Student Highlight: Why You Should Consider Public Health or Community Health Education...

Hello! My name is Raymond Lynem and I am a senior at UM-Dearborn in the Health Policy Studies Program in the College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters. Throughout my time here I have developed an interest in the interdependent relationship of health systems and the overall health of populations. Whether it is studying the social determinants of health (e.g. income, environment, education) or comparing the outcomes of different segments of the population, these are all issues that call for the proper management of population health.

My journey to the HPS program was somewhat indirect but has helped to give me a much better perspective on health care delivery and the current system utilized by the United States. Just a few years ago my intentions were to pursue a nursing degree with the hopes of becoming a nurse anesthetist. After a few science courses and gaining some very necessary experience within health care, my interests quickly shifted. Since starting my undergraduate degree, I have been privileged to work as a nursing assistant, perform research at the UM Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, and learn the importance of pathology in health care delivery as a lab assistant on California’s central coast. This past summer I also had the opportunity to intern at CHE Trinity Health in Livonia as a student in the University of Michigan Summer Enrichment Program (SEP).SEP provides students with the experience of a lifetime and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a career in public health. Each of these experiences have given me a unique perspective on the health care system and I hope to continue to build upon this moving forward.

UM-Dearborn, and the HPS program in particular, provides students with an opportunity to grow and expand upon a desire to help others through health care but on a broader level. The policies that government enacts have a large impact on the nation and it’s communities. One of the most recent examples of this is the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which aims to create access to health care for millions of Americans that is both affordable and of good quality. With the ACA and the many other changes it will produce, the need for policy experts and health administrators cannot be overstated.

As we move forward, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on these issues with a unique focus on health inequities and population health. I hope to shed light on different aspects of health care and any new experiences I may have. I will also be writing about the activities of the Public Health Student Society (PHSS), a student club that all health students should consider joining as well as UM-Dearborn’s new Health and Human Services programs, Public Health and Community Health Education, while being joined by other student bloggers interested in spreading the word about public health!