500 word essay on why I am pursuing a healthcare informatics degree as

Healthcare

Pursuing healthcare informatics as an African American cisgender has a confluence of
my personal experiences and academic interests. This journey culminates in my love for
technology in healthcare and my desire to make the necessary positive change in the medical
industry, especially for minorities. It also speaks volumes about the need to promote diversity in
STEM careers and how different approaches improve healthcare systems.
Over the years, I have seen how African American people suffer from attending medical
appointments and experience poor quality of health care services. These experiences gave me a
sense of determination to work towards enhancing systems in the health sector (Caspersen et al.,
2018). Focusing on the healthcare industry, specifically healthcare informatics as the intersection
of technology and healthcare, the opportunity to combat these disparities has emerged. With this
in mind, it is not difficult to see how data can help reveal trends and potential results to advance
the health of individual patients and the whole population.
Being a cisgender woman and choosing a healthcare informatics program with an
emphasis on technology is also a clear commentary on the need for inclusion in male-dominated
STEM fields. A concerning trend is the dearth of women, particularly women of color, in STEM
fields in Western countries. This lack of diversity can result in shortcomings in focused research
and innovation, as variety plays a critical role in one's approach to more elaborate problems
(Williams et al., 2019). In my career progression, my goal is to help bridge this gap in STEM
education and encourage other young women of color to follow their aspirations in science and
technological work.
The healthcare informatics curriculum appears to align more with my interests and
passions within my current professional context. One that incorporates the scientific toughness of

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data analytics and the humanity of the medical field. Data analytics, database, and health
information courses equip students with the technical knowledge and skills to conduct and
manage health data. At the same time, research in health care policy, moral reasoning, and
medical practice helps keep this highly technical labor firmly anchored in human consequences
(Caspersen et al., 2018). It is also entirely rational, as integrating the two approaches enables one
to design a solution that is acceptable both from a technical standpoint and from an ethical and
patient-centered perspective.
Healthcare informatics has the leading impact in the world and touches every sphere.
Data enables the various healthcare providers to make better decisions by enhancing patients'
care (Williams et al., 2019). For instance, it can be utilized to predict that patients are likely to
have specific diseases associated with genetic predispositions, thereby making health providers
treat the disease before it gets worse. Moreover, the purpose of health informatics is to monitor
disease trends, monitor public health trends, and influence policymaking.
Because I am an African American woman, I am inspired to focus on the doctors'
competencies and the healthcare inequality currently exhibited in the African American
community. Healthcare informatics will help us address these issues because these struggles are
not the same among different patient populations (Caspersen et al., 2018). For instance, the
employment of data can show issues impacting specific demographics regarding a given sickness
and hence help implement appropriate cures that have a better impact.
Therefore, combining personal interest, academic curiosity, and the social responsibility
to serve society reveals my pursuit of a specialized degree in healthcare informatics. It is a path
through which I can connect my ability to work technically and my passion to advocate for better
health systems, especially for diverse groups of people. To make a unique addition to the existing

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STEM sources of information while simultaneously improving healthcare systems, I mean to be
a part of the movement for positive change.