Plans for working in public health?

[themmases]

Public health is a huge, diverse field (with an incredible number of possible degrees, it feels like to me, even with CEPH somewhat standardizing things), so I'm curious: what areas are people here interested in going into? And do you have a specific type of job in mind when you finish your degree?

[shaketheshock]

I'm hoping to go into mental health policy analysis.. or something related to public mental health.

[KennedyAM]

No doubt I want to work in consulting. I would love to try and create fiscally reasonable health systems in developing countries.

I'm interested in management, in a global sphere

Edited March 6, 2014 by KennedyAM

[ChasingMavericks]

I'm concentration in health education and mixing in another masters in psychology so that I can focus on mental health education. As far as jobs are concerned, I really want to work on a college campus in a mentoring program/health services/student affairs where I can educate college aged students about important health concerns and information for their age, as well as all sorts of mental health information. Moving forward I want to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology so that I can meld all of this together in with being able to professionally counsel students in a variety of settings and topics.

[themmases]

These are all so cool! I'd never even thought of student affairs as a place for public health, but it actually sounds like a great one!

 

I'm interested in health literacy and health outcome disparities, particularly race and class disparities, and in finding out what factors will have the greatest effect on outcomes as access increases. (I suspect that a major factor is actually caregiver communication and accounting for differences in health attitudes and literacy.) I also have some experience managing big data sets pulled from electronic health records, and would like to do more of that.

 

I'd love to go on to do academic research in this area, but I'll find out during the MS if that seems likely or if it's really for me. I have experience coordinating clinical research, so my second choice would be to work in a hospital research center providing help to MD PIs on study design and analysis. In either case, I'd plan to sell myself as someone who's good at getting other people's research done and a good investment in getting multiple projects funded and completed.

[catsushi]

I feel pathetic when I say I'm not sure....not sure it's the right approach, but I hope that getting my MPH will also allow me to gain a better sense of where my interests in public health are? Sometimes I found that when you're surrounded by other driven and inspirational people, it helps inspire you as well.

 

I think I'm potentially interested in getting involved in social enterprise, which would also require gaining some business skills. I like the idea of creating sustainable interventions that are integrated within a community's economic system. I suppose this would require getting involved into a startup or trying to start something of my own? Never hurts to dream!

 

And cheers to mental health!! Something I'm really interested in as well (trying to decide whether to go to Johns Hopkins MHS program in mental health or opt for a more "general" MPH program).

[RunnerGrad]

Public health and community nutrition.  Which makes sense, since my undergraduate degree is in nutrition/dietetics, and my MPH will be in community nutrition.  The MPH includes the dietetic internship that is required to practice as a registered dietitian.

 

Eventually I would like to end up as an RD doing program development, implementation and evaluation for nutrition and physical activity interventions.

[shaketheshock]

I'm still interested in what other folks are planning to go into once they get their degrees - come on, there's lots of us on these forums! What are you planning on doing for a job with your MPH? Like I said above, I'm very interested in public mental health and how to reduce unecessary suffering (specifically due to the stigma and self-stigma related to mental health diagnoses).

[silvib2986]

Reproductive health. Particularly in increasing access to family planning and cancer (cervical/breast) screening services. I would love to work at the community level doing program planning/implementation for initiatives related to these issues. I am really interested in helping address the disparities between minority and non-minority women in regards to reproductive health in the US, but international work is also really appealing. 

Edited March 21, 2014 by silvib2986

[tac0d00d]

Healthcare management. Seems to have the highest job market and earning potential

[shaketheshock]

Is there a particular area of healthcare you're looking at?

[mahmad]

I'm with Catsushi.

However, with my undergrad background I wanted to look at mental health stigmas/access in public health and use photo voice as a form of advocacy and look into health communications as well. 

[MadtownJacket]

Healthcare administration, preferably for a pediatric hospital or an academic hospital.  Not really a fan of the other types of healthcare organizations.

[shaketheshock]

I'm with Catsushi.

However, with my undergrad background I wanted to look at mental health stigmas/access in public health and use photo voice as a form of advocacy and look into health communications as well. 

That sounds awesome, and along the lines of what I would like to do. Will you be looking at self-stigma and how that affects people's access to mental health care? Like, designing communications to combat that?

[tankgirl]

I want to work in Health Care Management or work in an area of Informatics. Anyone know whats a good way to work in the Informatics field? Should I be getting a fellowship/INTERNSHIP in Informatics after my MPH?

[MadtownJacket]

I want to work in Health Care Management or work in an area of Informatics. Anyone know whats a good way to work in the Informatics field? Should I be getting a fellowship/INTERNSHIP in Informatics after my MPH?

 

What do you want to do with Informatics?  That might help us give you advice on where to start.

[mahmad]

That sounds awesome, and along the lines of what I would like to do. Will you be looking at self-stigma and how that affects people's access to mental health care? Like, designing communications to combat that?

 

Not only self-stigma, but the the cultural stigma of mental health. Since I'm going into global health and I saw first hand how people in certain developing countries view mental health, I would like to find a way to help change that perspective. 

 

Do you want to focus on the policy aspect? That's huge in this country and much needed

[shaketheshock]

Not only self-stigma, but the the cultural stigma of mental health. Since I'm going into global health and I saw first hand how people in certain developing countries view mental health, I would like to find a way to help change that perspective. 

 

Do you want to focus on the policy aspect? That's huge in this country and much needed

 

I am most interested in stigma as well, along with discourse. My specific interest at the moment is the stigma and discourse associated with certain mental health diagnoses more than others. I'd love to have a hand in creating policy that abolished this stigma and discourse. Policy that honoured those with lived experience rather than discriminating against them.

[mahmad]

I am most interested in stigma as well, along with discourse. My specific interest at the moment is the stigma and discourse associated with certain mental health diagnoses more than others. I'd love to have a hand in creating policy that abolished this stigma and discourse. Policy that honoured those with lived experience rather than discriminating against them.

 

Do you intend to get your PhD or Masters in Psych as well, or will that not really help you?

[catsushi]

For those interested in mental health, do you think that pursuing a degree with a specialization in mental health (like a MHS in mental health) is risky? How many jobs within mental health are there? Or do you think that what matters the most is what school the degree comes from and what training/technical skills you receive along with that specialization?

 

And yes, echoing mahmad, I've heard of people who pursued a PhD in Psych after completing a Masters in public health. But honestly, our knowledge of how the mind works is now developing past psychology and further into the direction of neuroscience/biology--if you are interested in pursuing mental health, I would recommend gaining some knowledge related to neuropsychology as well!

 

(note, I majored in neuro for undergrad, neuro is awesome!)

[Sheni]

I'm a Nigerian studying in the UK at the moment and would like to work in any field of public health in Canada. I shall complete my MPH program in September and would like some advice on what opportunities exist in that part of the world. I don't have plenty of public health work experience but after obtaining a bachelors and a maters degree I won't mind proceeding to a DrPH. Any help?