What Does a Career in Public Health Look Like?

You want to do something good in the healthcare field, but being a healthcare provider isn’t entirely appealing. Have you considered public health?

Public health is a field within the healthcare landscape the focuses on protecting and improving the health of individuals and communities. No two careers in public health are exactly alike, but if you are interested in joining this field, you might benefit from a few examples of what you might do as a public health professional.

Before you can secure a job in the public health field, you need acquire a certain level of public health education. Careers in public health vary depending on the level of education you have achieved.

A bachelor’s degree is the minimum education requirement for public health professionals. After four years of study, public health graduate students have a foundation of essential knowledge and skills required to function in basic public health roles. While a bachelor’s in public health is useful, it isn’t entirely necessary; if you have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, you may still enter public health by pursuing more advanced degrees in the field.

A master’s public health degree is a more popular option as it opens up more advantageous career paths for public health professionals. You might work in a lower-level public health position while you work toward earning your master’s, which will take at least two years of study. During your master’s program, you will likely choose to specialize in a certain discipline within public health, such as healthcare administration, health education or health policy.

For even more impact in the public services field, you might pursue a doctorate degree. With doctorate-level study, you become an expert within a certain specialty of public health, capable of influencing the public health sphere in meaningful ways. Many employers prefer hiring public health professionals with doctorates, though this level of credential is not easy to acquire, demanding several years of dedicated study to achieve.

With any of these public health degrees, you should be able to launch your career in public health.

Health educators work directly with communities and patients to improve knowledge about health-related issues. Some health educators work in hospitals, improving communication to patients about their conditions; other health educators develop programs to educate the public about best practices for improving health.

Emergency response planners develop strategies to help communities survive during and after natural disasters. Planners coordinate with government departments, emergency response agencies, social services groups and more to ensure that there will be sufficient support should different types of emergency disaster occur.

Disease prevention specialists work to understand how and why diseases spread. Many work in laboratories studying diseases, but some collect data in the field to track transmission in the real world. This entry-level position could lead to roles within epidemiology or biostatistics with the right education credentials.

Healthcare administrators oversee the business side of healthcare delivery. Administrators may work in private practices, small clinics or major hospitals, ensuring that healthcare providers and patients have the support they need. Healthcare administration is a difficult job, but there is a high ceiling for responsibility and earnings, which may be attractive to some public health professionals.

Social services managers manage the delivery of social and human services to their communities, which aim to provide support to the most vulnerable populations and create greater equity for all. Hospitals often have social services departments that assist patients in navigating the healthcare industry with success. Social services managers might develop programs to ensure the availability of appropriate resources for their target audience.

Health policy advisors work alongside government officials to develop the laws that regulate the health and wellness industries. Often, policy advisors conduct research to achieve insights into necessary policies, and then they propose such policies to officials capable of effecting change. Health policy advisors might also review health policies proposed by government officials to ensure that they will have positive impacts on communities.

By studying and working within the field of public health, you can make a difference. No two public health careers are exactly alike, so you can create your own path to meet your interests and needs.