Shruthi Murali’s first exposure to public health occurred during an internship she took after completing her bachelor’s degree.

The internship, where she created senior-friendly health opportunities, allowed her to witness the positive effects of community-based health programs. Through this experience, she decided to explore a degree in public health.

Murali began by taking online courses through the Public Health Core Concepts certificate at the University of Minnesota-Rochester.

She is now in her first year of the PHAP program and has already made an impact on campus by co-chairing the award-winning Student Ebola Action Committee (SEAC).

Murali says, “Chairing SEAC was the most meaningful part of the semester as it allowed me to applying what I was learning in the classroom to real world problems that effect our communities.”

She notes, “We created a forum titled, Ebola: Local and Global Impact. It was a success and we will continue our work through this semester.”

Murali now has an internship with SPH faculty member, Amos Deinard, MD, and the Minnesota Oral Health Project to improve oral health for children in seven Minnesota counties. The project trains local Lions, Kiwanis, and Rotary volunteer clubs to encourage their healthcare providers to apply the fluoride varnishes on children 18 and under.

Eventually Murali wants to attend medical school and hopes to continue work on public health issues related to the elderly. She chose the PHAP program to develop skills in administration and policy and later combine these with her clinical focus.

~ Posted by Mona Rath