HermoineG Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Hi everyone, I have applied to some public health PhD programs, mostly in health behavior or related programs. My research has mostly been related to HIV care continuum. I am a Psychology masters student and will finish my masters in May 2016. I was wondering about the job market in public health field. I dont have any experience in this field. I was hoping someone could share their job-application experiences with me. Also, does anyone know what is the pay like for someone just starting their career in PH research? I will start looking for jobs in January or February. I am just making sure I have a Plan B if my Plan A (Phd student) fails this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyaB Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 My first few jobs were at hospitals or universities as a research coordinator. It's the day to day work in research: recruiting patients, paying patients, interviews, study procedures, IRB stuff, regulatory paper work. Depending on where you live it can pay anywhere from $35 to $80K (80 is more like a project manager who does research). HermoineG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HermoineG Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 Hi TonyaB, thank you for your reply! So the project manager - she/he has to have a PhD right? Is it possible to climb up the ladder (in research) if you don't have a PhD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rising_star Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Not in your field but I've seen ads for Project Manager positions in university-affiliated hospitals that require the master's and several years of experience but don't have the PhD listed as a minimum qualification. HermoineG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HermoineG Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 Thanks rising_star. This makes me feel a little better. I am just waiting to hear back from schools and trying to keep my options open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyaB Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 19 hours ago, PsychChick said: Hi TonyaB, thank you for your reply! So the project manager - she/he has to have a PhD right? Is it possible to climb up the ladder (in research) if you don't have a PhD? I'm a project manager now and I have a Master's. For my job you had to have an Master's plus 2-3 years experience. While I do think it's possible to climb up the ladder in research, I think (in regards to public health) it's harder to command more money and/or get certain opportunities and grants. A lot of the jobs I see that I would love to transition to require a PhD. As I get older, I want more so I am applying for a PhD now. It really depends on your goals. HermoineG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HermoineG Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 Hi TonyaB - Thanks a lot for your reply! That's some really good info. Wish you all the best for your PhD applications! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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