Riostatistics: Personal Statement Of Purpose

664 Words2 Pages

My interest in the PhD biostatistics program at results from high compatibility between your research, your course offerings, and my interests. In order to explain my career and academic goals I would like to detail some of the work I did as an undergraduate and explain how it prepares me for graduate level research at your institution.

The computational neuroscience training program at the University of Washington was a unique interdisciplinary opportunity. It provided access to neurobiology courses so mathematically inclined students could collaborate with neuroscience majors. Being held responsible for the mathematical modeling on a team of students with various strengths was exceptionally rewarding, and I'm confident that I will …show more content…

Experimenting with different techniques in order to get the most accurate solution in handwriting recognition was a major independent project, extending well after the course ended. This inspired me to embark on self-study of basic statistics as well, including mathematical statistics. I found the challenge of choosing from statistical learning techniques with unknown efficacy a gratifying challenge and I intend to continue that thread at the graduate level.

Before all the work I've mentioned, starting a decade ago, I attended Indiana University. During this period I was affected by a personal issue and this is reflected by poor grades. Taking time away from school allowed me to resolve my personal life, demonstrated by a profoundly improved record from 2011 on. I consider my most recent work, at the University of Washington, to be a far more accurate reflection of my ability.

I should emphasize that this misadventure was not without benefit since I worked an emergency medical technician (EMT) after leaving IU. Working as a health-care provider added to the breadth of my background and imbued me with a deep appreciation for the importance of public health. Since clinical trials and public health are intimately connected to biostatistics, this memory has been important in guiding me to choose biostatistics over …show more content…

I would be thrilled to expand on the subjects that I had a chance to investigate as an undergraduate including.... However, I'm also particularly excited about the research your institution is doing in.... which I had little chance to investigate as an undergrad.

As for career goals, I have no fixed preference between the traditional trichotomy of academia, industry and government work. My indecision stems from the simplicity of my goals: I want to do work which is honest, interesting and novel. Since all three employment sectors could potentially offer that I remain open to a career in any sector.

I've chosen to share applied experiences, but the core of my undergraduate education was theoretical. In mathematics I focused on probability, linear algebra and real analysis (including measure theory), so I am keen to attend an institution which will build statistical theory on that firm mathematical foundation. This portion of my background makes me an especially strong candidate for the first years of the program, where students are expected to master statistical theory.

I look forward to hearing your decision and thank you for your

Open Document