A Public Health Career - Caring people serving their community

Public Health Professionals monitor and evaluate the many health needs and issues of our community and surroundings. They play an important role in our society; working together to confront complex health issues that affect our everyday lives. Public Health Professionals are responsible for evaluating, planning and initiating ideas that protect the Health and Safety of both private and public populations. They serve our communities locally, nationally and internationally around the world; striving to meet the many health related challenges and demands for promoting good health today and in the years to come. Public Health Workers promote healthy practices, behaviors, and prevention programs; they identify and eliminate Environmental Hazards; making our world a safer place to live; while utilizing their skills to equip and allow us to live healthier and happier lives.

Abundant Public Health Opportunities

Public Health is an expanding and rewarding field of study that opens a diverse abundance of employment opportunities. These opportunities suit a variety of interests and skills in serious career seeking individuals.

In today's rapidly changing Health Care Industry, Public Health Officials go beyond the medical rituals and customs of only diagnosis, treatment and cure, but are also seeking out new approaches to promote good health and prevent sickness and disease.

An outpouring of positions are readily available in every field of public health including:

Emphasis is placed on demonstrating strong leadership and management qualities that will lead to positive changes at all levels of the decision making process regarding our health and safety issues. Such as:

• Control of Diseases - Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Stroke
• Behavior Disorders - Smoking, Alcohol, Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse
• Improving Health - Infants, Mothers, Families, Individuals
• Prevention Programs - Schools, Work Sites
• Outreach Intervention - Poverty, Mental Illness, Geriatrics
• Environmental - Toxic Waste, Physical Agents, Hazardous Chemicals

An Exiting Plan For Your Future

Today more than ever is an exciting time to find a career in Public Health. Society is changing rapidly everyday. You can acquire and carry unique skills with you that will always be needed in this ever growing industry. This will ensure great Job Security!

Many Public Health Jobs require a Graduate Degree in Public Health. A Graduate Degree gives Public Health Professionals a competitive edge and enables them a higher paying position as well as the ability to enhance communication skills by working with diverse populations. It provides the knowledge of the factors that influence social polices and teaches broad based skills needed for problem solving.

There are many different degree programs available for those interested in studying Public Health. Some of those are:

• Master of Public Health (MPH)
• Master of Health Administration (MHA)
• Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA)
• Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH)
• Doctor of Public Health (Dr.PH)
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

A Masters of Public Health Degree (MPH) will include course work related to Public Health practices of Management and Administration, Epidemiology which is Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Health and Behavioral Health. Specialized Degrees focus more on a specific topic. For example: You may choose a Masters of Public Health Degree with an emphasis in administration. This degree in turn would then be titled: Masters of Public Health Administration (MPHA).

There are numerous possibilities of specialties that you can consider, allowing you to put your individual interests and talents into play. The exciting part is that each School of Public Health can tailor their Degree Program to exactly what your areas of interest are. Now you can do what you are good at and enjoy plus turn it into a lasting successful career while taking pride in knowing that you are providing a great service to those around you and making a positive difference in the lives of others.

MPH, MHA and Dr.PhD are examples of degrees which are geared toward those who want to build their future working as practitioners of Public Health in traditional Health Departments like these:

• Consulting Firms
• Schools and Universities
• Health Clinics
• Hospitals
• Long-term Health Care Facilities
• Insurance Companies
• Medical Service Agencies
• Private Business and Industry
• Physicians Management Organizations
• Local, State and Federal Health Departments
• Private and Public Research Centers

Academic Degrees are geared more toward those who wish to pursue a career in Academics along with Research such as a Masters of Science MS or a Ph.D.

Successful Salaries for Public Health Professionals

Salaries vary upon experience, location, and job placement ranging from 31,500 up to 161,400 per year.

• Health Services Administration $37,050-$161,400 - Managing the database at an Educational Clinic, Developing Budgets for a Health Department, Creating Policies for Health Insurance Companies and Directing Hospital Services
• Biostatistics $33,000-$63,000 - The science that applies Statistical Theory and Mathematical Principals to Research in Medicine, Biology, Environmental Science, Public Health and related fields. Including:
1. Analyzing risk factors in medicine or the effectiveness of new prescription drugs.
2. Determining the cause of disease and injuries, Estimating and Evaluating trends, Researching and Forecasting safety issues.
• Epidemiology $38,175- $136,237 - The Study and Control of disease and injury patterns in our population. Using environmental, hereditary and other health care factors they Investigate the cause of disease and control its spread. They also extensively use biological, clinical and other sciences and techniques in this job field.
• Health Education and Behavioral Science $33,000-$86,625 - Improve public health by Encouraging people to make healthy choices, Develop Educational Information from improving nutrition to stopping the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. In this field you will Promote safe behaviors and Research complex health issues in order to help people adopt self care practices for better health, and become more active in the health of their community.
• Environmental Health $44,550-$143,700 - Improve public health by Focusing, Identifying and Addressing environmental risk factors. A variety of health conditions including disease are related to our physical surroundings. In this field of study you could find yourself working for the environmental Protection agency or the EPA, or perhaps the Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA.
• International Health $31,500-$86,625 - This area of study addresses the Public Health issues of Low and Middle income countries. Chronic and Infectious Disease, Mental Illness, Trauma and Violence. Much attention is focused on Maternal and Child care in these global countries, so that preventive care can control future illness.
• Nutrition $31,500-$70,875 - The fundamental basis of Healthy Eating and maintaining proper diet for healthy living.
• Public Health Practice $41,175-$102,000 - This field incorporates healthy practices toward areas of Mother and Child, the Elderly and Aging, the Mentally Ill and Handicapped. Working in this area you will be Implementing and Evaluating Social, Economical, Legal and Ethnical factors to provide good public health initiatives.
• Biomedical $31,500-$78,750 - Studying the conditions that affect health status and using Lab Techniques to Diagnose and Treat disease.

Taking Pride in Public Health

Public Health involves all of us people as a society working together to live good healthy productive lives. Continually evaluating and initiating new plans to implement better overall health in our communities. The Job Outlook for each one of these careers in Public Health are Excellent and only proceed to grow as we continue to observe, and change, learn and apply new healthy concepts to our lives.

Regardless of your own entry level; there are countless roles and responsibilities that can be taken on in this dynamic field of study. Public Health Professionals Assess, Direct, Control, Coordinate, Organize, Identify, Monitor and Advocate. These skills are in High Demand which ensures Job Placement and Job Security for the future. By making the conscience decisions for the safety of all the community, Public Health Care Providers provide Safer, Healthier More Efficient ways of Working, Learning and Living!

More information about obtaining a degree in Public Health Online!!