MPH Student Ashwin Siddaraju Seeks Personal and Professional Growth at SLU
Master of Public Health student Ashwin Siddaraju’s journey to SLU took a couple of detours, but ultimately led him to pursue an MPH with a dual concentration in Health Management and Policy and Epidemiology.
Originally from Dunlap, Illinois, his decision to go into public health and pursue his MPH took some deep reflection and introspection during his undergraduate career, where he spent much time formulating his thoughts and reaching out to others for advice about his career goals and desires. There, he realized he wanted to be a proponent of healthcare change and help drive humanity forward.
Siddaraju started out as a Public Health Administration major at Northern Illinois University (NIU) before transferring to Illinois State University (ISU) where he majored in Community Health Promotion and Education with dual minors’ in Public Health and Business Administration.
He would finish out his undergraduate degreeat Illinois State, acquiring a Bachelors in Science.
“I took an intro to public health course (at NIU), which predominantly focused on preventative health strategies and intervention design. Over time I started to really evaluate and determine what I was passionate about, what I was motivated by, and the type of work I wanted to engage in. It took some time, but after a year or so into my undergraduate tenure and countless hours of personal research, connecting with professionals, and introspective thought I knew that my calling was public health,” he said. My deep desires are to be an agent of change, a servant to humanity, and ultimately play an integral role in creating forward-thinking and creative strategies to improve population health outcomes in this country.”
Siddaraju’s goal is to eventually play a part in finding a way to achieve lower costs, greater access, positive health outcomes, and equity, he says.
“The degree I am pursuing at SLU aligns with that goal, (allows) me to dabble in both health management (administration) and public health,” he says.
He chose SLU after consulting with previous CPHSJ alumni on their experiences in their MPH and MHA programs. SLU’s nationally ranked Master of Public Health program boasts a vast alumni network employed at federal, state and local health agencies; consulting firms; consumer advocacy organizations; community-based organizations and health care centers; hospitals; research centers; and universities.
Within the first year of graduation, 99% of our graduates are beginning their careers, participating in fellowships or furthering their graduate education.
The alumni he spoke with raved about the collaboration between students and faculty, as well as how driven the college is in advocating for public health.
“Saint Louis University consistently propped up as a potential option when conducting research on MPH graduate degree programs. I connected with a few individuals who were previously in the MHA and MPH programs as part of my due diligence to capture insights into their personal perceptions of SLU CPHSJ, and all of them raved about the program, instructors, administration, and support provided to students throughout the duration of their graduate degree program,” he said.
Siddaraju also loves the location of SLU in relation to the access it has to local healthcare institutions and the real-world opportunities they provide students to get involved.
“I would say the one major difference between SLU from other universities that I considered was in part due to the location of the university and its relationship with contiguous public health institutions and prominent healthcare systems,” he said. “SLU is nestled in a healthcare hub/ethos, and with that offers an uncanny degree of access to a myriad of domains that students are interested in exploring further and garnering new exposure in.”
During his time at SLU, Siddaraju notes his favorite aspects of the CPHSJ as being the mentorship that develops between students and faculty, and the relationship building between him and his peers.
As for his favorite classes, he has enjoyed all of them, especially the biostatistics and epidemiology classes as they provide insight on the technical areas of public health that are becoming more necessary to learn as years go on.
Outside of school, Siddaraju enjoys the personal and professional growth opportunities that St. Louis has to offer, such as local markets, festivals, and the abundance of nature, city parks, and sports teams to cheer on.
“The opportunities for personal and professional growth are in abundance, outside of academia. I am a bit biased, since I live in Shaw, but I am a huge fan of the neighborhood as well Tower Grove and Forest Park. My partner and I are very active individuals and are very fond of the outdoors and appreciate that Saint Louis offers so many experiences such as markets and festivals that take place out in nature,” he said.
Siddaraju just completed his first year of his MPH program and is currently a graduate assistant for the CPHSJ undergraduate school under Undergraduate Program Manager Maggie Callon and professor Dr. Lauren Arnold. After he graduates in the spring of 2024, he hopes to have an administrative residency fellowship at a pediatric hospital.
“ I have such strong convictions that this setting, fighting and advocating for pediatric patients and their families is exactly what I was called upon to do,” he said.
College for Public Health and Social Justice
The Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice is the only academic unit of its kind, studying social, environmental and physical influences that together determine the health and well-being of people and communities. It also is the only accredited school or college of public health among nearly 250 Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States. Guided by a mission of social justice and focus on finding innovative and collaborative solutions for complex health problems, the college offers nationally recognized programs in public health and health administration.