About Careers in The Public Health Field
Although you may have already determined what you will do with your degree,
you may not have explored all of the possibilities. The following information
will give you additional information on what you can do with your degree.
What is Public Health?
- Prevents epidemics and the spread of disease
- Protects against environmental hazards
- Prevents intentional and unintentional injuries
- Promotes and encourages healthy behaviors
- Responds to disasters and assists communities in recovery
- Assures the quality and accessibility of health services
- Develops community interventions
- Supports community coalitions
What do Public Health Professionals do?
- Monitor health status to identify community problems and
assets
- Diagnose and investigate health problems and health
hazards in the community
- Inform and educate people about health issues
- Develop policies and plans that support individual
and community health efforts
- Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and
ensure safety
- Link people to needed personal health services and
assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable
- Assure a competent public health and personal health
care workforce
- Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility and quality
of personal and population-based health services
- Research for new insights and innovative solutions
to health problems
- Develop community interventions and support community
empowerment
What types of jobs exist in the public health field?
Although this list is not all-inclusive, it provides valuable information on
available jobs. Jobs will vary from state to state and area to area.
- Epidemiologist: An epidemiologist investigates and describes
the causes and the distribution of disease, disability and other health
issues and develops the means for their prevention and control
- Environmental Scientist and Specialist: Applies biological,
chemical and public health principles to control, eliminate, ameliorate
and/or prevent environmental health hazards.
- Other Examples: Environmental Researcher, Food Scientist,
Soil and Plant Scientist, Air Pollution Specialist, Hazardous Materials
Specialist, Toxicologist, Water/Waste Water/Solid Waste Specialist,
Sanitarian.
- Environmental Engineer: Applies engineering principles
to control, eliminate, ameliorate, and/or prevent environmental health
hazards.
- Occupational Safety Health Specialist: Reviews, evaluates
and analyzes workplace environments and exposures and designs programs
and procedures to control, ameliorate or eliminate and/or prevent disease
and injury caused by chemical, physical, biological risks to workers.
- Health Educator: Designs, organizes, communicates,
provides advice on and evaluates educational programs designed to support
and modify health related behaviors, conditions, and policies of individuals,
families, organizations and communities.
- Public Health Community Advocate: Works with non-profits
or community-based organizations for community and policy change.
- Public Health Policy Analyst: Analyzes needs and plans
for development of health programs, facilities and resources, analyzes
and evaluates the implications of alternative policies relating to health
care.
- Public Health Physician, Nurse, Social Worker, Dentists,
Nutritionist: Works in public health settings to assess the need for
and to provide population-based and clinical preventive services as
well as community outreach, education and referral, case management.
- Health Service Manager/Health Service Administrator: Plans, organizes, directs, coordinates health services, education or
policy in establishments such as hospitals, health clinics, public health
agencies, managed care organizations, industrial organizations, and
other types of businesses or related entities.
How will getting an MPH prepare me for a job in the public health field?
Many professionals with degrees in Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Engineering,
Law, Social Work, Health Education, Dentistry and other fields pursue graduate
public health studies to provide them with
- Analytic Research Skills
- Communication Skills
- Policy Development skills
- Program Planning and Evaluation Skills
- Cultural Skills
- Health Administrative and Management Skills
- Community Development and Group Process Skills
- Behavioral and Social Science Skills
Where do MPH prepared professionals work?
The vast majority of the graduates work for government
health agencies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions or other
health-related systems.
What is the national demand for Public Health Professionals?
The need for public health professionals in the
1990's could be double the 1980 level as indicated in a recent DHHS Report to
Congress. The need for trained people has increased with the proliferation of
health programs and agencies. In its Ninth Report to Congress (1993), DHHS pointed
to shortages of epidemiologists, environmental health professionals, toxicologists,
biostatisticians, nutritionists, public health nurses and physicians trained
in public health and preventive medicine.
