Student profiles

Bachelor of International Public Health (BIPH).

“Before commencing a Bachelor of International Public Health (BIPH) online in 2019, I knew very little about the field. My core motivation was to promote health and to help prevent people from getting sick so they can lead happier lives.”

Master of Public Health.

Dr Janice Tan started working towards a Master of Public Health (part-time) at UNSW School of Population Health in 2018 and finished with a Distinction in 2021. Janice is currently in a consulting role for a digital health company and hopes to utilise her knowledge to invoke change by taking part in advisory roles for Central Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network.

Bachelor of International Public Health (BIPH).

“I decided to study International Public Health after changing track from my initial studies in Biomedical Science. I realised over time that my interest lies in the bigger picture health outcomes. I am interested in global health policy and health promotion.”

Claire aspires to one day conduct formal research in the public health academia and later hopes to be able to contribute to global health by working for an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) or with the United Nations or the World Health Organization (WHO).

PhD – Couples HIV Testing in Ethiopia: exploring attitudes, beliefs, experiences and acceptance among heterosexual couples living in Addis Ababa.

Before joining the PhD program, Tewodros worked for seven years as an assistant lecturer, lecturer and assistant professor at the School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Ethiopia. He currently works as a data analyst at the NSW Health COVID-19 Public Health Response Branch.

“I was motivated to join the UNSW PhD program because of the school’s leading global reputation, its high-profile supervisors and its scholarship opportunities.”

Master of Public Health / Master of Health Management (MPH/MHM) (double degree).

With a bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Kate Patten has been working in public health research for the past four years. She is involved in various projects focusing on injury prevention and the social determinants of health. A research assistant at the school, Kate is pursuing a dual master’s degree in Public Health/Health Management to increase her skills and knowledge in the evolving world of public health and health leadership. For the past nine months, Kate has been working with NSW Health, supporting the state’s COVID response efforts.

Master of Health Management / Master of International Public Health (double degree).

Paramedic Justin Thomas secured his bachelor’s degree in Emergency Medical Care in 2013 at the University of Johannesburg. He received training in both emergency medical care and in medical rescue and disaster management. In 2016, he began working as an expat paramedic in Saudi Arabia, employed into an Airport EMS Service. As an EMS duty supervisor, he was responsible for the operational organisation of five bases across the airport area and for providing medical oversight for EMS calls on his shift.

Master of Public Health (MPH) / Master of Health Management (MHM) with Extension (double degree with research component).

Madhav Raman is pursuing a dual master’s degree in Public Health and Health Management (Extension) at the School of Population Health, UNSW. Serving as a coursework students officer on the Postgraduate Council (PGC) at Arc UNSW, Madhav is a member of the Academic Board Programs Committee (ABPC) and the Program Review Committee.

“I was looking to do further study, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. My undergraduate degree was in Environmental Management and I had been working for several years in various government sector policy and stakeholder engagement roles. It was great professional experience, but I wasn’t passionate about what I was doing. I wanted to find a master’s degree where I could build on my current skills, but transfer them into a field that was health and people-centred, particularly focusing on equity and social justice issues.”

Master of Public Health (MPH)

“As a doctor I worked across a few hospitals in Sydney which, while fulfilling, was also frustrating because it was obvious that there were social and economic factors that impacted a person’s health that were well beyond the care I could provide in hospital. I believe that anyone that has had the opportunities I’ve had owes it to their community to give back and give back in a way that not only leverages their personal skills and experiences, but also maximises the value they can add to their community.”

Master of Health Management (MHM).

“As I progressed in my career in medicine and have increasingly taken on clinical leadership and managerial duties, I have become aware of my lack of knowledge and experience as a clinician-manager. I realised that gaining an academic qualification in that field would be extremely valuable, providing tangible benefits to my patients, colleagues, the organisation I work for and for my own personal and professional development.”

Master of International Public Health (MIDI).

“Prior to enrolling into the Master of International Public Health I volunteered as a nurse and manager of an orphanage in South Africa. My experience during this time motivated me to study further, to extend both my knowledge and skills in the health profession to reach those that are impoverished, vulnerable and suffering the greatest health inequalities.”

Master of Public Health (MPH) with specialisation in Health Promotion

“My main motivation for enrolment in a Master of Public Health at UNSW was my strong interest in public health, as it unites my love of evidence and evaluation with my desire to create sustainable, meaningful change for the better. I chose to study at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW in particular because there was a great range of electives to choose from.”

Master of Public Health (MPH) with specialisation in Economic Evaluation / Master of Health Management (MHM) (double degree).

