SF AHEC Scholars: Meet Melanie Lopez!

Melanie Lopez (She/Her/Ella) is a first-year Master’s in Public Health student at the University of San Francisco concentrating in Community & Public Health Practice. Melanie is part of the San Francisco AHEC Scholars 2-Year Program, and is projected to complete the program in June 2027.

Q: Why did you become or want to become an SF AHEC Scholar?

I became an SF AHEC Scholar to expand my knowledge and continue my motivation to address health needs in under-served communities. My personal experiences and experiences I heard from my own community with access to quality care drove me to pursue my public health interest.

Q: How has the AHEC Scholars program prepared you or will prepare you for success in your health professional career?

The AHEC program will provide me the tools to address health needs that I can apply in the future as a Program Manager. By being able to complete a community-based project, I can use the training of quality improvement and patient engagement to understand what can be improved in programs. These skills will allow me to grow and apply in my work as a future public health program manager.

Q: What advice/recommendations do you have for other students trying to pursue a career in healthcare/public health/community health?

Always look for different public health programs and just apply! You never know who is going to give you an opportunity, and those opportunities can show you different areas in public health that you may have not considered exploring before. Some of the experiences that I found and ended up doing were from my own search, learning from a recruiter at a public health event or clicking on a social media post someone shared. It’s always good to join public health clubs or subscribe to a newsletter as someone may share an opportunity through there.