Personal statement: “I came to the University of Pittsburgh as a PhD student without a direction in this diverse and challenging new field. Four years later, I left the program as a doctor with an expertise in a focused area of public health informatics. One of the strengths of the DBMI program is that the faculty does not treat you as a subordinate, but rather a colleague with the potential to advance the science. This certainly facilitated my relationship with my advisor as well as the other faculty members. The PhD curriculum was rigorous, yet rewarding; I felt the faculty truly cared that I succeed. I am now looking to begin a career as a young independent biomedical informatics scientist, and feel that the skills and knowledge I learned from the DBMI program gave me a tremendous level of confidence that I can make a difference in this field.”
