"Having already explore the treatment aspect of health during my undergraduate degree, I wanted to focus on the preventative aspect. Public health was an obvious choice as it had broad prospects both globally and in India."
Jomy started the Master of Public Health at the University of Melbourne in 2019, after completing a Bachelor of Dental Surgery in India. He has always been passionate about health:
"My options in dentistry were fairly limited and they were treatment-based. But prevention is key to public health and the Master of Public Health has a wide range of different fields that you can specialise in, everything from global health to biostatistics or health policy – there are so many. The breadth really appealed to me and I thought I could find my niche.
"Having already explored the treatment aspect of health during my undergraduate degree, I wanted to focus on the preventative aspect. Public health was an obvious choice as it had broad prospects both globally and in India.
"I’ve just completed the first semester and so far we’ve covered the foundations and biostatistics and epidemiology. I’ve decided to pursue global health and I’m also interested in health promotion, which we’ll cover next year."
Jomy credits the Master of Public Health program at the University of Melbourne with improving his academic writing – a vital skill in the field of health promotion that he aims to pursue after graduation.
"I had never been to Melbourne or Australia before coming here to study, but the University has made it so much easier to settle in. During orientation week, there were lots of events, workshops and opportunities to interact with students from all over the world. There was also support with my accommodation, and advice on things to do and where to go in and around Melbourne.
"Apart from the fact that the University of Melbourne is ranked extremely well globally, I like the way the Master of Public Health has been structured and find the variety of electives offered highly impressive.
"There are students from 34 countries in the course, which is amazing. I’ve never experienced such a diverse student cohort before – people have a wide range of backgrounds: psychology, biomedicine, nursing, political science. It’s varied and everyone has something to contribute, which is a great learning opportunity.
"The teaching faculty are brilliant. They come with experience from all around the globe and they’ve worked in the field for many years. They’re very accommodating, always approachable and they tailor their teaching to accommodate us being from so many different countries and backgrounds."
Committing to and realising your passion at your own pace is Jomy’s attitude towards success. He has always been passionate about health, and he’s in luck.
Globally, opportunities in health are on the rise. Looking at the Australian health sector specifically, the number of jobs in Healthcare and Social Assistance are expected to grow by 14.9 per cent by 2023. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Labour Force Survey (May 2018), this could potentially lead to 250,000 new jobs being created.
"I would like to pursue a career in health promotion after completing my Masters. The skill and competency of medical staff and equipment for modern diagnosis and treatment in Australia is high. I would definitely consider working in Australia after my studies as the public health in India is still in its early stages and is developing in comparison to Australia where the healthcare system is robust."