Derek Villaceran
Derek Villaceran
Bachelor of Public Health
The most interesting thing for me is learning about the social and environmental determinants of health. I’d love to one day work doing something along these lines, like tackling family violence or in occupational health.
Derek enrolled in this course in 2022, having graduated from Lilydale High School with a strong desire to work in health, but uncertainty around where to specialise. After considering medicine, and a year studying pharmaceutical sciences, he realised being corralled in a laboratory was not for him.
“It’s fortunate for me the pandemic has raised the visibility of the field of public health, as I began to realise that it encompasses some of the varied interests I have, from economics to science. My brother studied at Monash before me, which made it an attractive choice, and by the time I enrolled I’d done so much research on this course that I knew the course handbook back to front!
“I’m loving the intersection of so many different fields that comes from studying public health. I can feel myself applying the knowledge I gained in high school – my economics study helps me understand how global trade impacts food insecurity; biology and chemistry are contributing to my understanding of the biochemical underpinnings of disease states; maths is helping me understand epidemiology and biostatistics.
“Some of the people I’ve learned from have done incredible things. All the teachers are really passionate, as are my peers, so it’s a really inspiring environment in which to learn.
“The most interesting thing for me is learning about the social and environmental determinants of health. I’d love to one day work doing something along these lines, like tackling family violence or in occupational health.
“Public health is so embedded in everyday life, and a lot of people don’t even realise it. Civil engineering and urban planning projects impact community access to facilities and influence physical activity; disease surveillance programs work in the background to limit outbreaks; natural disaster and climate change planning also impact health. It’s so interconnected – we all need to be aware of the implications of our actions and decisions, not just in the context of our own experience, but the health and wellbeing of others.
“I can’t wait to contribute.”
Derek's future contributions have great potential – upon graduation he was awarded a Sir John Monash Medal for academic achievement. These medals are an indication not just of academic merit; recipients must have shown a significant commitment to advancing one or more of the University's goals of social justice, human rights or a sustainable environment.