Statement of Purpose

Introduction

My name is Megha A. Saliya. Holding Indian passport #. V3313314, I am extremely grateful

to get this opportunity to state the purpose of applying for an education visa at the
Australian Embassy. Australia is a land of opportunities and learning from the experts at a
reputed Australian university has always been my dream. I have always had an ardent desire
to work in medicine because of the humanitarian goal of saving people's lives. This interest
quickly turned into a passion, leading me to pursue science as a subject after the
Matriculation examination. As a result, I chose biology as an elective, laying the groundwork
for my foundation of medical educational fundamentals. My passion for medicine grew into
a strong professional inclination after graduating from high school, which aligned with my
skills and knowledge, eventually leading me to pursue a bachelor's degree. After finishing
my school education, I earned a B. Sc. in Nursing.

My bachelor's degree experience inspired me, even more during my job experience, to
pursue higher education abroad. After narrowing my options, I decided to apply for my
Master of Public Health at CQ University in Australia, which I believe will not only expand my
knowledge but also provide me with the best possible platform for achieving my future
goals. CQ University has extended me an offer letter for a two-year 'Master of Public Health
program beginning in July 2022.

Family:

Patan is where I was born and raised. But since my marriage, I am a proud resident of
Ahmedabad city of Gujarat. My father, Bhagvanbhai Makwana, is now a retired head clerk
from the Gujarat Water supply and Sewerage Board of Patan. And my mother, Vimlaben
Makwana, is a great homemaker. We learned many life values from our parents as a result
of growing up in a close-knit family with an older brother and sister. We are grateful to them
for providing us with the best that they could. My brother, Saurabh Agrawal, is now actively
serving as Talati in the Gram Panchayat, which is a government body in non-urban areas of
the State; and my sister, Jyoti Rathod, is happily married and is a stay-at-home spouse.

Now, I am blessed with two lovely families as I am married. I found my better half and got
married recently in June 2021. My husband, Ashish Saliya, is wonderful and incredibly
supportive of my career decisions. My father-in-law, Jethabhai Saliya, works as Office
Superintendent at the Vishwakarma Government Engineering College; while my mother-in-
law, Kamlaben Saliya, manages the household activities. My elder brother-in-law, Jigar
Saliya works with the government of Gujarat as a Supervisor Instructor at ITI.
My husband acquired his bachelor’s degree in Technology with a major in Dairy and Food
Technology in the year of 2017 from Sardar Krushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University.
After pursuing various industrial training from different dairy product production
companies, currently, he is employed as Technical Officer in the production department of
Madhur Dairy in Gandhinagar since 2017.

Academics:

Talking about my school life, I have studied till my Secondary School Certificate at Lord
Krishna School of Science in Patan, which is affiliated with the Gujarat Secondary and Higher
Secondary Education Board. I completed my SSC in March 2013 and passed out by scoring
decently with 69.50 percent. Because of my keen interest in the medical field and its moral
benefits to human society, I chose the Science stream for my further studies in 12 th grade.
During my senior class, I studied the fundamentals of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and
English. I completed my Senior School Certificate in March 2015 with an above-average
59.80 percentile rank.

There were a few options to choose from, for my bachelor’s degree after completing school.
I conducted extensive research and evaluation of various aspects and outcomes of various
courses based on my personal preferences. My goal has never changed since then: to make
a difference and to bring joy to people by comforting those in need. I found the Nursing
program to be the best fit as it requires the same urge in the candidate that I possess.
Furthermore, my home country's increasing population growth, with its associated
challenges and rewards, creates numerous growth opportunities.

I joined the Shrey Institute of Nursing and Allied Science at Ahmedabad to study Bachelor of
Science in Nursing. During this four-year program, I have studied significant subjects such as
human physiology, microbiology, medical-surgical nursing, community health nursing, child
health nursing, mental health nursing, midwifery and obstetrical nursing, and management
of nursing services and education. This program has helped me to improve my general
medicine, public health education, and overall nursing knowledge. I completed my B. Sc. in
Nursing in July 2019, with no reattempt in any subjects.

