Alexis Singleton

Philosophy Statement

There is an old English idiom that says never judge a book by its cover. My passion for
public health stems from the idea that we are all humanely equal and should treat others the way
you wanted to be treated. My way of doing so is through the practice of medicine and helping
educate others about health, whether it be physical, mental, or emotional. I believe that to grow
as a species and better our overall well-being, it is important to work as a community and be
there for one another. Public health is centered around community organization; working to help
educate others about things they can do to change individuals pragmatically to benefit
themselves and their community. A population that needs greater care than others that I believe
can be improved is the people in the United States whose first language isn’t English. Language
barriers are a problem when trying to effectively communicate a patient’s medical history or new
diagnoses. Important things can get lost in translation. I believe as heath educators and workers
we have the responsibility to be culturally competent. The Hispanic community has always
seemed so genuine and family oriented, this has drawn me to their culture, wanting to know
more as well as inspiring me to spread their kindness to the rest of the world. When visiting
Mexico for 3 weeks, I observed the Mexican citizens joy for their lives. Despite harsh conditions
with COVID19 displacing them from their homes and losing their jobs, they still would smile
and play in the rain when it seemed like everything was going against them. Their tenacity and
determination showed me that helping others in public health is very important to me because I
believe everyone should have access to public healthcare no matter their circumstances. The
Hispanic community is a specific population that I would focus on helping, but everyone, no
matter their social trends, deserves to be cared for and that it what I strive to do. I began to
realize the importance of health communication and how incorporating it into daily teachings can
limit the effect of some of the social determinants of health, for example, lack of health
education resources and social and community context. The public health major is more than
learning the science behind an individual’s health. Public health teaches students critical thinking
skills, health communication and education, compassion, and societal camaraderie. It teaches
students life skills that other science majors don’t focus on. Therefore, the public health major
can make a difference in our future. By teaching others through a cognitive-based philosophy, I
hope to provide them with the tools and self-esteem to take care of their health and well-being. If
people are given the facts, they are more likely to listen and be more willing to change unhealthy
behaviors if they know how it is affecting them. Giving others the facts of why it is important to
have good sanitation or the positive impacts of teaching health education the right way can help
others better manage environmental factors that may be taking tolls on their health. Within the
next 2 years I plan to take my undergraduate degree and apply to Physician Assistant school. I
will then graduate with my masters and develop a larger knowledge base to become a better
health educator and healthcare provider as well as providing the most accurate information to
patients or anyone who wants to learn and listen about public health. I believe it is most
important to make people feel more comfortable about talking about public health and being
vulnerable to reach out for help regarding their health, whether it be physical, mental, or
emotional, rather than pushing it onto people. By teaching others the importance of public health
and advocating for new laws that will help make society a safer and more accessible place,
people would begin to feel more comfortable talking about their problems with health.