Amelia Metcalf

In one sentence, what is public health to you?

Public Health is advocacy for the health of all; the advancement of science results in improved population health and overall quality of life.

What inspired you to study public health?

I have an interest in research and infectious disease. I was unsure of my path following graduation, but I remembered a presentation on the MPH program from an undergraduate class. I looked into the program a little more and thought it was in line with many of my career aspirations.

What has been the single most rewarding experience of your career/studies so far?

The single most rewarding experience of my academic career so far is being elected as the president of our graduate student public health association.

Advice:

Advice I wish someone had given me when starting out in public health is that an MPH degree is so much more than working in local government. There are so many different things that can be done with an MPH degree that I was unaware of when I first started.

What do you think is the biggest challenge that the public health field should be focusing on?

I feel the biggest challenge in Public Health currently is communication with communities. Misinformation and mistrust of public health hinders further development and improvement of the population’s health. Being able to communicate effectively and relay research findings in a meaningful was is a challenge, but will no doubt have a positive result in the long run.