Post #7

I originally signed up for the Exploring Leadership class to improve my leadership with respect to one specific field: public health. Next year I will be attending graduate school for public health, and I know that leadership is a vital component to the field. I have several friends in Masters in Public Health programs currently that all need to take leadership classes. There are many reasons that people in the public health field need to understand good leadership skills. Many times, public health professionals will have to come up with initiatives that could further improve overall health. These are very often collaborative efforts with other professionals, so there is a need for collaborative methods of leadership. I hope to use the leadership traits and skills that we have talked about in class this semester and apply them to my graduate and professional career. After I finish graduate school, I hope to become an epidemiologist. Much of the work that an epidemiologist does is related to disease control and prevention. Since particularly virulent pathogens are always evolving, there is a need to create new initiatives on how to prevent different types of diseases. I hope to take a leadership role in some of these public health initiatives, and learning about the different styles and aspects of leadership will be helpful in the development of my future career. I am particularly interested in disadvantaged population health, and am eager to explore new ways to aid the overall health of these populations.When I think to myself what type of difference I will make as a leader, I hope that I am able to make a difference in the health of all types of people. I hope that my passion for public health will allow me to make this type of difference.