Recent Master of Public Health (MPH) graduate Harsna Chahal, ‘24, has been a Spartan for as long as she can remember. The Michigan native has fond memories of visiting Michigan State University’s (MSU) campus with her father, who works on campus. “The core memories I’ve created at MSU have made it my second home, and the people here are part of my community,” she said.
Her interest in the health field and love of helping others grew as she became more involved in the Spartan community. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Human Biology, Chahal knew she wanted to continue her education at MSU. With plans to become a physician specializing in women’s health, Chahal knew that earning a master’s in public health degree would be a helpful step leading into medical school.
“I knew that pursuing my master’s degree in public health at MSU would be the most effective and meaningful way to learn more about the health inequality facing those who live in Michigan,” she said.
Fighting for Women’s Health Equity
Chahal’s work revolves around her passion for improving policies on women’s sexual and reproductive health. She currently serves as an intern at MSU’s Women*s Student Services, a department directed toward making the university an equitable and safe space for students of all genders and sexual identities. In September 2023, she co-founded East Lansing Free Emergency Contraceptives (ELFreeEC), a student-led organization at MSU. The group provides accessible and free emergency contraceptives for students through a grant from the Plan B One-Step company.
“Through our anonymous meet-up distribution system and partnering with the Gender Campus Sexuality Center, Women*s Student Services, and Center for Gender in Global Context, we have provided roughly 1,678 doses of Plan B to students since October 2023,” said Chahal. “I am working on installing health vending machines around campus to give students access to affordable and accessible health resources such as Advil, Tylenol, emergency contraceptives, and more.”
Another accomplishment Chahal is proud of is co-creating the Healthcare, Education, Advocacy, and Leaders (HEAL) Sexual Health Conference at MSU. “The conference aims to increase awareness about sexual health research, policies, and create community engagement and discussion in the state of Michigan,” she explained. The first annual conference on March 30, 2024, included over 150 attendees, 16 research poster presentations, expert-led workshops, and networking opportunities.
Her Advice for MPH Students?
“This is the perfect time to learn new things. Use your assignments to your advantage - dive deeper into topics you may not know a lot about,” Chahal said. “I didn’t know much about rural health at first, so for one of my final projects, I wrote a paper about rural health disparities that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and analyzed rural health policies created by the federal and Michigan governments during time.”
After completing the MPH program this summer, Chahal will attend Central Michigan University Medical School to pursue her goal of becoming a physician. “I’m excited to utilize my public health education to help dismantle health disparities by researching and advocating for more inclusive health policies.”
In October 2024, the first health vending machine offering emergency contraceptives, pregnancy tests, pain relievers, and other personal healthcare products was installed at the MSU Union. Read more.
June 24, 2024
Updated December 9, 2024
