Assignment #8

Throughout the first half of class I have realized what a large issue public health is at a global level. Before taking this class I assumed that treatment was much more important and effective than prevention, but now I realize the large impact prevention can have a population and the amount of money it can save. I enjoyed the guest lecturers and the topics they brought to the class. I thought that each guest focusing on a certain area was very effective and helped specify that area and make the class realize the impact that area can have on a population.

The most interesting area that was covered in the first half of the class in my opinion was obesity because of the enormous impact it has on our society and the fact that it is still a rising problem. I realized this was a problem before this class, but now I realize all the problems that can come from it and that it is actually a larger problem than I had assumed. The fact that two thirds of Americans are overweight is a shocking fact and in my opinion one of the largest public health issues today. The fact that it is only getting worse is even more shocking.

What I found most surprising about public health is the enormous range of people that it tries to effect and the enormous effect it has on our everyday health. I did not know that public health affected my life so drastically and many of the things I take for granted are actually provided through public health innovations. The majority of the things I can do safely are provided through public health innovations. The clean water that I drink ever day multiple times is provided because of public health.

In my initial blog post I talked about my Pre-Med course that I plan on taking and how I thought that this course would help me. This course has helped me, but now that I have re read my initial blog post I realize how ignorant I was about the entire area. I thought that public health was a more medical field while I realize now that it is much more focused on prevention and that if the third step of public health, treatment, is reached it is the last resort. I have now learned that public health is a much larger area and has a much larger goal than I originally thought.