Ifunanya Nwabueze

What inspired you to study public health?

During my penultimate year of medical school, I was engaged in clinical rotations in Nigeria when I witnessed a heartbreaking incident where a mother lost her child to meningitis, a vaccine-preventable disease. This experience had a profound impact on me and made me realize the critical importance of equitable access to primary healthcare. Although I had initially intended to specialize in cardiology, I became deeply passionate about population-based approaches to healthcare, particularly in relation to effective health policies.

In pursuit of my goals, I decided to minor in health economics, as I firmly believe that every health policy has its trade-offs, and as future health policymakers, it is our responsibility to ensure that these trade-offs do not have any detrimental consequences. The science of health economics involves utilizing scarce resources to address insatiable human health needs, and thus, it is essential to integrate economic perspectives in developing effective and efficient health policies. By doing so, we can improve health outcomes and achieve more equitable access to healthcare.

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

My most notable experience was during my capstone project, where I had the privilege to put several theoretical concepts I acquired in class to practical use. This project enabled me to gain profound insight into the significance of evidence-based interventions in tackling complex healthcare challenges. Furthermore, it highlighted the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in achieving optimal outcomes in healthcare delivery.

Where did you do your practicum? What was it about?

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia – I had the opportunity to contribute to a nutrition project that leveraged a quality improvement and innovation framework to develop strategies aimed at addressing nutrition concerns during pediatric well-visits in a more equitable manner.

Advice:

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