“I chose to enrol in a degree at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine because UNSW is the only university which offers an innovative dual master's degree of the Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Health Management (MHM). Additionally, you can specialise in a specific area of public health that fits your envisioned career. This gives you a branding in three areas – public health, management and a sub-specialty in public health – thus increasing your overall competitiveness. Another reason why I chose UNSW is its culture of innovation.”

Master of Infectious Disease Intelligence (MIDI) / Master of Public Health (MPH) (double degree).

“The reason I decided to enrol in a degree at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine is because after finishing my MSc – Epidemiology I was looking to specialise in infectious diseases and after much research I found that the degree UNSW was offering was the best one in Australia. Staff from the school were very helpful with any questions I had relating to the course which was reassuring.”

Master of Public Health (MPH) / Master of Health Management (MHM) with Extension (double degree with research component).

“I decided to study public health and health management because I felt that despite being a clinician and in the privileged position to make a difference in many unwell people’s lives, I was not doing enough on a system-wide level to ensure good health for all. As a clinician, I can have a substantial local impact, however, I have since childhood aimed to have a national or worldwide impact with my work.”

Master of Public Health (MPH) / Master of International Public Health (MIPH) (double degree).

“I wanted to explore my interest in public health and upskill to open up opportunities beyond clinical medicine. UNSW particularly appealed to me because of the flexible studying options for those working full-time like myself, and the variety of sub-specialisations that allow you to tailor your degree to your own interests. It’s great for me to be able to focus on my area of interest – international public health.”

“I decided to enrol at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW primarily because it offers a dual degree in both Public Health and Health Management. As a young clinician, I wanted to build a strong theoretical foundation in both fields to ease my transition out of clinical medicine and yet have the flexibility to choose my future career. The dual degree enabled me to truly seek out my interests, develop them and forge my own career path ahead.”

Internship; Master of Public Health (MPH) / Master of International Public Health (MIPH) (double degree).

“I decided to enrol in the internship program as part of my degree at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine as I was very keen to get some real-world experience in public health to supplement my university Master of Public Health (MPH) / Master of International Public Health (MIPH) studies. I had previously only worked in clinical environments and felt that completing some work experience in a supportive environment would assist me with successfully shifting towards working in a public health environment.”

Internship; Master of Public Health (MPH) with International Health Specialisation.

“I decided to enrol in the internship because I had been working on the Master of Public Health (international health specialisation) through distance education whilst practising as a pharmacist. The internship was a great opportunity to actively engage with the field of international public health by learning and building new skills, networking with professionals working in public health, contribute to projects in the international health sphere and help inform future career decisions.”

PhD – Antimicrobial stewardship and the role of primary health care within the Australian context.

“I initially decided to enrol at UNSW because of the unique dual degree offering and the breadth of available courses that I felt would support me in a future career in public health. My positive experience with the School of Public Health and Community Medicine made it an easy decision for me to want to further my research studies with the school.”

Professional Doctorate of Public Health – Performance measurement in alcohol and other drug treatment services.

“The Professional Doctorate of Public Health Program at UNSW provides me with an opportunity to undertake applied research in the workplace that directly relates to my role. I represent the non-government alcohol and other drugs treatment sector in NSW, and the idea for my study has come about from the direct need of the sector. It also responds to a priority under the National Drug Strategy and is supported by funders of treatment here in NSW and nationally. Additionally, my academic supervisors at UNSW are experts in my area of research.”

Scientia PhD Scholar – Developing and testing a framework for using Digital Health, Social Enterprise & Citizen Engagement in the delivery of Integrated People-Centred Health Services

“Deciding to accept a PhD scholarship at a university that is ranked among the top 50 in the world, while working on globally relevant research at a WHO Collaborating Centre is a relatively easy decision to make. Having studied medicine, I’ve always been aware of the limits of a hospital-focused approach to health, leading me to pursue public health, which I like to think of as ‘everything to do with health outside of the hospital’.”

PhD – Cervical cancer screening in two districts of Acholi sub-region in Uganda: Accessibility, uptake and challenges to services.

“The School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW offer a conducive research environment for students who want to gain both knowledge and skills in designing and conducting cutting edge research which have great impact on the lives of the vulnerable members in society.”

PhD in Public Health – Integration of informal healthcare providers in tuberculosis reporting system: A mHealth initiative in India.

“The reason I decided to enrol in a research degree at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine was because I was inspired by the UNSW 2025 strategic plan which aims to support researchers to tackle real-world problems. Furthermore, the School of Public Health and Community Health is a leader in Public Health education with a vibrant research and academic environment.”