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 statementfor 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.

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.

1) Research the Program:

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.

2) Outline Your MPH Personal Statement:

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.

3) Start with a Compelling Introduction:

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.”

4) Showcase Your Public Health Achievements and Interests:

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.

5) Unveil Your Public Health Motivations:

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.

6) Highlight Unique Qualities for Public Health:

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.”

7) Addressing Potential Weaknesses or Gaps:

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.”

8) Write a Persuasive Conclusion:

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.

Sample Personal Statement for Public Health Masters (MPH)

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.”

My Feedback on this Sample

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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 

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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]