Work Experience:

Immediately after receiving the final results of my bachelor’s degree, I started my procedure
to enroll myself as a member of the highly renounced body of nursing in Gujarat that is The
Gujarat Nursing Council. I became a member of this council on 29 th November 2019.
Simultaneously, to continue gaining knowledge about the practical aspects of this field, I
was actively looking for opportunities and I found one in my hometown, Patan at the B. M.
School of Nursing.
The position was not exactly what I was looking for, but it was remarkably interesting to me.
I joined the institute as a ‘Nursing Tutor’ in October 2019. The job role included the
responsibility of teaching the new candidates the importance of this field with various
technical knowledge. Thus, where I could have helped only a few patients in the given
period, this job allowed me to help a much larger number of people by teaching new
nursing students.

Meanwhile, as I became more involved in teaching nursing subjects as a tutor, I felt

compelled to pursue my higher education, which is a master's degree. My bachelor's degree
knowledge has known limitations for my career growth because it imparts learning about
the foundation concepts of introduction subjects. Moreover, the Indian job market for
nurses has a keen preference for candidates who have completed an advanced degree than
a basic degree. As a result, it did not take me long to decide to continue my studies as a
crucial next step.

For the same, I started preparing for the IELTS exam to prove my language proficiency in
English, I appeared for the exam in December 2021 and successfully achieved an overall
score of 6 bands, which included 7 bands in Listening, 5.5 bands in Reading, 5.5 bands in
Writing and 6.5 bands in the Speaking module.

Before beginning my admission process, as a responsible person and an employee of the

Institute of B. M. School of Nursing, I requested the body's acceptance of my resignation,
and in response, I served the intimation period and eventually left my job in February 2022. I
will be eternally grateful to this institute for allowing me to develop professionally through
the environment provided during my work experience.

Why not India?

Indian higher education system is an overly complicated system with only 3% of students
getting admissions into top Central Universities, which displays the cutthroat competitive
environment prevailing in the country, while in Australia most educational institutions
provide advanced high-quality education with not much competition involved in the
admission process. In the current global climate, there is more focus on global mobility
rather than local mobility. India fails to provide such mobility factors to students, while on
the other hand, Australia has many universities with global recognition and a high
reputation among employers.

In the current global economy, companies put more emphasis on global exposure and
outlook as the exposure provides various perspectives on different problems. Moreover,
global exposure demonstrates openness, adaptability, and flexibility in an individual, which
is highly valued by the economy.
Initially, the fees of an Australian university may seem dismaying, but if one considers the
return on investment given by the education, then they may realize that it is not much and
can be recovered in a few years, while in India this may take much more time. The
Australian education system is different in many aspects from than Indian education system.
While the Indian education system is strict and rigid, Australian higher education is more
flexible and provides various alternatives in choosing elective and minor subjects.

The research technologies used in India and Australia are drastically different in the study of
public health. With large-scale research practices being adopted in Australia and not much
being done in India. Australia is one of the most popular destinations for international
students with students from all around the globe studying in it. Having a large cumulative of
international students provides a varied cultural insight and exposure, which will be a
valuable experience for me moving forward.

Why Australia?

Australia is the topmost choice for students planning to study abroad all over the world.
Australia has six of the top 100 universities in the world with globally recognized universities
like The University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, Australian National University, and
many more. Australian education is ranked 8th in the world according to Universitas 2019
U21 ranking of National Higher Education Systems, which is above Countries like France,
Germany, Norway, and Japan. Australian Universities provide over 22,000 courses to
students which provide students with a wide array of subjects to choose from.

As mentioned before, Australia is one of the most culturally advanced countries in the
world, due to which, students face no obstacles in settling down and fitting in the local
community of their choice. It is one of the welcoming countries with a highly open culture,
which makes it easier for an international student to adapt to the pristine environment. A
satisfaction score of almost 90% is reported by international students according to the 2018
Department of Education International Student Survey, which further attests to the fact that
Australia is one of the most convivial environments for international students to study.

