London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

My passion for reproductive and sexual health stemmed from my love and pursuit of feminist philosophy but not knowing where this love would take me. In my undergraduate degree, I majored in philosophy and minored in medical sciences. I thought public health was the perfect middle ground, and it was the diverse research groups and faculty that drew me to LSHTM. The idea of moving to London for a year for my master's was daunting, as before coming to LSHTM I had never visited, let alone lived, in London!

My time in LSHTM was very fast-paced and fully packed with module after module with many topics I was not previously familiar with. I have to say I did struggle in the statistical aspects of the modules, but I was also very grateful for all the help from the staff and my lovely colleagues.

During Term 1, my favourite module was Foundations in Reproductive Health. The knowledge I gained in itself was novel and invigorating. What I liked most about the course was the passionate faculty members in the lectures, and how they described the singularity of reproductive health in the realm of public health and epidemiology. I also made some good friends outside of my programme through the Extended Epidemiology module. I gained my biggest takeaways from modules like Sexual Health and Social Epidemiology and the inspiration they brought to me were just the start! These modules made me realise that public health and epidemiology were more than STATA and data collection. It is critical to think about the societal aspects and how best to understand, describe, measure, and approach these studies to make them resonate across disciplines.

As I now reflect on my three terms here at LSHTM, I’d have to say friends were absolutely a huge part of my everyday routine. We hung out at Pumphandle Bar on a Thursday/Friday afternoon or had library study sessions after lectures, or we'd grab Korean food, bagels or Swedish pastries in Tottenham Court Road and Soho. We'd hold gatherings, picnics, or going to house parties when there were festivities, terms were finished, or just because the weather was good.

Going to a school based in central London is a big plus too! There were so many times I could just go to the National Theatre, Old Vic, Royal Opera House or West End for plays and operas – and they were all within walking distance. Living in London is a geographic advantage when it comes to travelling too. I’m fortunate to have have friends in different European countries and found cheap tickets to travel to Paris, Lyon, Málaga, Helsinki and Dresden. Being a student ambassador gave me the chance to meet and chat with prospective applicants and students from around the world who have the same passion towards public health, too.

Coming to Term 2 and Term 3, everyone was slowly trying to get started on their summer project. I am beyond grateful to have had Clare Chandler, who is the principal investigator of Antimicrobials in Society (AMIS) programme at LSHTM, to supervise my summer project. It was a very reflective and invigorating experience to sit through and discuss back and forth with Clare throughout the summer. August 2023 was a long, difficult month of toil, but I am also full of gratitude to have been surrounded by supportive friends and academic faculty. This year at LSHTM has taught me a lot about public health, social sciences, myself, friendship, starting a project from ground zero, and living in London.  

I plan to stay in London to embark on my early career in reproductive and sexual health. Life in London is full of uncertainties and challenges, and I am ready to take on the challenge along with the friends that I have made throughout this year in LSHTM.

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