Akosua Obeng

Moving across the world to complete her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree wasn’t Akosua Obeng’s original plan. But while visiting family in Kumasi, Ghana, Obeng witnessed a lack of access to care as well as limited health care resources. 

“I wanted to return to Ghana with the knowledge I had gained through my MPH program to contribute in a meaningful way,” says Obeng, who grew up in Boston. With the flexibility of the MPH program and supportive professors, Obeng was able to take online classes while completing her practicum experiences in Ghana. “What I wanted most was to better understand health care beyond what I had experienced in the United States,” says Obeng. “Being in Ghana gave me a completely different perspective on access to care, health care systems and community health.”

Interested in becoming a physician, Obeng earned an undergraduate degree in biology and psychology on a pre-med track at UMass Boston. She enrolled in the MPH in Healthcare Management program at UMass Lowell to learn more about helping underserved communities. 

“I realized that becoming a physician alone would not fully address many of the disparities in care that I’ve seen,” Obeng says. “The UMass Lowell MPH program helped me understand how health care systems operate and how care is delivered on a broader scale.” 

Through a family connection, Obeng was able to secure a year-long placement at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi. She worked in the areas of maternal and child health, HIV services, occupational health and community health, all while continuing her coursework remotely. 

“The experience was eye-opening and showed me how public health principles are put into practice in a real-world setting,” she says. 

Using maternal and child health statistics, Obeng developed an immunization data visualization tool to help staff track vaccination trends better and identify gaps in coverage. She also contributed to cervical cancer awareness programs and researched systems that track disease throughout the region. While challenging, the hands-on learning opportunity reinforced why she chose to pursue public health. 

“The experience showed me how medicine and public health can work together to create meaningful change for more people,” says Obeng, who plans on applying to medical school. “I want to care for patients as a physician while also being equipped to think critically about how to improve access and quality of care for underserved populations.”