Among the best student cities in the world, seven are from Australia according to QS Best
Student Cities 2019. Among them, cities like Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth,
and Gold Coast are included, and the advanced public facilities like transportation, Hygiene,
etc of these cities are ranked utmost in global rankings. Among the various areas of study,
areas like Clinical, Pre-clinical, Health, Life sciences, and Health sciences of Australian
Universities are ranked among the world’s top 50 according to The Times Higher Education
World University Rankings 2020. Such emphasis on health sciences will help me in my
further professional study.
The Australian government ranks amongst the top countries providing scholarships to
international students. Every year the Australian government invests more than 300 million
Australian dollars in scholarships involving international students and a range of support
options for students. The above facts led me to the decision of opting Australia as the
country for my higher education.

Why Not Any Other Country?

After deciding on the course that I want to study, I naturally had to choose the country that I
want to pursue that course. So, I did research on different countries of the world and found
many cons in other countries and chose Australia as the best country for me to study. In the
US, the education fees are steep and expensive. Even the US own citizens find the fees quite
expensive, while the education loan interest is extortionate. In the U.S education loan
burden is not shared by the government with support while in Australia government loans
can be paid back if one earns enough to afford it at a reasonable rate.

While in Canada, the climate is extreme with the temperature reaching below minus 20
degrees Celsius for 8 months of the year. Being from a tropical country, I found that I cannot
adjust to such a harsh winter climate and found the Australian sunny weather rather
relaxing to me, as it is mostly the same as my home country.

Why master’s degree in public health from CQ University?

C Q University was established in the year 1967. In recent years, it has been on a remarkable
trajectory with growth in several students, new campuses, courses, and more. It is one of
the fastest developing new universities in Australia. It is recognized among the world’s top
650 Universities according to QS World Rankings. CQ university delivers more than 300
education and training courses to its students in various disciplines like Health, Psychology,
Business, Law, Accounting, and many more. This extent of courses displays the University’s
focus on flexibility and openness. C Q University is one of the most renowned universities in
terms of research in several key disciplines bridging the gap between the community and
industry requirements.

The universities approach to research is practical with a focus on real-world outcomes. CQU
was rated as ‘Well Above’ in world standards in 13 categories of research including
Mathematical Sciences, Applied Sciences, Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Agriculture,
Public Health and Health Services, and Nursing. CQ university offers more than 300 courses
from six areas of discipline starting from graduation up to Ph.D. So, its research in sciences is
well above average which further specifies its approach towards research and its
importance.
CQU is recognized as Australia’s most inclusive university with the highest rate of people
coming from disadvantaged mature ages, Aboriginals. This humanitarian approach of the
university inspired me to be a part of it. The dedication of the university toward its
international students is one of the key factors for me to apply to this university.

CQ University boasts an above-average domestic graduate employment rate of 80%, which

is well above the national average according to the Graduate Outcomes Survey. CQ
university outperforms most Australian Universities in terms of overall student experience
and graduate’s starting salary. Graduates report securing a full-time job within the first four
months of graduation.

The University has one of the largest campuses in Australia with a campus presence all
around Australia. The University has invested more than 200 million dollars in facilities and
capital work which demonstrates its concern for students while providing the best possible
environment to study and grow. The university also provides various student leadership
opportunities along with support services like counseling, and career & program advice. This
makes CQ university one of the best University choices in Australia.

This inspired me to pursue public health and the research behind it. I chose CQ university
public health course because it incorporates a social perspective of public health skills which
is imparted by experienced professionals with practical industry working experience.

The course structure of the chosen program consists of 16 units in total. There are
compulsory core public health units in it like Epidemiology and statistics, Global public
health, Participatory health research, Cultural immersion, Positive psychology,
Gerontological care, Ageing in rural and remote areas, Dementia and its complexities, Child
safety and domestic violence, leadership and management in domestic violence and so on.
These subjects excite me as a public health enthusiast and future professional.

CQU master’s in public health provides real-world learning experiences where one can apply
skills and knowledge in practical scenarios. There’s a mandatory 120 hours of community-
based work experience in two units of master’s providing real-world opportunities to
students. One can learn from the latest technology provided by the university and research
options down the line.

