As a child of Afro-Caribbean immigrants, Elohise St. Fort had a passion for health equity and literacy at an early age—long before she even knew what those words meant.
“Living in a diverse area, my parents always made me aware of my privilege, exposed me to the struggles others faced and encouraged me to do something about it through various forms of service,” she said.
One way she’s working to combat health inequities is by receiving her biomedical sciences degree with a concentration in public and population health leadership.
“Public health fits all of my passions for healthcare in one,” she said. “It combines my love of science and critical thinking with my desire to make connections with people. It also gives me the ability to implement change in health policies and initiate needed programs.”
After receiving her graduate degree, St. Fort plans to travel the world and aid communities in gaining better access to health care.
“I want to provide services and initiate programs in rural, impoverished and resource-restricted communities to help members learn more about their health and help implement long-term solutions to health inequalities,” she said.
Ed Shaw, PhD, director of the biomedical sciences program, said, “Elohise has a kind and giving spirit about her that fits well with her interest in public health and health care for those in need. The combination of a strong biomedical basic science foundation, as well as her public health concentration, are a great pairing for her pursuits.”
Hailing from West Palm Beach, Florida, and a Florida Atlantic University alumna, St. Forte chose PCOM South Georgia due to its smaller campus size and the opportunity to move to a city that was very different from the one she has always known.
During her two years at PCOM South Georgia, she participated in the Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medical Interest Group and the American Medical Women's Association.
Speaking to the next generation of healthcare professionals, she said, “In this career path, we all tend to be overachievers and hypercritical of ourselves and demand the best, leaving ourselves with no grace. Make sure you take a moment to celebrate yourself, even for the small things and know that you're doing way better than you think you are. At the end of the day what matters most is relationships. Water those and lean on your new friends, teachers and family.”
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