Brittney Peterkin

What inspired you to study public health?

My friends’ pregnancy was very rough. Being present at her birth, I saw a lot of things that I made me question the quality of healthcare that is offered in the U.S. Afterwards I took a deeper dive into the maternal health outcomes in the US and learned about the racial disparities within the black community. This made me want to learn more so that I can change this. I want to improve the health of the black community.

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

Working with the maternal and child population, educating the population on safe sleep, generational traumas and how to they can lead to adverse health outcomes.

Advice:

There are so many aspects to public health and it can be used in many different fields. Public health is for everyone.

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

Considering the structural racism and implicit bias components when addressing health disparities.