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Summer Sheng
Master of Public Health
I have wanted to be a doctor since I was a little girl. However, I found that by being a doctor I would only treat individuals, whereas by becoming an epidemiologist or a public health scientist I could help many more people.
- What kind of research did you conduct during your studies?
I was to originally conduct a research project about HIV/AIDS prevention program in MSM groups in Chengdu, China, but was interrupted by a major earthquake. So besides doing volunteer work in hospitals to help care for patients who lost their families in the earthquake, I also helped conduct a questionnaire for a survey about how the earthquake influenced mental health in adolescents in the affected cities. - What were the highlights of your experience?
It was great to be able to put into practice the knowledge acquired in school. But the most valuable lessons I learned from the earthquake experience were about the value of life and love. I believe that's also the final goal of health science. - What advice would you give to incoming students?
I transferred to the Faculty of Health Sciences from the Faculty of Science. Before transferring, I was not sure about my decision, so I took a Health Sciences course, HSCI160 - Global Health. After taking that course, I knew it was what I wanted to do in the future. So I recommend that, if you are interested in life, health and the environment, start by taking an introductory health sciences course.
