For Tamara Corley, MD/MPH candidate, when she sits across from a young pregnant patient in her clinical training, she doesn’t just use her medical and public health expertise; she leans into her own personal experience. As a young expectant mother herself 15 years ago, she knows firsthand what they face, having experienced several of those moments.
For example, when she was pregnant with her first child, she lived in an apartment in Georgia with no AC, and indoor temperatures were well into the 90s, so she wondered how that might affect her pregnancy.
“My MPH is helping me ask better questions, evaluate evidence, and understand how healthcare systems and policies affect people’s lives. I’m learning how to look at a program and ask whether it’s doing what we hoped it would do, and whose experiences we might be missing,” she said.
Now, she sees women facing those challenges and more, including housing and food insecurity, as well as cost, language, and transportation barriers. Some of these recurring issues fall under the public health scope of social determinants of health. As Corely is planning to be an OBGYN, she will also bring a public health lens to her work.
“I hope to become an OB/GYN who provides excellent care to the person in front of me while understanding the larger systems affecting her health. I want to contribute to improving maternal and reproductive healthcare, and use what I learn to make the path a little easier for someone coming behind me,” said Corley.
A scholarship was a critical part in making this return to the classroom possible.
“Thank you for investing in students like me and for being here tonight. I receive your support with a great deal of gratitude, and I look forward to carrying what I’m learning into my work as a physician,” she said.
For Saba Wolde, a scholarship has given her the opportunity to advance her chemistry undergrad and continue to make an impact on residents right here in Colorado.
Between earning her undergrad and returning for her Master’s, Wolde put her education into action in public health, working for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
As part of her role as a chemist in the state lab, she helped test water safety levels in local communities as part of June 2022 Clean Water in Schools and Child Care Centers.
“How amazing is that? I can do what I love, being a scientist, and I can give back to my community,” Wolde said.
By earning her Masters’ degree and focusing on global health, she hopes to continue to have a direct impact on the public and the quality of their lives.
“I have answered so many questions about different types of harmful and nonharmful chemicals: what does this number mean, is it safe for my family to drink?,” she said. “My goal is to be useful in any way I can be. Whether it's participating in research that can help shape policies that are community-centered or recertifying the chemistry laboratory so that people who need access to subsidized water testing costs can get the testing they need from a source they can trust.”
The two students shared their stories at the school’s recent Partners in Public Health reception, which celebrated recent scholars and their benefactors. See photos from the event here: https://mcleod9creative.pixieset.com/cuanschutzpartnersinpublichealthcelebration/
