Sample Plan: Women's Health Advocacy

Academic Plan—Multidisciplinary Studies

Theme: Women’s Health Advocacy

Statement of Focus:

Health care and health issues are in the forefront of current events. With emphasis on creating a new, comprehensive health care system, a need exists for health advocates for the people who might not have access or the opportunity to be aware of all the options available. It is my belief that the best choice of an audience in medical issues is a woman to educate and inform on healthcare aspects. As women tend to be the caregivers for their spouses, their children, and their parents, educating women about health issues is in a sense, educating a community. I have chosen three areas of study that I feel will help me focus on creating a firm basis for Women’s Health Advocacy.

Pursuing the lessons of Women’s Studies, I plan to study the thoughts and philosophies of women through history. I have selected the Political Science field to understand the policy and structure of government legislation in the healthcare sector as well as investigating government research in healthcare. Finally, I believe that courses in Health Policy Administration will assist my pursuit by explaining historical and cultural philosophies in the American medical community.

Primary Areas of Coursework

I have chosen the following courses to help me achieve my academic objectives.

Theory/Application Core Requirement - WMNST 301 - Introduction to Feminist Thought

Understanding and exploring society’s thought on feminism, both internationally and here in the US will allow me to focus on the fundamental issues women have in today’s society and expand my awareness of the third wave of feminism.

Critical Analysis Core Requirement - WMNST 205 - Women, Minorities, and the Media

The exploration of the treatment of women and other minorities by the media will develop abilities to assist in focus of the how important information is disseminated to the public. In studying the media’s methods, it will be possible to evaluate its role in how it helps or hinders society’s understanding of healthcare.

Communication Methods - CAS 352 - Organizational Communication

Part of working as a Women’s Advocate would include contact with clients as well as healthcare professionals. I will need the necessary skills to work in small or large groups and communicate with the other members of my group. Because these groups might be as simple as a handful of people or a large symposium, learning the function of organizations communication will be helpful.

Research Methods - STAT 250 - Introduction to Biostatistics

Currently, the University is offering STAT 250 to the nursing students at the Altoona Campus. The information learned from working with statistics from the biological sciences and how to interpret the data will allow me to more fully understand data provided to the healthcare community from government and commercial sources. It will be advantageous to me to be in an environment with future healthcare workers to learn how statistics are calculated and used in the health sector.

400 Level Courses

HPA 455 - Strategic Planning and Marketing for Health Services.

This course introduces the different ways health care and medical services are marketed to consumers and the planning health organizations make for themselves.

WMNST 452 - Women’s Health Issues.

The information from this course will be invaluable to my course of study as it addresses the area I am interested in pursuing. The opportunity to learn about how society and cultures address health matters will help lay the foundations for my degree.

WMNST 428 - (PL SC 428) Gender and Politics

Understanding how gender plays about in politics and policy is an important skill necessary to know how one should approach problems. This course will allow me to understand the different methods women and men utilize to obtain a goal in certain areas.

Additional Selections

I will need several other courses to meet prerequisites and other requirements of the degree.

H P A 101 Introduction to Health Services Organization H P A 332 Health Systems Management

WMNST 001 Introduction to Women's Studies ENGL 050 (GA) Introduction to Creative Writing ART H 100 (GA;IL) Introduction to Art

PL SC 132 (Other Culture) The Politics of International Intolerance. PHIL 103W Introduction to Ethics

Career Goals

In today’s society, it important for women to know steps toward healthy living, the basic examinations and tests necessary, and how to talk to their healthcare givers for the benefit of themselves or members of their families. By choosing these courses, I believe I will be able to obtain a position to help educate women in the health care concerns.

The lessons and experience I will gain by interacting with the faculty of each of my three areas of study will be important to me create a working knowledge of health policies as applicable to women and to their families. When taking classes with students in the three different disciplines that I have chosen, I will be able to learn from their educational experiences within their chosen fields. In my current position with the university, I believe I may be able to develop and offer programs in the for individuals in learning about health topics.