Through her studies at the Arnold School of Public Health, Ebony Christie, a first-generation USC student, became aware of the daily impact of safety and wellness initiatives.
“Everything we do in our lives is because of public health efforts,” says Christie, a senior who now has her sights set on becoming an obstetrician-gynecologist. “If you have data that proves something is happening, people are willing to solve it,” Christie says. “It’s unfortunate that bad things have to happen for change to happen. »
Christie aspired to be involved in medicine from his early days at USC. She started out majoring in biology, then education, but found that neither seemed like the right fit for her.
At the start of her junior year, Christie worked at the Columbia Free Medical Clinic to gain experience alongside other pre-med students.
“They were talking about the excellence of public health,” Christie says, “and how it gives a broader perspective on what health care is and the role that doctors play.”
She changed her major to public health, and it clicked in her first class in health promotion, education and behavior.
“I knew this was where I was meant to be, even though it took me a while,” Christie says.
Find your focus
With her major shift to public health, Christie and a partner in a project-based course explored black maternal health issues throughout South Carolina. Their research revealed alarming statistics on the rising maternal mortality rate in the state.
“It was shocking and disturbing,” Christie says of issues such as South Carolina, which earned the nickname “cradle of shame” because of its infant mortality rate, which in 2021 was 7. 3 deaths per 1,000 live births.
“On the other hand, I see groups of people working to make things better,” she says.
Understanding public health allows you to be a better doctor to your patients.
Her academic mentors, Tisha Felder and Curisa Tucker, whose research includes encouraging African-American mothers to breastfeed, offered undergraduates the opportunity to participate in a Ronald E. McNair TRIO program for six intensive weeks. Christie enrolled in the summer of 2024 and studied perceived discrimination and its impact on Black women’s childbirth experiences. This included asking questions on a discrimination scale, such as: “Did you feel like you weren’t listened to?” » or if there was a lack of courtesy.
She discovered barriers, including that women had induced medical procedures and felt judged when seeking medication.
For her fall 2024 research, Christie examined the prevalence of C-sections in the Black community and its impact on breastfeeding. Research shows that when the mother’s body does not give birth vaginally, the signals from the natural birthing process that trigger lactation are not sent.
Christie found that black mothers who gave birth by cesarean section are at a disadvantage. “A lot of this has to do with barriers, lack of education, and cultural incompetence among providers who are unable to understand how to appropriately support African American mothers who want to breastfeed,” she says.
“The more we share their stories, the more data we have that proves there are health gaps within our system,” Christie says. “We have to do something.”
Advocacy and awareness
As she recounts all of her activities since becoming a public health student, Christie reflects on her search for direction upon arriving on campus. “When I first got here, it was really difficult trying to navigate such a huge space,” Christie says. After finding the right person, she channeled her energy into becoming a passionate advocate for Black maternal health.
Christie gained local media attention in April when she reached out to Columbia City Councilwoman Aditi Bussells to launch the city’s first Black Maternal Health Week. This included an open dialogue on campus in which women spoke of being ignored by healthcare providers while pregnant.
Christie’s hard work has not gone unnoticed. TRIO Program Director Althea Counts sent Christie a note to tell him how proud she was to not only observe his accomplishments, but also to witness his personal growth. Counts invited Christie to attend the Dawn Staley Champions Fund event, where Christie participated in a live interview with WIS news anchor Judi Gatson. During the interview, the conversation turned to Christie’s plans to become an obstetrician-gynecologist.
“The way I spoke was really sincere,” Christie says. “I was praying, God, please don’t let me stumble.”
The WIS interview led to networking connections within the Columbia medical community, including a video call with Dr. Berry Campbell, chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Columbia School of Medicine of USC.
“Hearing him tell me about the MCAT and ‘I want you to get in. I want to call you my colleague one day,’ it was really cool,” Christie said. “I feel like God is really working in mysterious ways for me.”
A future in public health
With plans to pursue a master’s degree in public health before attending medical school, Christie is determined to address systemic health disparities as an OB/GYN. Her dreams include opening her own clinic, creating internships and scholarships for underrepresented students, and advocating for health equity at the government level.
For now, Christie remains focused on balancing her responsibilities and passions.
“Public health helped me realize that I can create whatever I want,” she says. “Understanding public health allows you to be a better doctor to your patients. »