MY MOTIVATIONAL LETTER My passion for medicine started at a very young age in a village called Awudua in Ghana. My grandmother had to carry my cousin and I alternatively on her back whenever we were sick and cover over 3km on foot because the only clinic accessible to us was in the next town, Prestea. One time, as it often happens , we missed the only health provider in the facility , my grandmother was tired , but she was more worried about us not getting treatment. I might have been too young to recall this incidence, but my grandmother always ended telling me this story with, “Ben you were young but you looked at me and said, “Nana ! Don’t worry, when I become a doctor, you wouldn’t have to carry us to Prestea again. I will treat us in Awudua “ Even though we were poor, this passion drove me to study hard through primary school and junior high school. It was my good fortune to receive a full scholarship from Gold elds Ghana Limited the biggest mining company in Ghana to read general science in St. John’s high school and then BSc. Biological Science at University of Cape Coast. Two years into the program I gained admission read medicine Nanchang University, China. fi As English was the medium of studies in medical school in China, I realized in the beginning of our studies that we will lack patients contact in our clinical years, hence I tried my best to compensate in so many ways. I went back to Ghana during long vacation for clinical rotations. After my third year I prepared and sat for United State Medical Licensing Examination step 1 ( USMLE 1), even though I couldn’t cross the pass mark, the good grasp I had on the basic medical courses like anatomy, physiology and microbiology paid off during my clinical years. In 2015, I attended a clinical rotation in University of Sydney, Nepean Hospital in Australia. I completed one year internship in Ghana at Tarkwa Municipal Hospital before graduating medical school. After graduation, I worked as a medical doctor at Battor Catholic Hospital in the Volta Region of Ghana. During my stay in Ghana my passion for helping patients grew beyond the walls of a hospital, I went out to churches, schools, villages to educate them on health related issues. I then realized even though doctors are trying our best, the mortality rate was very high. Upon further research I realized most patients die from treatable and preventable diseases like cholera, TB, Hepatitis B etc. For instance, malaria has been eradicated from developed countries but in Ghana, it still remains a public health concern. A major cause of high mortality and morbidity, especially among children under 5 and pregnant women. Currently as I write this personal statement, a vehicle carrying explosives for Maxam mining company in Tarkwa collided with a motorcycle in Bogoso, detonating the explosives, leaving 17 people dead, over 100 casualties and total demolition of the village from ground up. The government and the company are planning to compensate and rebuild all destroyed houses, however, the aftermath psychological and health issues of the affected will not be addressed. I know this because this is not the rst time and I have been directly affected by similar situation. The above and many more health concerns fuelled my passion to pursue masters in public health. fi fi Fortunately, I came across Masters of Public Health in the Glasgow Caledonian University, not only is London, my dream study location and the tuition fees of the program affordable, but most importantly Glasgow Caledonian University is the “ university of the common good” which aligns with my personal goals. I realized this program can help me pursue my passion because it places a priority on improving health and achieving health equity for all people worldwide, with a special focus on health problems in low- and middle-income countries. I believe with the knowledge and skills I will gain from masters of Public health , in addition to the experience of working in an international and vibrant environment with colleagues and fellow students from all over the world, I can contribute in nding innovative solutions to the problems I listed above in Ghana, Africa and the world at large.
