Running in Ann Arbor during the summer of 2025 feels like dodging chaos – smoke from wildfires, impatient drivers, the occasional rogue goose. But somehow, that unpredictability mirrors what I’ve found in FPHLP: a fast-paced and surprisingly hopeful dive into public health.
As a doctoral student in public health, I recently had the opportunity to participate in a short-term academic immersion in the United Kingdom, focused on the structure, function, and policy landscape of their health system. The experience provided a valuable comparative lens for understanding how government structures, financing mechanisms, and community-based organizations intersect to shape population health.
As public health practitioners, we cannot afford to let the evidence speak for itself anymore. We need to be proper stewards of the evidence on behalf of our communities and their leaders.
The Public Health Corps gave me an opportunity to explore the field of public health from directly within it. With a jarring start to being an adult, and feeling utterly lost as to what my path and career would look like, the Corps has been an invaluable source of stability and education. This article is a very brief collection of my experiences and takeaways from my service term, as well as reasoning for my optimism about the future of public health, from the perspective of someone just beginning a potential career.
If not carefully designed, a strictly merit-based approach to hiring can unintentionally exclude talented individuals from underserved communities who have followed nontraditional paths. By broadening the definition of “qualified” and recognizing different forms of potential, employers can uphold high standards while cultivating fair hiring strategies.