Noor Sheikh is a Master of Public Health, Epidemiology student at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. Noor seeks to combine their love for policy advocacy with global public health interventions to make clinical, community, and overall health more accessible.
What inspired you to pursue public health?
As a pakistani-american, I’ve always been interested in helping people within my communities. I began college with a desire to become a surgeon with organizations such as Doctors Without Borders. However, during my sophomore year, I was assigned to interview public health professionals which introduced me to community-level intervention and public health. I was immediately intrigued and felt aligned with professionals in this field. As a result, I switched my major from Biology, pre-medicine at Oregon State University to Public Health, with an option in Management & Policy. During my junior year, I took an epidemiology course and felt compelled to pursue a career in infectious disease/crisis analysis as an epidemiologist working globally
Did you face any challenges at any point during your academic journey?
As a working graduate student, there are a lot of complexities that arise such as balancing work priorities with assignments, studying, and networking. Albeit the greatest is imposter syndrome—the feeling that we do not deserve our accomplishments or to be in this program. This hindered me from applying to MPH programs right after college.
Additionally, time management has served as a challenge. Shortly before beginning the program in 2022, I was diagnosed with ADHD. However, I learned to manage these barriers by working with our program director, the Office of Student Success, and professors; I was able to feel supported.
Who/what served as an inspiration during your academic journey?
In short–My family, my community, and my friends. I’m extremely grateful to be a part of a community of resilient, ambitious, and kind individuals who emphasize uplifting others while simultaneously pursuing their dreams of improving themselves academically, professionally, and personally.
Who has been supportive to you in your academic journey?
I’ve been extremely privileged to be supported by my family (Shout-out to Nasir, Laila, Nadia & Omar), friends, and cohort members.
What kind of impact do you hope to make in the world of Public Health?
I’m particularly interested in combining my love for policy advocacy with global public health interventions to make clinical, community, and overall health more accessible, eradicate unnecessary deaths, and improve healthcare education and literacy.