As he continues to get more involved at SFU, Brian Cagampan hopes to use what he learns from FHS to make a positive impact on population health as a future epidemiologist.

FHS student gains invaluable experience getting involved at SFU

February 21, 2020
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By Geron Malbas

Growing up, Brian Cagampan knew that he wanted to study within the field of health as he always enjoyed helping others. He became interested in FHS because he appreciated how the faculty looked at health from a combination of biological, mental, and social perspectives.

“When I heard the term epidemiology in a 1st year Health Sciences course, I knew that was something I wanted to learn more about. The idea of being an epidemiologist appealed to me, as it looked at health from a population level rather than an individual level.” he explains.

Getting involved at SFU has been essential to Cagampan's university experience. Having worked as a Volunteer Director for UNICEF SFU, Director of Events for TEDxSFU, and Fundraising Chair for SFU Relay for Life, he has had the chance to gain key leadership skills that support his love for people. One of the most memorable experiences for him so far is Health Change Lab.

“I had the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary team and investigate a community health-related challenge within the City of Surrey. We interviewed high school students, and found they were having a difficult time transitioning into post-secondary due to a lack of understanding of what post-secondary entailed, which commonly led to stress,” he says. “In less than 3 months, we developed a sustainable business intervention to respond to this issue, and pitched our ideas at Surrey City Hall to Fraser Health, SFU Surrey, and City of Surrey representatives.”

As a result, he has developed a passion for social entrepreneurship and hopes to start up a social enterprise to make a positive social impact. 

One of the most valuable things Cagampan has learned from FHS is that health does not fit into the medical model, as it is social in nature.

“Upon examining infectious or chronic diseases, you will often find that the root causes are social determinants of health, such as culture, race and social status,” he explains. “Health can’t be significantly improved with clinical care alone, but needs to be complemented with other interventions and policies to tackle a problem at its root cause.”

Cagampan is currently doing a co-op placement with Vancouver Coastal Health as a Jr. Business Analyst. In the future, he is interested in pursuing an MPH degree, as he works towards his goal of becoming an epidemiologist. After getting involved in so many different areas at SFU, his advice to students reiterates how much he has learned.

“Get involved as soon as possible. University is so much more than just reading textbooks and writing exams. If you are going to be somewhere for four years, then you might as well enjoy your time!”