Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority success stories: how these former Global Health and Social Medicine students are determined to make a change

The Department of Global Health and Social Medicine has recently celebrated the achievements of Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority alumni by showcasing their success in their chosen careers. As part of their commitment towards anti racism, they have created a video series that displays the achievement, leadership and talent of four alumni students who give an insight into their professions post uni. The graduates reflect on both their achievements and challenges that they have encountered in their careers but also give great advice to inspiring GHSM students. Here are some key recommendations from the alumni:

Amrit Kaur Gill

“Grab onto the opportunities that you can during your undergraduate degree whether that’s joining the committee for a society, applying for internships or part time roles. This will help you to demonstrate your skills and potential to employers”

Amrit Kaur Gill is currently undertaking the Civil Service Fast Stream programme. If you want to hear more about her story, please click on the following link.

Deborah Oluyini

“Think about what specific tools you want to channel your desire to impact the world and define what impact truly means for you”

Deborah Oluyini is now a Communications Analyst at Milltown Partners. She was also part of BBCs The Big Hospital Experiment documentary which can be found here.

Meryem Cicek

“Explore your options, sign up to different experiences and check out the King’s Awards. They were of benefit as it allowed me to stand out from the crowd and opened doors to other opportunities. If you ever feel like you don’t belong, remember that you deserve to be here and have a important part to play in the future of this field”

Meryem Cicek is currently studying a PhD in Public Health where she aspires to work internationally for the World Health Organisation. If you want to learn more about her journey, please watch her video here.

Mohamed Ali

“Challenge the status quo. Be open to learning and unlearning throughout your experience”

Mohamed Ali is a Global Health Consultant at Development Reimagined and co-founded the Mind The Health Gap podcast on SoundCloud. If you are interested in listening to important topics surrounding Global Health, click here to hear what Mo and other scholars have to say.

 

So where do you see your future in Global Health? Do you plan to be in research, in local government or work internationally? Whatever path you decide to take, there are many resources that you can use to figure out what is best for you. Ultimately, be the change that you wish to see and start exploring your options so that you become an integral member in this important sector!

Career sites (both national and international):

Our KEATS career page provides great resources on how to prepare for interviews

Fogarty International Centre provides resources on training programs and jobs with Global Health.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention gives information on jobs, volunteering opportunities and fellowships in the industry.

The UNI jobs is a site where you can view Global and Public Health research jobs within the education environment.

UN jobs release both national and international job openings so if you are interested in an international career, this is a good resource to use.

Internship opportunities:

Check out our KEATS page to help you with finding an internship and what support is available for students from underrepresented groups.

The World Health Organisation have internships that range between 6-24 weeks in different areas within Global Health so it can help you identify what type of job role you see yourself doing.

Employment 4 Students shows the various internships available across the UK and the different funding options that each offer.

Further study:

We have a dedicated postgraduate KEATS page that gives great information on the process of starting a Masters or PhD degree and what career possibilities will be available to you. If you want specific information on a Global Heath Masters or PhD degree, click the hyperlink on the one you are interested in.

UCAS is a good site to look through as it will show you what options you have, where you can study and the different course duration options.

Please remember that the careers service are here to help you so if you have any questions, reach out to us on Careers Connect and we will be happy to help.