Public Health Field Guide
Overview
The world faces both old and new public health challenges--the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the threat of bioterrorism, epidemics ranging from heart disease to cancer, the health of our increasingly elderly populations, the safety of our water and our food, and high-risk lifestyles, like smoking and substance abuse that endanger our health. The need to understand the essential links between the social, physical, and economic environments and the health of individual patients and their families is vital. The areas of study represent diverse areas of interest including family practice, epidemiology and biometry, environmental and occupational health, nutrition, public health policy, and the social and economic aspects of the health care system. They direct research efforts at issues affecting the communities at large and their individuals.
Career Opportunities
Public health is inherently multi-disciplinary and so, too, are the interests and expertise of faculty and students, which extend across the biological, quantitative, and social sciences. With roots in biology, they are able to confront the most pressing diseases of our time-AIDS, cancer, and heart disease--by adding to the knowledge of their underlying structure and function. Core quantitative disciplines like epidemiology and biostatistics are fundamental to analyzing the broad impact of health problems, allowing them to look beyond individuals to entire populations. And, because preventing disease is at the heart of public health, one must look towards the social sciences to better understand health-related behaviors and their societal influences--critical elements in educating and empowering people to make healthier lifestyle choices. With the broad nature of a field like this, the career paths are varied. Food security specialists, health educators, and program managers are just the beginning of the need that is out there. Many of these paths will lead to jobs around the world with varied needs and demands. Organizations like Family Health International, Save the Children and the World Health Organization all have many programs throughout the world to implement basic necessities in countries where resources are scarce.
Types of Jobs
Community health specialist
Disease intervention specialist
Emergency preparedness
Epidemiologist
Local public health educator
Public health advisor
Qualifications + Skills
Research skills
Strong written communication skills
Quantitative and analytical thinking
Cross-cultural understanding
Expertise in related interest (i.e. nutrition, maternal health, etc.)
Foreign language fluency helpful
Sample Employers
Africare
American Friends Service Committee
American Red Cross
Bread for the World
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Child Health Foundation
ChildFund
CONCERN Worldwide US Inc.
CARE
Doctors of the World, Inc.
Doctors Without Borders
Global Health Council
The Hunger Project
International Women’s Health Coalition
Management Science for Health
Mercy Corps
Operation USA
Partners in Health
Partners of the Americas
Physicians for Human Rights
Plan International USA
Project Hope
Save the Children
UNAIDS
World Concern
World Health Organization
Sample Maxwell Classes
Social Welfare Policy
Child and Family Policy
Changing American Health Care System
Health Services Management
Health and Development
Health Economics & Policy
Demography, Aging and Public Policy
U.S. Federal Budget, Health Care and Social Security Reform
Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Related Career Guides
Humanitarian Aid and Relief
International Development
Non-Profit Management
United Nations
PRO TIP: It is difficult to obtain ideal jobs in high-impact areas without at least five years’ experience or more. When going international, it is best and usually required to have a working knowledge and experience outside of the field. Internships and jobs right out of school are good ways to achieve this experience.