Statement of Purpose

SHEIKH MD SHAFIQUR RAHMAN

Master of Public Health (MPH)

November 2019
Ever since my childhood I have planned to follow the footsteps of my parents, who devoted their
lives to healthcare sectors by working in several government hospitals and health organizations.
Having completed MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery) degree, now I have
planned to study Master of Public Health (MPH) as I recognize the importance of good
management in maximizing the services offered in public health sectors. I have worked in the
clinical settings for one year during my internship in a medical college hospital and I have
enjoyed almost every day of it. Thus, I have become interested in the business of patient care.
The idea of how certain decisions were made or what processes were in place to make changes
within the organization were not even fleeting thoughts in my mind. However, in the last few
months, I have begun to have such an interest. I have requested and been given more non-clinical
responsibilities and have been able to interact with people outside of my small clinical
environment such as attending seminars with pharmacists and having meetings with healthcare
executives of various public health organizations. The answers to my initial questions of ‘why’ or
‘how’ have only lead to more in depth questions. A strong desire to understand how the health
organizations work and make sense of all different, intricate levels of decision making has been
born. I suppose, it was always there but needed a spark to become the large flame that currently
burns.

Along the way, I have gained a significant amount of clinical knowledge that has benefited me in
both my clinical environment and the relatively new non-clinical arena. It is with this knowledge
that I have gained the ability to mentor new employees and train those that have recently joined
into the hospital. The individual and professional development that I have gained from these
experiences has been some of the most beneficial learning experiences that I have ever obtained.

Working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has been extremely rewarding and
educational, often difficult and sometimes heartbreaking. These experiences have increased my
passion for a public health administrative role. I have seen areas that the hospital has improved
upon dramatically and has begun to recognize others that could use improvement. However, in
my current role, often the extent of my influence with regard to policy change is merely
suggestion or advice and I have not been given the opportunity directly to affect change.
However, this fact has not slowed me down. I have frequently pushed forward ideas that I have
and methods of improving workflow or processes.

Having worked in my position for one year, I have a unique perspective on how a seemingly
innocuous policy change may have a dramatic effect on the daily workflow of the clinician. I
understand how staff will respond to and thus follow certain department wide and hospital wide
changes. While some policies need to be changed or improved, regardless of how well it is
received, there are often different methods of affecting this change.

My interest in public health administration is dominated by the integration of new health care
delivery systems, technological innovations, restructuring of work and policy demands greater
involvement in deciding how our knowledge is used. I would like to take part in deciding how
we as a society deal with providing the best quality of care for all citizens. I have accepted that
anyone interested in success has to learn to view failure as a healthy, inevitable part of the
process of getting to the top.
My education focusing on public healthcare administration will enable me to be successful in
managing the integration of new healthcare delivery systems, technological innovations,
restructuring of work and budgets, and the increased focus on preventative care. I intend to earn
a Master degree in Health Administration, which I will use as a springboard and background to
develop and expand programs for scientific research, preventative medicine, medical and
vocational rehabilitation, and community health and welfare at a healthcare institution. I am
accustomed to a robust system that grants equal access to health care and health related services
to its users. Everyone is entitled to the highest standard of physical and mental well-being and I
will look forward to working in an environment, which will allow me to create and sustain
outstanding healthcare services in a rapidly changing industry. As a public healthcare
administrator, I will be committed to improving efficiency in healthcare facilities and the quality
of the care provided in my organization.

