Public Health Buckeyes: Maxwell Schoen

I’ve known I wanted to go into the medical field for a while, but growing up it was hard not to acknowledge the flaws in the health care system. High costs, insurance gaps, language barriers, implicit bias, mistrust and other factors cause some populations to experience worse health outcomes, and I knew I wanted to be involved in changing that. Public health appeared as the obvious choice for a major. I wanted to understand people, and not just their medical profile, but the social and environmental factors that could have led to their diagnosis.

I’m passionate about chronic disease prevention, specifically cancer, and addressing disparities in prevention and treatment. My experiences in public health have mainly revolved around health equity. I believe everyone should have the same opportunity to live the healthiest lives possible, regardless of their gender, sexual identity, race, income or where they live.

I’m particularly passionate about LGBTQ+ health equity and overall cultural competence in health care. I’ve also become more interested in nicotine and tobacco control as a lot of the research I do is related to smoking and vaping cessation campaigns.

I met one of my best friends through the college! My first class of freshman year was Critical Issues in Global Public Health, which, like most public health classes at Ohio State, was pretty small. This environment allowed me to connect with my classmates and foster relationships that went beyond the classroom. Now, my friend and I work in the same research lab, are both pursuing master’s degrees and will be living together this year. The close-knit community in the college of public health has truly shaped my college experience in the best way.

I value the opportunity to hear people’s stories. In my work, I facilitate and analyze focus groups and interviews with LGBTQ+ community members in Columbus, gaining insight into how lived experiences shape health in ways many health care professionals may not see. One of my most meaningful projects has been the Greater Columbus INSIGHT study, a community health needs assessment aimed at improving the wellness of LGBTQ+ people. Findings could guide health priorities, program development, grant applications, policy and progress tracking. Learning from my mentors and peers in the lab has strengthened my skills in conducting research and turning findings into meaningful public health initiatives.

This summer has been quite busy! I continued my work in Assistant Professor Joanne Patterson’s Practice and Science for LGBTQ+ Health Equity research lab and my first paper was published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research. I also started a position at the Rainbow Clinic in the Columbus Free Clinic. In this role, I’ve been doing quality improvement analysis and volunteering to register patients on clinic days.

I also took three summer classes: Environmental Justice, Sociology of Health and Illness, and Gender, Sexuality and Race in Pop Culture, and I completed an accelerated State Tested Nurse Aide (STNA) certification program so I can gain more experience in direct patient care.

I’m going to apply to the combined BSPH/MPH program in Health Behavior and Health Promotion this year. After I complete that, I plan to attend medical school. While I haven’t decided on a specialty yet, I know I want to work with underserved populations and continue advocating for health equity. I hope to stay involved in community-based research, using both my public health and clinical training to bridge gaps in care, inform policy and promote culturally competent health care.

My ultimate goal is to be a physician who not only treats individual patients but also contributes to systemic change through research, advocacy and education.