Sarah Kardos (she/her)
Program: 11-Month MPH (Expected ’22)
Hometown: Berkeley, CA
Give us some background on what you were doing before beginning your MPH journey. Given this experience, why did you want to study MCAH at Berkeley?
I attended UC Berkeley for my undergraduate degree and studied Psychology and Spanish while completing my pre-med coursework. Immediately prior to starting at the Berkeley MCAH program, I was in my 3rd year of medical school at UC Davis. My education thus far in medical school has provided me with important experiences and lessons but at times has lacked sufficient space to study the social and structural determinants of health that shape health inequities in the US. I believe that it is my responsibility as a physician to provide culturally competent, compassionate and inclusive care that recognizes and seeks to address systemic inequity, and I felt that the UC Berkeley MCAH program would be the perfect place to further my education in these areas.
How will your experience and the knowledge you’ve gained enhance your career as a medical professional?
I am planning to go to residency for Pediatrics and have always had a special interest in working with children with special healthcare needs; after my time in the MCAH program I am eager to find ways to incorporate maternal health into my practice as well whether that be through family centered care, advocating for breastfeeding friendly policies, etc. I also hope to contribute to research at the intersection of medicine and public health. I look forward to bringing a new lens to my clinical work when I return to medical school next year. Through the MCAH program at Berkeley I have learned more about health equity and the life course perspective, and I know these ideas will change the ways I approach my patients and the rest of my time as a trainee and later as a physician.
Gabriela Gonzalez (she/her)
Program: 2-Year MPH (Expected ’23)
Hometown: Redondo Beach, CA
Give us some background on what you were doing before beginning your MPH journey. Given this experience, why did you want to study MCAH at Berkeley?
In 2019, I earned my BA in Sociology with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. My senior year I had begun to consider going into Public Health, but felt I needed more hands-on experience. For 2 years, I worked with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services MAMAS Neighborhood, a perinatal services program focused on reducing allostatic stress to improve birth outcomes. In my role I served as Project Coordinator and the lead representative for our community engagement efforts. This experience solidified my passion for maternal and infant health. I chose to study MCAH at Berkeley because of their emphasis on health equity, community-based systems, and program and policy implementation in order to eliminate and minimize health disparities.
How will your experience and the knowledge you’ve gained enhance your career in the public health/MCAH field?
I am interested in work related to minimizing disparities in Black maternal health and birthing outcomes, and increasing access to community-based doulas. The MCAH program has taught me there is a place to advocate for families in every space we are in, and there are many ways to be involved as an advocate in this field. More specifically, the MCAH program has provided me foundational knowledge on the history of the field, the life course perspective, and introduced me to many new local, state, and national organizations. I have also continued to expand my knowledge in frameworks such as intersectionality (coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw) and reproductive justice (coined by SisterSong) and how to apply them to my future career.