My country, Sudan, is one of the earth's poorest and most troubled countries. For decades, we have lived with widespread war and political strife on top of poverty, which has left Sudan a public health nightmare, with minimal public health infrastructure available to ordinary people. I am a dentist from Sudan with extensive experience working with the Sudanese Ministry of Health. I look forward to a professional life giving my all to help the people in my country of origin in great need and the underserved in the USA. I won the US visa lottery and am currently making a new home for myself in America. I have decided that the best way to prepare for a lifetime flying back and forth between Sudan and the USA, doing what I can to help, would be to first earn the MPH Degree.
Born in Sudan and raised in Saudi Arabia, I returned to Sudan for my education in dentistry since only citizens can attend dental school in Saudi Arabia. As I was finishing dental school in Sudan, I won the diversity lottery visa and came to the USA in 2012. I obtained my green card and then went back to Sudan to complete my internship in dentistry. I love Sudan very much, and I feel called to help with health care, community health programs, and oral public health since it is in this area where my advanced training lies. Our public health care infrastructure in Sudan is fragile, with few human or material resources., Many, if not most people have no primary health care, and many suffer from endemic diseases like Malaria and other tropical diseases; HIV and Hepatitis also present significant problems. Community and public health have always been close to my heart, and I put a lot of effort into my volunteer work in Sudan while in dental school, especially concerning my participation in a program designed to determine DMFT (decayed-missed-filled-teeth) among elementary students, underserved communities were my principal focus. After finishing dental school in Sudan, I practiced dentistry in Sudan for several years before moving to the US. The high points of this period were when I volunteered to join a team of doctors and other health professionals traveling to rural areas to provide low-income populations with access to humanitarian healthcare assistance. As part of a team of students from a medical and dental school providing services to underserved regions of Sudan, we offered free consultation, treatment, education, and awareness for wellness.
After moving to the USA, I decided to look for ways to restart my career as a healthcare professional, and I have completed a certificate and community health fellowship (CHW) through the Administrative Fellowship Program towards the end of gaining additional healthcare experience in preparation for further professionalization here in the USA. As a healthcare professional in America, I look forward to helping Arabic-speaking patients by serving as a bridge between the patient and the provider. I will always continue to work hard to contribute all I can to those with whom I work to advance the cause of community health. I look forward to helping my community and gaining experience in the American health system that can help me with my advanced studies in public health. I assist refugees from Sudan by interpreting and accompanying them to their medical, housing, and state appointments, completing state, housing, and medical applications, and translating and explaining documents.
After moving to the USA, I decided to look for ways to restart my career as a healthcare professional, and I have completed a certificate and community health fellowship (CHW) through the Administrative Fellowship Program towards the end of gaining additional healthcare experience in preparation for further professionalization here in the USA. As a healthcare professional in America, I look forward to helping Arabic-speaking patients by serving as a bridge between the patient and the provider. I will always continue to work hard to contribute all I can to those with whom I work to advance the cause of community health. I look forward to helping my community and gaining experience in the American h system that can help me with my advanced studies in public health. I assist refugees from Sudan by interpreting and accompanying them to their medical, housing, and state appointments, completing state, housing, and medical applications, and translating and explaining documents.
MPH Public Health Personal Purpose Statement