I was fascinated by numbers from my first arithmetic lessons. While others struggled, I saw patterns and possibilities and even beauty. In Middle School in China, I was the winner of the second prize in the National Mathematical Competition, and this gave me great confidence in my ability and set me on my path. In China, however, teachers regard an answer as right or wrong. They admit no ‘middle ground,’ and such a teaching approach can be discouraging, and my ‘love affair with mathematics began to ‘cool.’
When I came to the US in 2010 to study for an MBA in Finance, however, I was surprised to be faced with mathematic teachers who might praise an incorrect answer because the student’s approach to a problem was ‘interesting’ or even ‘impressive.’ My confidence was restored, and my interest in, and love of, mathematics was again ‘fired’ during this time.
So, in my second year in the U.S, I decided to become a mathematician. I attended a college in N.Y to complement some undergraduate-level mathematics courses and then went to XXXX University as a mathematics graduate student.
My fascination with Statistics arose when I studied Mathematical Statistics under Professor XXXX. I joined the American Statistical Association and soon read everything I could find on the subject. I began to appreciate that the scope for its practical applications is enormous and has the potential to beneficially affect many areas of people’s lives, particularly in health. With that realization came the deep desire to become an expert in the field. I had always wanted to make a difference rather than merely make a living, and I see acquiring knowledge and skills in the field of biostatistics as a way of applying my natural talents and characteristics that will equip me to make a significant and beneficial difference in the world.
I hope to acquire the skills and knowledge to become an expert biostatistician by earning the PHD in Biostatistics at XXXX University. My long-term plan is to start my own consultancy firm, providing governments, NGOs, or significant health sector enterprises with expert guidance. This is a specialty that is little known or regarded in China, and I would hope to assist in correcting that situation by spreading knowledge, understanding of biostatistics, and assisting in training newcomers to the field. This would help improve healthcare in China.
I understand that there is an ethical component to Statistics and particularly Biostatistics. I see Statistics as a kind of ‘weapon,’ and as such, it can be (and has been) used for good and ill. The entrenched view of a government member or a board room may become a significant factor in the output if they can influence the wording of a survey questionnaire or the choice of samples used. I understand that the statistician must always seek to be an independent, disinterested and objective ‘truth seeker’ rather than a tool ‘proving’ that what is untrue is true, or vice versa, regardless of vested interests.
I have significant research experience and am particularly interested in pursuing research into Hepatitis B. This condition affects an estimated 350 million people worldwide and is quite common in China, where one in ten people are carriers and often suffer distressing social exclusion. In future research, firstly, I plan to design experiments to see how favorable conditions, such as yoga and healthy diet, and how adverse conditions, such as smoking and alcohol, affect the survival rate of chronic Hepatitis B carriers. Secondly, I hope to participate in research relating to the analysis of clinical trials for the possible treatment of chronic Hepatitis B. Recently, pharmaceutical company Arrowhead Research has been developing drug candidate ARC-520, which has the potential to treat chronic Hepatitis B. This research has reached phase II. Clinical Trial Analysis will be critical in testing the efficacy of new treatment regimes. The two statistical methodologies of particular interest to me are statistical computing and stochastic modeling. I plan to concentrate on enhancing my statistical skills in the above direction and building up a strong background in other statistical methodologies during my Ph.D. studies.
In the summer of 2015, I began to work on my thesis on the design of a new data classification technique under the supervision of Professor XXXX. Our work aims to develop a new non-linear method of combining multiple classifiers with a kernel function. The approach will be the generation of the paper “a simple method for combining estimates to improve overall error rates in the classification” by Professor XXXX and Professor XXXX. It was a fascinating project and has taught me many valuable lessons.
I have happily studied and socialized with people from many cultural and social backgrounds. I relate well to others. I am always happy to share information about my culture and am fascinated by others. I am a native speaker of both Mandarin and Cantonese and speak and write fluent English. I have visited South Korea and New Zealand and traveled widely within the US. I am happy to work both as a team member and independently.
My teaching experience has been incredibly positive and satisfying. It has called for excellent communication and planning skills. It has provided personal learning exercises when dealing with sometimes unexpected and exciting questions from my students, which required thought and research. The opportunity to share my enthusiasm for my subject and encourage others has been a particularly satisfying part of my career thus far. My choice of this program arises because of the prestigious faculty, the research being undertaken, and the state-of-the-art facilities, as well as the success of program graduates. I look forward to working in a challenging but supportive academic environment.
My record of academic success to date will assure the reader of my diligence, intelligence, and further academic potential. I have an excellent grounding in statistical methods. I have excellent programming skills and significant research experience. My studies in business are also relevant and will enable me to ‘add value’ by sharing developments in a related field.
I am an excellent candidate and undertake to apply myself enthusiastically and diligently to my work in the program.
Thank you for considering my application.
PHD Biostatistics Personal Purpose Statement Examples