I passed HSC from Dhaka College in July of 2011. After that I tried for government medical
colleges to get admission in the MBBS course. Unfortunately, I did not get admission in the
government medical colleges but I got admission in a private medical college for the MBBS
course in Bangladesh. At that time I decided to study the MBBS course in a Chinese Government
Medical University in China rather than studying in a private medical college in Bangladesh. So
that, from the beginning of 2012 I started to apply in various Chinese Government Medical
Universities and I had to complete all the necessary prerequisites to secure admission in a
Government Chinese Medical University and it took almost a year and in March, 2013 finally I
went to China for pursuing my MBBS degree. I completed my MBBS in January, 2018. After
that I came back in Bangladesh for one year internship training and I started my internship at
Shahabuddin Medical College Hospital in March, 2018 and completed my one year internship
training in March, 2019. After completing my internship in March, 2019 I went to China again
for the convocation of my university. In the meantime, I have been taking preparation for the
Australian student visa. My father is a renowned government physician and he will be going to
finance for my post graduation studies. Another important thing is that I have got married in
February, 2019.

My passion is and always will be in public health and healthcare related fields. I just have started
my career as a health professional and have a firm desire to continue to do so. While my time in
the direct patient care clinical setting has been extremely rewarding as well as beneficial, I
strongly believe that there is a place in public health sector management and leadership for an
individual with very unique qualifications and abilities, such as myself. I have worked hand in
hand with clinicians during my internship in a medical college hospital who can make a
meaningful change and have a dramatic effect on the outcome of a critically ill patient’s life. I
wish I will be able to do the similar work at the administrative level after achieving an MPH
degree in the future.

Australia, the island continent has been always my dream country. Since I was a young boy I
have invariably wanted to visit it. Australia has vast cultural diversity, friendly natives and high
quality education, thus I was motivated to pursue my higher education there. Moreover, Australia
has rich biodiversity and rare animal species of the world which attract all the nature lovers from
all over the world. Among all of the great cities in Australia, Sydney is undoubtedly superior. My
university is located in the heart of Sydney which will make communication more convenient for
its pupils. My university is well ranked among all of the universities in Australia and is also
globally ranked in the whole world according to QS World University Ranking 2019. My
university in Sydney has exquisite architectural buildings and innovative research laboratories
which can play a significant role in the students’ minds. I have been also marveled at the beauty
of the campus which I have observed through the internet. Thus, I have chosen this university in
Sydney, Australia for my future scholastic endeavor.

Bangladesh in the recent decades has developed economically and socially to a massive
percentage. It has secured the 2nd position among the Asian growing countries but it is lagging
behind in the terms of sustainable development and public health education. And so, there are not
enough post graduations courses regarding the subject. Therefore, I would like to pursue my
higher education in Australia rather than pursuing it in my homeland.

After completing my MPH degree I would like to come back to my native place and start
professional public health practice. The MPH degree will enhance my professional career as a
public health consultant. I would like to work for non-profit organizations, government health
agencies and non-government health organizations (NGO). Research opportunities are increasing
in Bangladesh regarding epidemiology. So that, I would like to utilize my research knowledge in
this flourishing field. This will be my contribution to my county.

Furthermore, Master of Public Health (MPH) degree will develop my skills, knowledge and
values that are appropriate when beginning a career in public health sector in my homeland.
Health administrators plan and organize the delivery of services within the healthcare
organizations. For example: long and acute care facilities, rehab centers, hospitals and health
clinics. I will be able to use these skills after I graduate with MPH degree. I volunteered in
programs such as, Life-link during my final year of undergraduate education. For example, in
Life-link, I was able to mentor people who had Down syndrome. I made them to walk, to recall a
childhood memory, did activities with them and I made sure they knew that I was there to help
them. This experience made me realize that healthcare is definitely is the career I want. I care
about the quality of life no matter who it is and I think that people should be able to get a chance
for a better future.

My passion is and always will be in public health and healthcare related fields. I just have started
my career as a health professional and have a firm desire to continue to do so. While my time in
the direct patient care clinical setting has been extremely rewarding as well as beneficial, I
strongly believe that there is a place in public health sector management and leadership for an
individual with very unique qualifications and abilities, such as myself. I have worked hand in
hand with clinicians during my internship in a medical college hospital who can make a
meaningful change and have a dramatic effect on the outcome of a critically ill patient’s life. I
wish I will be able to do the similar work at the administrative level after achieving an MPH
degree in the future.