Name: Aly Powers
Class of: 2023
Hometown: Knoxville, Tennessee
Major: Public Health
Degree: Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH)
Current Position: Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health Student, James H. Quillen College of Medicine and College of Public Health at East Tennessee State University
The Pathway to Public Health
Driven by her personal barriers to care and end-of-life experiences caring for loved ones
throughout her childhood, Belmont public health alumna Aly Powers always felt called to pursue medicine in some form, to combat health inequities and safeguard patients’ humanity with empathy and honesty during life’s greatest moments of need.
Belmont is where she discovered that the best way to accomplish this was to become a physician. Aiming to give back to underserved populations as the physician that she and her family needed, upon graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health in the Spring, she began studies at East Tennessee State University in the James H. Quillen College of Medicine, pursuing a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health.
“Belmont equipped me with invaluable public health skills to promote health for all as a future physician,” said Powers. “My public health education, research and field experience at Belmont unveiled my passion for the intersection of public health and medicine to reduce health inequities through personalized care. This foundation has enabled me to address the broad sociocultural contexts impacting individual and population health in my medical career.”
Powers’ passions for enhancing health equity and community outreach in underserved populations drew her to the fields of public health and medicine, and she feels that engaging both clinical and public health knowledge in her medical career will help best address ever-evolving subjective and objective health needs in her community. Ultimately, she aims to use medical practice to strengthen the synergy between public health and medicine as the key to health innovation.
Pivotal People and Meaningful Moments
Powers identifies her most impactful mentor during her time at Belmont as Dr. Christian Williams, Director and Assistant Professor of the Public Health Program in the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences who served as her academic advisor and public health professor. “In and outside of the classroom, Dr. Williams encouraged my strengths and ambitions, challenged me to push boundaries, taught me the vitality of giving myself grace, and modeled how to serve others as a teammate, advocate, and leader,” she said.
“We are so proud of Aly and all that she has accomplished. She is a perfect example of how a major in public health at Belmont can prepare you for medical school while providing a population health perspective,” said Williams. We cannot wait to see what her future holds.”
Powers recalls her most impactful moment at Belmont being the discovery of her love and passion for health equity work. “In my Scientific Inquiry course, I conducted a research study that assessed the relationship between social determinants of health and the utilization of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services among female undergraduate students,” she noted. Her study yielded results that can inform interventions to mitigate health inequities and improve the SRH of female undergraduate students at Belmont and beyond. She then had an opportunity to present her research findings as a Top 5 Poster at the Tennessee Public Health Association’s 2023 Annual Conference.
“While conducting my research, I also interned in the Tennessee Department of Health Office of Strategic Initiatives. Here, I supported statewide County Health Councils (CHCs) developing County Health Assessments and Community Health Improvement Plans. To help CHCs understand and increase health equity in their communities, I spearheaded the creation of regional health equity data stories with facilitator’s guides and presentations. This project emphasized that our health is our home, each with unique needs influenced by historical contexts. Thus, my research and field experience at Belmont encouraged me to continue health equity work in my medical education and career.”
A Bruin for Life
Academic studies were not the only takeaways from Powers’ Belmont experience. “I was blessed to find my community in Phi Mu and reduce financial obstacles to membership as treasurer. I was also fortunate to serve as a Department of Public Health representative on the College of Health Sciences Dean’s Student Advisory Council, which built my health advocacy and promotion skills through interdisciplinary collaboration,” she explained. “In my senior year, I treasured mentoring younger pre-medical students to help them find their “why” in life and medicine by appreciating their unique gifts. These experiences have enabled me to honor and engage diverse perspectives to best serve my colleagues and patients as a physician.”
When asked the true meaning of “Bruins for Life,” Aly noted, “I will forever cherish my time at Belmont for fostering my resilience and drive that will carry me through the rest of my life and medical career. As a Bruin for Life, I strive to use the gifts I gained from Belmont to serve as a guiding light for others in the same way that Belmont was a guiding light for me.”