INTRODUCTION
Now is a great time to pursue a career in Public Health. A diverse and rewarding field, public health offers meaningful career opportunities for people at all educational levels. No matter what your interests, odds are you will be able to find a position you enjoy in public health. The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is the most demanding widely recognized professional credential for leadership in the Public Health. The MPH program is designed for public health leaders who aspire to high-level roles in State, Federal, and International Health Organizations, Research and Academic Institutions, or the Private Sector.
Master of Public Health (MPH) is a multidisciplinary professional degree awarded for studies in areas related to public health. The MPH degree is the most widely recognized professional credential for leadership in public health.
The program emphasizes active, student-directed learning, problem solving, and the acquisition of skills essential to the practice of public health.
Master of public health degrees may also intersect with fields such as urban planning, policy, advocacy, community organizing, communications, integrated health, social work and social sustainability.
WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF MPH COURSE?
- Job availability in international organizations like WHO, UNICEF, Red Cross, All Government Agencies, NGOs, Societies, Hospitals, International and National Healthcare Organizations, etc.
- Work for improvement of the various aspects of environment which may include prevention of all types of pollution-water, air, noise, etc.
- Prevention of communicable diseases which can be easily done by screening the surroundings and also screening the chronic ailments before it becomes too late.
- Work for improvement of conditions of employment for prevention of occupational hazards.
- Work for the prevention of conditions which may lead to disturbances of growth and development in maternity, infancy and childhood. Disturbances and defects of mentality, personality, emotions, behavior or interpersonal relationships now begin to receive the attention they warrant as we shift emphasis from concern chiefly with institutional care of the already mentally sick or socially inadequate to guidance by sympathetic education in the natural history of mental health.
- Some Designations/Career Options—Public Health Writer, Public Health Inspectors, Faculty, Public Health Journalist, Medical Investigator, Biostatical, Public Health Consultant, NGO Director, Health Researchers, Community Health Worker, Anganwadi Manager, Disease Ecologist, Public Health Information Officer, Disaster Management, etc.
Why Pursue a Career in Public Health?
- Public health is an exciting and growing field of study: The field challenges its professionals to confront complex health issues, such as improving access to healthcare, controlling infectious disease, and reducing environmental hazards, violence, substance abuse, and injury.
- Public health is a diverse and dynamic field: Public health professionals come from varying educational backgrounds and can specialize in an array of fields. A host of specialists, including teachers, journalists, researchers, administrators, environmentalists, demographers, social workers, laboratory scientists, and attorneys, work to protect the health of the public.3
- Public health is a field geared toward serving others: Public health professionals serve local, national, and international communities. They are leaders who meet the many exciting challenges in protecting the public's health today and in the future.
- Public health is a rewarding field: The field of public health offers great personal fulfillment-working towards improving people's health and well-being is a rewarding day's work.
Who should Consider a Degree in Public Health?
Public health is a field that offers an abundance of job opportunities to suit a variety of interests and skills. Whether you are more interested in crunching numbers, conducting research, or working with people, there is a place for you in the field of public health. Recent college graduates and those that have been in the field for years have something to offer and to gain in this field. Public health is ideal for those that gain satisfaction knowing that they are working to improve the lives of others.
How can a Graduate Degree in Public Health Enhance my Career Opportunities?
Many public health jobs require a graduate degree in public health. A graduate degree gives public health professionals a competitive edge over other professionals and enables professionals to:
- Gain knowledge of the factors which influence local, national and global legislative and social polices.
- Apply broad-based, state-of-the-art quantitative and qualitative skills needed for problem solving.
- Develop multidisciplinary and collaborative strategies for solving health-related problems.
- Enhance communication skills by working with diverse populations; and, be positioned for a leadership role in health promotion and disease prevention.
Where do Public Health Professionals Work?
Public health professionals work in both the public and private sectors. Many public health graduates will find work in the public sector in WHO, International Health Agencies, Local, State, or Federal Health Departments. The jobs available at health departments range from Food Safety Inspectors to Health Educators; from Policy Analysts to Epidemiologists. Other public health professionals will find work in university systems as researchers.4
Those interested in working for a nonprofit organization can find jobs in health advocacy, policy, or research for organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the Red Cross, or a local nonprofit that focuses on specific health issues.
Still other public health professionals will find work in the private sector —working in randomized control trials for pharmaceutical companies or for health insurance companies.
What kind of Job Title can I Expect after Graduating with a Degree in Public Health?
Job titles, position descriptions, and salary ranges of recent public health graduates will vary greatly based on their course of study and interests. Some sample career titles are listed below:
- Public Health Management Analyst
- Director of Programs and Services
- Health Communications Specialist
- Research Scientist
- Environmental Health Intelligence Analyst
- Manager, Breastfeeding Initiatives.
What is the Difference between the Different Degrees? How do I Choose the One that's Right for Me?
There are many different degree programs for those that interested in studying public health. Some of the programs include:5
- Master of Public Health (MPH)
- Master of Hospital Administration (MHA)
- Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA)
- Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH)
- Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
In general, the MPH degree will include coursework in a number of public health disciplines, such as administration, epidemiology, environmental health, and behavioral health. Specialized degrees such as a Master of Health Administration will be more focused on a specific topic.
Another distinction between degrees is the professional degree versus the academic degrees. Professional degrees generally have a greater orientation towards practice in public health settings. The MPH, DrPH, and MHA are example of degrees which are geared towards those who want careers as practitioners of Public Health in Traditional Health Departments, managed care organizations, community-based organizations, hospitals, consulting firms, international agencies, state and federal agencies, among others.
