Brandon Madrigal-Corona received merit scholarships from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Foundation.
Why did you choose to come to the UW?
I knew I wanted to attend a university, but I wanted to stay in the state of Washington since it would be easier for myself and my family. I love Washington state, and I've called it home my whole life, so having a top school right here seemed like a bit of an obvious choice for me.
What’s your favorite aspect about studying public health?
I find it extremely interesting to learn about the vast diversity within the umbrella term of “health care.” There are so many different diverse careers in this field that it’s almost overwhelming. So much goes into public health which most people don’t realize.
Why did you choose to major in Health Informatics?
This is a very universal degree that can apply to many different careers, so I’m not “stuck” going into one field. It can range from medical coding to health IT, to ROI, to data analytics, and various management positions. There is a lot to learn and so many different ways to help provide patient care through HIHIM.
What’s your favorite class and why?
HIHIM 405 Intro the Health Data Analytics is my favorite class. Data analytics is something that I’m very interested in, and this course really shed some light on what a lot of facilities use to perform data analytics which was fun and insightful on how to get started.
How do you want to change the world with your public health degree?
Being a part of a great health care organization would be the first step. I place a big value on community, and there are so many organizations like UW Medicine, Swedish and Virginia Mason who have great programs for community benefit. So, helping and giving back to the community is my way of helping the world.
What experiences at the UW School of Public Health (SPH) have been most influential?
My program has done a great job of bringing in many different guest speakers from a variety of fields to share with us what they do. It has been most influential to me because it helps bring a perspective from outside the classroom, on what to look into and pursue.
What is one piece of advice that you have for potential new public health students or one thing you wish you knew before beginning your public health studies?
My advice is to be prepared to work with others and get used to being on teams of people. There is a lot of work that relies on effective communication which is also true in the health field as well. You must be able to communicate effectively between different departments.