On Monday, December 18, 2023, the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Universitas Indonesia (UI) received a visit from SMA Negeri 2 Raha Southeast Sulawesi. Aiming to find out information about public health and UI admission selection, 16 visiting participants were received in the FPH UI Professor’s Room. Present as a resource person was the Academic Manager of FPH UI, Dr. Laila Fitria, S.K.M., M.K.M., and Secretary of the FPH UI Environmental Health Undergraduate Study Program, Dr. Al Asyary, S.K.M., M.P.H.
Doctor Laila said that public health is a science that focuses on people being able to maintain their health. “Public health is the science of preventing people from getting sick. “We also focus more on handling the community, not individuals,” explained Dr. Laila. FPH UI itself has 4 (four) undergraduate programs, namely, the Public Health Undergraduate Study Program, the Nutrition Undergraduate Study Program, the Environmental Health Undergraduate Study Program, and the Occupational Safety and Health (K3) Undergraduate Study Program. All of these study programs have been accredited with excellence from the Independent Accreditation Institute for Higher Education in Indonesia (LAM-PTKes) and the Bachelor of Public Health Study Program has been internationally accredited by AHPGS. Doctor Laila also conveyed several other important points regarding the curriculum, courses, selection paths for new student admissions, education costs, student activities, and the facilities at FPH UI.
Furthermore, Dr. Al Asyary also spoke specifically about the Environmental Health Undergraduate Study Program. As a lecturer from Sulawesi, Dr. Al was able to deliver his presentation by getting closer to the visiting participants who came from the same area by using the regional accent. Doctor Al said that environmental health is part of public health science which focuses on producing graduates who are able to analyze environmental exposure risks, predict health impacts due to environmental exposure, and develop alternative solutions to environmental health problems in accordance with technological advances as well as applicable ethics and laws.
Apart from providing information about study programs, Dr. Al also gave a message to the visiting participants, “Even though you come from the region, don’t be afraid to have big dreams and aspirations, because as long as you don’t limit how high you can go in your career in the future. So, dare to dream and aim as high as possible.” (wrk)