has greatly improved my coordination and speed as a musician. Rather an indirect way of achieving this but rewarding nonetheless.

What advice do you have for students interested in applying to a graduate program in public health?  Find an area of interest or even passion that will keep you interested throughout the program and can serve as a focal point for working on projects. This will allow you to work towards publications at an earlier time which is ultimately the benchmark of success in academics.

What are your career goals?  I intend to continue on into the PhD program and hope to, one day, work at the CDC as an epidemiologist.

If you could solve one public health problem today, what would it be and why?  Proper immunizations – I want parents to provide their children with the immunizations they are recommended to receive.  Horrible and deadly diseases have and are going to continue to make a strong comeback if we don’t continue to immunize.

What are some of your outside interests (i.e. hobbies & activities)?: Scrapbooking, quilting.

What is your favorite way to spend a Sunday afternoon? Enjoying a gorgeous day outside with my husband.

What advice do you have for students interested in applying to a graduate program in public health?    Make sure to look at all of the different programs that exist within the public health umbrella and pick the one that interests you the most.