Public Health
Public Health is the science and practice of protecting the health and welfare of all people by preventing and controlling disease. Public health is comprised of practitioners from many different professions: medicine, nursing, business, epidemiology, law, biology, economics, nutrition, social work, environmental science, health education and behavior sciences, among others. They are involved in a diverse set of activities and work to protect the environment; identify sources of illness in population groups; control disease outbreaks caused by microbes; evaluate the economic impacts of changing demographics; develop media campaigns to promote healthy behavior; produce health policy legislation. Childhood nutrition, work-related hypertension, pesticide exposures, hospital mergers, and AIDS education are but a few examples of public health's work which cuts across all economic and social strata. What consolidates the collection of disciplines that constitute public health and binds together its practitioners is an emphasis on the health of populations and an overriding commitment to health promotion and disease prevention.
There are many rewarding careers in public health, ranging from pure research to direct public education. View Areas of Specialization.
Undergraduates interested in pursuing public health careers find internships and jobs in government agencies, nonprofit and community based organizations, medical research institutions, bio/pharmaceutical and healthcare consulting firms.
Most public health professionals have advanced degrees, the most common is the Masters in Public Health. In addition, nurses, doctors, health administrators, social workers and others may choose to specialize and practice in a public health setting.
Web Resources
- Careers in Public Health
- What is Public Health?
- Health Management Careers
- Public Health from Allied Health Schools
- Associations of Schools of Public Health
- Council on Education for Public Health
- The Kaiser Family Foundation
- Health Care Industry Guide
- Other Public Health Websites
- Professional Associations
- American Public Health Association
- Society for Public Health Education
- National Public Health Leadership Development Network
- National Association of Community Health Center
- National Association of County and City Health Officials
- Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
- American Association for Health Education
- Job Search Resources
- Public Health Jobs
- Health Promotion Jobs
- Health Promotion Career Network
- Public Health Jobs Worldwide
- Finding Jobs with the Federal Government
- Finding Jobs in State Government
- Finding Jobs in Nonprofits
- Tennessee Department of Health
- Medical and Public Health Jobs with the Federal Government
- Center for Disease Control
- National Institutes of Health
- World Health Organization
- Health Administration Degrees
- Short-term Opportunities