What to expect with different carreer paths after getting a phd in public health?

[xyzpsych]

With the admission season ending for phd in public health and most of us having made a decision where we will spend the next few years, it's great time to review our career goals and write down smaller objectives and timelines for these years. If you have experience in public health already (whether at the master- or phd-level), can you share what it's like for you to work in various settings in this field--e.g. academia, non-profit, government, private etc.? Think this would be of interest to new and current students. Thank you!

PS. My area is health policy and management. My ideal at this point will be academia, but I'm open to other options as I learn more about them.

[Jim Jeffreys]

There are so many job options in this field. Some of them are “Health and Safety Engineer”, “Environmental Scientists”, “Healthcare Administrator”, “Epidemiologist” and many more. All you need to do is choose one of them and proceed accordingly.

[Genly_Ai]

I've been in an academic setting for the last 8 years, and plan to continue on this path during and after the PhD. But I'm also open to leaving academia and doing research in other settings, like a think tank or research-focused NGO, but I would only do this if I find a non-academic place that I really, really like, otherwise I'll continue in academia. 

[_kita]

Not a PhD here, but I work in Mental Health Services. I am networking within a non-profit/local government in Philadelphia County. My goal is to get into more implementation science and program evaluation. I started this past April (while finishing up my second masters from JHU) after working as a mental health clinician for years. And I can honestly say, I am looking at this company for the long haul. I am able to get my hands dirty with more direct involvement with MH providers and keep my brain active in problem-solving. It is that beautiful niche where I can impact direct, local, and some national systemic change.