RSPH Member Spotlight: Samantha Henry

We meet Samantha Henry, a student member of RSPH from Guyana.

• What do you enjoy most about your RSPH Student membership?

What I enjoy most about my RSPH Student Membership are the articles in the public health journals. These have enabled me to increase my knowledge on different topics such as cancer, COVID-19, mental health, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, HIV/AIDS, and infectious diseases. My RSPH membership has also helped me to meet a wide array of academic experts and professors in public health, and to learn about their work.

• Which courses have you studied?

I first studied at the University of Guyana in my home country of Guyana, where I obtained an Associate of Science Degree in Medical Technology, majoring in Chemical Pathology. I graduated and won the Giglio Award for the Best First Year Student in Medical Technology.  I then won a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship offered by Rotary International. This enabled me to study at Jacksonville University in Florida, where I graduated with a B.SC in Biology. I then took some classes in the Masters in Public Health Programme at the University of Wolverhampton in the UK but returned to Guyana during the COVID-19 Pandemic to work within healthcare. I am now returning to my studies and my dream is to obtain a Masters and Doctoral Degree in Public Health, with a focus on Health Policy and Leadership.

• What career are you hoping to go into and why does that interest you?

My vision is to pursue a career in public health to assist in improving my country's healthcare system. 

Guyana has similar health problems to other countries in the Caribbean and South America.  Examples include the rising incidence of HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid, and cholera. There are also deaths of children from diseases caused by malnutritional. 

I hope that my studies will provide me with the public health knowledge and leadership skills to design and implement public health programmes aimed at decreasing the incidence of infectious diseases that ravage my country. I want to help to formulate health policies that will make healthcare delivery and services more effective and accessible to populations both in Guyana and around the world. I also hope my studies will help me to be able to conduct research into non-communicable diseases, such as cancers and cardiovascular diseases, that have high mortality rates in Guyana. 

In addition, I would like to work with international organizations such as PAHO, UNESCO, UN, RSPH, and CDC on public health projects that will improve the health status of the populations of many developing countries.

• How has RSPH membership helped you?

As well as reading journal articles, my RSPH membership has given me access to many online courses and webinars. Subjects have included COVID-19, Introduction to Public Health, Infection Prevention and Control, Cancer Prevention, and Digital Shifts in Behaviour Change. These have helped me get a better understanding of the theories and concepts of Public Health, as well as enabling me to gain many academic CPD points.

• What do you do to take care of your own health and well-being?

It is important to take care of one’s health and well-being. I do so by going to the gym and doing simple incline walking on equipment such as the treadmill, and simple weight lifting. I also enjoy walking along the park and seaside. When I am not outdoors walking or jogging I do practice a lot of mindfulness sessions and yoga.

I wish to extend my appreciation to the Royal Society for Public Health for the opportunity to participate in this featured article exercise and to thank the institution for the interest they take in the education of students in the area of public health.