Alumni Spotlight: Sandi Banour, '19
Sandi Banour is a spring/summer 2019 graduate of the undergraduate Department of Public Health. Read her story to hear about how public health assisted in rounding out her goal to pursue pharmacy as a career.
Why did you choose public health as a degree of study at Wayne State University?
Pharmacy as a profession is quite a broad one, cutting across health and social circles. Studying Public Health for me is a means of acquiring competency and applying pharmacy to serve a community of people. I am very passionate about community service, and a Bachelor of public health will give my profession that social, community touch. As a pharmacist, I will be able to learn and apply epidemiology and disease distribution to target health literacy outreaches and other preventive primary care.
What career or education path did you pursue after completing the program?
When I complete my pharmacy education, I intend to practice as a pharmacist. A background in public health will equip me to understand the most factors that affect the health of my patients; social, economic, human and otherwise. I will provide the best-practiced healthcare obtainable in line with global standards.
How did the public health major prepare you for success after graduation?
As I said earlier, Pharmacy has a lot of public health applications. After my enrollment at the Midwestern College of Pharmacy program, I have found many similarities with the public health program, for example: "Introduction to Pharmacy" and "Public Health and Disease Prevention" topics. The additional certification in public health will confer some added advantage. I will have the requisite training and knowledge to make a remarkable impact in my community as a practicing pharmacist.
What advice would you give to current students to ensure they make the most out of their public health experience?
I will encourage other students to do their best in applying all the learned concepts in this degree to real-life scenarios. Public health is a practical degree, and one can immediately match the taught ideas to his immediate surroundings. They must be able to maximize their opportunities in the field. I will advise that everyone keep an open mind and learn as much as they can. Changing the world starts with one person, and that way, knowledge is passed from one to many. Knowledge of public health can be a valuable asset to any healthcare practitioner.
It will also benefit everyone to network and build connections that could help one get ahead or solve one problem or another. Lastly, find time to laugh and have some fun.