Purpose\

Self-reflection Exercises:?Self-reflexivity is critical to CBPR work. If you can?t be self-reflexive then you cannot do CBPR. It is an essential skill and practice of CBPR. These exercises will give experience in what self-reflection or self-reflexivity is and how to develop your own practice. In a nutshell, self-reflexivity is thinking about what you think ? why do you think that? What purpose does it serve? What does it harm? In self-reflexivity you explore your biases and judgments (we all have them!). It?s not about ?getting rid? of your biases and judgments and beliefs but rather developing an awareness of them and cultivating those beliefs that keep you honest within yourself while giving those less helpful judgments a gentle nudge in a more positive direction.nnThese exercises are due weeks 1 and 2. Please submit each assignment by Sunday, 11:59 MT at the end of week 1 and week 2. These are your private thoughts and feelings, and I will treat them as confidential and sacred. I will offer feedback on how to continue to develop your self-reflexive practice. I will never judge or critique your experience or thoughts ? they are too precious! These assignments are about the practice not the content.nnCourse OutcomesnnThrough this assignment, the student will meet the following course outcomes:n

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  • CO 7: Demonstrate the methods and skills used in the development, implementation, and evaluation of CBPR projects.

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nTotal Points PossiblennThis assignment is worth 80 points.nnRequirements & Preparing the papernnPlease answer the questions below. No more than two single-spaced pages. In this assignment, you are striving to explore your biases and judgments more deeply so that you can arrive at new insights and understandings about yourself and how you relate to the world around you.nnSelf-Reflection Exercise #1 ?n

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   1. Why is an MPH important to you?

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1. 1. How do you think you will be able to contribute to your community as a result of this education?

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1. 1. Why did you choose an MPH versus other advanced degrees

MPH509 Module 1: Self-Reflection Exercise 1

SOLUTION

An MPH degree is deeply important to me because I want to create positive change in public health, particularly in underserved communities. As an LGBTQ+ individual who grew up in a low-income rural area, I experienced firsthand the barriers many marginalized groups face in accessing adequate healthcare and health resources. These inequities sparked my passion for health justice. An MPH will provide me with the skills to analyze root causes of health disparities, develop data-driven solutions, and advocate for health-promoting policies.

With an MPH, I hope to contribute to my hometown community in several impactful ways. First, I plan to volunteer with local clinics and nonprofits to help connect underserved residents to care and social services. I will also offer my expertise in evaluation to help these organizations optimize their programs and demonstrate outcomes to secure funding. In addition, I want to build coalitions between community leaders, health providers, schools, and policymakers to align our efforts to improve community health. For example, we could collaborate on campaigns to reduce smoking rates or improve nutrition in schools. I can also apply my research skills to identify pressing health needs, and then develop appropriate interventions with community input. Finally, I aim to provide health education directly to young people in my community related to substance use, sexual health, and mental wellbeing.

I chose an MPH specifically because it will equip me with a diverse toolkit to tackle systemic public health issues on a community level. An MPH provides a much broader focus on social determinants of health, health disparities, behavioral interventions, policy analysis, and interdisciplinary collaboration compared to other health degrees. Medicine is more individual-treatment focused while social work concentrates more on psychotherapy and case management. Public health best matches my interests in preventing illness, promoting health equity, and driving community-wide change through research, advocacy, education, and innovation. An MPH will give me the foundation to pursue my goal of empowering underserved populations to build healthier communities.