Research jobs in Public Health?

[NewScientist12]

Hi,

 

I am wondering, are there research jobs available for people with an MPH? And if so, what is their general nature? What types of research are available, what skills are desired, and which programs (if any) specialize in this area?

[pulpoperdida]

I actually did a year as a RA at a health policy institute associated with a major university (although sadly one without a serious MPH program.) I can definitely say that there is a lot of activity these days in the domestic health policy research field. However, while a good percentage of people had their MPH, lots of people had different degrees and different backgrounds, so it definitely wasn't a requirement for the position. That being said, the ability to do quantitative data analysis is definitely a hot skill If you are interested in policy jobs. So, basically, I wouldn't worry a TON about picking a specific program, but I would just make sure I was getting a diverse range of data analysis skills (both quant and qualitative), so that you can feel like you can interpret large amounts of data and then write about it clearly.

 

In terms of  actually getting a job, I would  suggest trolling around sites like Kaiser Family Foundation, Academy Health, State Health Policy, the CommonWealth Fund. Those orgs are often the center of various research projects (either because they gave the grants or because they are doing the research themselves).

 

Hope this is helpful. If you are looking outside of the policy area, then I can't really say much!