Student Voice - Mak Mira Si Ying

My journey into public health has been shaped by experiences across mental health advocacy, community service, frontline emergency response, healthcare administration, and clinical research. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, where I majored in Mental Health Studies and Population Health. Studying these two fields together allowed me to understand health not only from an individual and clinical perspective, but also through the broader social, structural, and policy factors that influence population wellbeing.

After returning to Hong Kong, I began to explore public health from both system-level and frontline perspectives. My first role was at the Hospital Authority, where I supported the strategic planning, budgeting, performance monitoring, and administration of different healthcare services. This experience gave me valuable exposure to the operational complexity of Hong Kong’s public healthcare system and sparked my interest in hospital management and health system leadership.

I am currently working as a Research Assistant at HKU in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, where I support clinical research operations, assist with patient-related study coordination, and gain closer exposure to the clinical side of healthcare. This role has further deepened my appreciation of how research, clinical practice, and health system planning are closely connected. Together, these experiences have shaped my decision to pursue the Master of Public Health at The University of Hong Kong, with a concentration in Health Economics, Policy and Management.

My reason for taking the MPH is to better understand how healthcare systems are planned, managed, evaluated, and improved. During my time at the Hospital Authority, I became increasingly interested in how decisions around resource allocation, service planning, financing, and policy can directly affect both healthcare providers and patients.

Meanwhile, my current clinical research role has strengthened my aspiration to remain grounded in patient-centred and evidence-based healthcare. The MPH programme provides an ideal platform for me to develop knowledge in health economics, policy, management, and public health practice, while also building connections with professors, practitioners, and classmates from diverse healthcare backgrounds.

I feel truly honoured and grateful to have been granted the Hong Kong Future Talents Scholarship Scheme for Advanced Studies. Receiving the FTSS is not only a form of financial support, but also an encouragement and affirmation of the path I am currently pursuing. As a part-time student who fully supports myself financially, the scholarship has provided me with important financial flexibility. It has helped reduce my stress and allowed me to devote more energy to my studies, professional development, research, and community service.

What I have enjoyed most about the MPH so far is the opportunity to learn from people with rich and diverse experiences in healthcare and public health. Beyond gaining practical knowledge in areas such as finance, accounting, health economics, and leadership, I especially value the opportunities to hear from professors, lecturers, guest speakers, and health system leaders about their real-world experiences. Their sharing has helped me better understand the challenges and responsibilities involved in healthcare leadership, as well as the impact that thoughtful management and policy decisions can have on patients, healthcare workers, and the wider community.

Upon graduating from the MPH, I hope to continue developing my career at the intersection of clinical healthcare, research, and health system management. In the future, I aspire to pursue further clinical training in healthcare, continue engaging in research, and potentially undertake doctoral studies. Ultimately, I hope to contribute to hospital management or government policy work, using my experiences in frontline service, healthcare administration, and public health training to inform better decisions and create a positive impact on population health in Hong Kong.