School of Population Health

Student Profiles

Find out what students have to say about their experiences in our programs. Click on the names below to read testimonials about what they enjoyed the most in their coursework and research programs and how it will make a difference to their careers.

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Dr Jaffly Chen

Master of Public Health (MPH) / Master of Health Management (MHM) with Extension (Dual Degree with Research Component)

I decided to study public health and health management because I felt that despite being a clinician and in the privileged position to make a difference in many unwell people’s lives, I was not doing enough on a system-wide level to ensure good health for all. As a clinician, I can have a substantial local impact, however, I have since childhood aimed to have a national or worldwide impact with my work.

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Dr Manoshayini Sooriyakumaran

Master of Public Health (MPH) / Master of International Public Health (MIPH) (Dual Degree)

I wanted to explore my interest in public health and upskill to open up opportunities beyond clinical medicine. UNSW particularly appealed to me because of the flexible studying options for those working full-time like myself, and the variety of sub-specialisations that allow you to tailor your degree to your own interests. It’s great for me to be able to focus on my area of interest – international public health.

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Nikita Bathla

Master of International Public Health (MIPH) / Master of Health Management (MHM) (Dual Degree)

I decided to enrol at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW primarily because it offers a dual degree in both Public Health and Health Management. As a young clinician, I wanted to build a strong theoretical foundation in both fields to ease my transition out of clinical medicine and yet have the flexibility to choose my future career. The dual degree enabled me to truly seek out my interests, develop them and forge my own career path ahead.

Caitlin Swift

Caitlin Swift

Internship; Master of Public Health (MPH) / Master of International Public Health (MIPH) (Dual Degree)

I decided to enrol in the internship program as part of my degree at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine as I was very keen to get some real-world experience in public health to supplement my university Master of Public Health (MPH) / Master of International Public Health (MIPH) studies. I had previously only worked in clinical environments and felt that completing some work experience in a supportive environment would assist me with successfully shifting towards working in a public health environment.

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Preethi Pandalaneni

Internship; Master of Public Health (MPH) with International Health Specialisation

I decided to enrol in the internship because I had been working on the Master of Public Health (International Health Specialisation) through distance education whilst practising as a pharmacist. The internship was a great opportunity to actively engage with the field of international public health by learning and building new skills, networking with professionals working in public health, contribute to projects in the international health sphere and help inform future career decisions. 

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Kathryn Lim

PhD - Antimicrobial stewardship and the role of primary health care within the Australian context

I initially decided to enrol at UNSW because of the unique dual degree offering and the breadth of available courses that I felt would support me in a future career in public health. My positive experience with the School of Public Health and Community Medicine made it an easy decision for me to want to further my research studies with the School.

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Robert Stirling

Professional Doctorate of Public Health - Performance measurement in alcohol and other drug treatment services

The Professional Doctorate of Public Health Program at UNSW provides me with an opportunity to undertake applied research in the workplace that directly relates to my role. I represent the non-government alcohol and other drugs treatment sector in NSW, and the idea for my study has come about from the direct need of the sector. It also responds to a priority under the National Drug Strategy and is supported by funders of treatment here in NSW and nationally. Additionally, my academic supervisors at UNSW are experts in my area of research.

Myron Gohindo

Dr Myron A Godinho

Scientia PhD Scholor - Developing and testing a framework for using Digital Health, Social Enterprise & Citizen Engagement in delivery of Integrated People-Centered Health Services

Deciding to accept a PhD scholarship at a university that is ranked among the top 50 in the world, while working on globally relevant research at a WHO Collaborating Centre is a relatively easy decision to make. Having studied medicine, I’ve always been aware of the limits of a hospital-focused approach to health, leading me to pursue public health, which I like to think of as ‘everything to do with health outside of the hospital’.

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Tewodros Hailemariam

PhD - Couples HIV Testing in Ethiopia: exploring attitudes, beliefs, experiences and acceptance among heterosexual couples living in Addis Ababa

It is easy to choose the School of Public Health and Community Medicine (SPHCM), UNSW Sydney if one is thinking to peruse a PhD in public health and community medicine. In 2015/16, I was searching for scholarship opportunities to pursue a PhD degree in public health. I found out that UNSW Sydney has various types of scholarship opportunities, and the university is also one of the top universities in Australia and globally. The SPHCM, in particular, has reputations over the years in research and high-quality education.

James Obol

James Obol

PhD - Cervical cancer screening in two districts of Acholi sub-region in Uganda: Accessibility, uptake and challenges to services

The School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW offer a conducive research environment for students who want to gain both knowledge and skills in designing and conducting cutting edge research which have great impact on the lives of the vulnerable members in society.

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