The master’s program is a career-focused program, where I will be prepared enough to work
in government organizations, community-related health services projects, and work in
international humanitarian organizations. Thus, because of its practical real-world approach,
I chose the master’s in the public health program at CQ University.
Opportunities in store

As soon as I am finished with my education at CQU, after winding all the required
formalities, I will pack my bags, book the next flight to my home country and meet my
family after an extensive period. The Master’s in Public Health program from CQU will
endow a set of skills, and an opportunity to experience life in Australia, importantly
experience a new way of learning. With high spirits, confidence and newly acquired skills, I
will be awaited by a sea of opportunities in my home country, India.

Coming from a nursing background, I am well aware of the health sector in India, moreover,
due to the pandemic, an assortment of problems has been opened and now more than ever
the need arose for better public health management. Working in public health will be an
opportunity for me to work on the grassroots level, so if I can bring a visible change at that
level, it will have a magnanimous effect on the societal as well as personal level. I regularly
sift through journals on health, I have stumbled upon several articles that prompted me to
think deeply about the state of public health in my country.

As stated in an article titled “Public Health Challenges in India: Seizing the Opportunities”
published online at the National Library of Medicine, the ratio of nurses-to-physician in India
is approximately 0.6:1 whereas in the other developed countries it is 3:1, a pressing issue,
especially in rural parts of India. Looking at this report, it has been addressed that it is on
the shoulders of the giant i.e., the Public Health Planners to initiate the efforts to recruit
skilled and efficient individuals to cater to the vacant positions, plan for upskilling the
existing staff and facilitate a rapid impact of health-related operations in the rural areas.

To tackle the public health crisis in India, the journal has four points where there is room for
improvement, which can improve the condition of public health in India. The first point
addresses the expenditure made by the government on health should be increased from,
currently 1.3% of GDP to a minimum of 2.5%. Secondly, to improve the existing public
health infrastructure, so that the services can meet the demands of the community
promptly, one major requirement to make efforts for this issue is the need for an efficient
public-health employee workforce. The majority of the responsibility for improving the
public-health goes into the hands of the existing government, but the goals can be achieved
much faster by a public-private partnership. Thirdly the journal addresses the intrinsic value
of work which should be equity, excellence and evidence, this is a critical point because it
lays the foundation for the future policymakers and the state of public health for the
generations to come.

The end goal of public-health operations is the welfare of the insipid state of the vulnerable,
impoverished community of the rural and urban poor. And the concluding fourth point,
leveraging technology to morph the face of public health. To reach the far-reaching
communities and locales, technology plays a vital role, through telemedicine, and mobile
tech., which will eventually empower the leadership of public health and its governance in
India. Considering all the above points, it is crystal clear, that there is no dearth of
opportunities for work in India, and I am indebted to my country; hence, by working for my
community, society will be my act of paying back to the country.

Epidemiology, Nutrition, Environmental and occupational health, Public Policy, Health

Education and Behaviour Science, etc. are some of the listed domains under the umbrella of
the Public Health sector. Some of the titles are eligible for public health graduates; are as
follows, health educator., health analyst, medical administrator, public health nurse, Health
commissioner, Biostatistician, and Epidemiologist. Working in public health will bring me the
joy of employing my technical acumen, critical thinking skills, and long-term thinking but
most importantly forward the humane compassion involved in the work. According to
Glassdoor, a review portal for companies, the average salary of a public health employee
can range from INR 600K to approx. INR 1200K yearly, in public and private organizations.

Considering the pay scale, an amount enough to live comfortably in India and support my
family. As a married woman, I appreciate my husband’s and in-laws’ support in my
endeavour. To accompany in my journey, my husband will join me, which brings great
confidence to me, as this will be my first time travelling outside of the country and the
support, and presence of my life partner will help me focus on my studies and sail through
ups and downs knowing that I am supported and loved throughout my arduous journey of
pursuing education in Australia. The security of sufficient funds has helped has finalized the
decision to pursue education in Australia, for which we are greatly fortunate and humbled
by the opportunity from CQU.

Conclusively, I take immense pride in my work, and my compassion for the welfare of
individuals, and society collectively. To live is to learn and act for the welfare of others, and
my decision to pursue this program is my initial step toward my lifetime of efforts in aligning
my work with my values.

Sincerely
Megha Saliya