Academic degrees are more oriented toward students wishing to seek a career in academics and research rather than public health practice. Examples of academic degrees are the MS, PhD, and ScD.
However, each school of public health can tailor their degree programs significantly. Student interested in getting a degree in public health should check with individual schools for more information on specific degree programs.
Why should I Consider a Dual Degrees in Public Health?
Dual degrees are available to those that are pursuing degrees or have degrees in fields such as nursing, law, social work, public policy, business, medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine. At many schools of public health, people with an advanced degree are eligible for an accelerated MPH program. A public health degree will help those in other fields understand the principles of public health and apply these principles to their practices.
Distinctions Between Public Health and Clinical Health Professions
In public health, the focus is on populations and communities rather than individual patients. Public health careers offer something for everyone. Epidemiology and biostatistics involve mathematics and modeling. 6Environmental health includes a wide range of science skills. Health administration incorporates business and management skills. Health education involves skills required to develop community-wide prevention programs. Health policy includes an understanding of law-making processes.
Perhaps never has there been a more exciting time to pursue a career in public health. Why? Because…
- Most experts agree that major advances in improvement of health over the next decades will not come from new medical findings or cures, but rather the broader development and application of population-based prevention programs.
- Health services delivery systems are undergoing rapid change. Greater emphasis is being placed on health promotion and disease prevention as a means to reduce the costs of care by improving the health of our populations. These changes have created a broad array of new opportunities for professionals with advanced training in public health.
- As the public has become better informed about the effects of toxic wastes and pollutants on their health, greater emphasis is being placed on assuring the safety of our communities as well as worker health and safety. As a result, there is growing demand for experts in environmental health and industrial hygiene.
- Public health research is focusing more on women's health, and child and substance abuse, and an increased emphasis is being placed on behavioral change to prevent the risk of STDs, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and unplanned pregnancies. Greater emphasis is also being placed on school health and the health of minority and disadvantaged populations.
Other Associate Options is Public Health Administrator
A Day in the Life of a Public Health Administrator
Public health administrators focus on community-wide disease prevention and health promotion. As the name of the profession shows, there are two parts to their jobs. Public health administrators try to improve the welfare of the community at large and run the organizations that disseminate information about health. The majority are employed by governmental health agencies, while others work for not-for-profit organizations and educational institutions. They assess community health issues and educate members about the prevention or alleviation of health problems. The public health administrator executes community outreach programs to make people aware of dangers such as lead poisoning and to address chronic problems afflicting the community, like sexually transmitted diseases. 7The administrator's job calls for the management skills of a CEO. She creates budgets, hires staff, organizes the office, and obtains any necessary equipment. Writing grant proposals and fundraising take up more and more of the administrator's time as budget cuts flourish.
Whenever, she notices a health related trend or event, she must write a report on what she believes its effect on the community will be. The public health administrator must be prepared to delicately balance limited budgets with the compassion needed to provide basic care. Since she is often faced with contradictory information and demands, she must be able to make decisions. She also needs self-confidence when called on to defend her decisions to public officials or the press. The administrator attends community events frequently.
Usually she devotes five and a half days a week to her career, but some are on 24-hour call. In an era of shrinking healthcare budgets, officials are expected to complete projects faster and with less support staff than ever before. This has forced many administrators to exercise their creative juices in designing new ways to handle the issues they face.
Paying Your Dues
There is no one way to become a public health administrator, but most professionals have worked in related fields and acquired advanced degrees. Employers require at least a Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration or a related field, but the field is so competitive that master's degree holders have a significant advantage. While health-related courses, business administration, and finance are important parts of your academic background, make time for communications and English, too. You will need to write and present many reports professionally and confidently.
Many administrators receive their degrees after having worked in other areas in the field. They are often former health inspectors, who insure that consumer products meet federal health and safety standards, or regulatory inspectors, who enforce observation of public welfare laws and regulations. Those with keen entrepreneurial skills and backgrounds are encouraged to enter the field, bringing their efficiency to it. Some people gain their initial training in the Peace Corps before returning to school.
Many graduate programs offer specialized joint degrees, such as a combined healthcare management and law degree. While dozens of schools offer graduate and undergraduate degrees in public health administration, only twenty-six are accredited. Whether you choose an accredited school or not is largely dependent on your plan of study, career expectations, and financial situation. Public health administrators enjoy a combination of 8study and work throughout their careers. Most public health administration students enroll in internship programs to gain experience. Once they start working, they are expected to take continuing education courses every year to keep up with the latest in health care services. Beginning in school and continuing throughout their careers, public health administrators should read trade papers about healthcare and the literature supplied by its providers.
Associated Careers
The public health administrator works with a host of people in different professions, and can apply his skills, with some extra training, to these other fields if he wishes to change careers. Biostatisticians compile and study vital statistics. They determine the incidence of diseases in different populations and create life-expectancy tables.
Public health administrators turn to them for advice regarding issues such as which vaccines are better than others. Public health administrators can become health economists, who examine financing and organization of healthcare facilities, and advise them on running their businesses. The demand for health economists is growing due to the changing organization of the healthcare industry.
Job Prospects
Those successfully complete the MPH program are eligible to become healthcare professionals and managers or administrators in government, nongovernmental and public sector organizations and hospitals. Graduates can also occupy technical and leadership positions in the implementation of public health or community health programs of the State and Central governments and the World Health Organization.