Having a career in public health is many people’s dream. Though, that is no surprise considering the great number of benefits that one can get when doing so. Firstly, a career in public health provides job security, growth, mastery, variety, and decent pay. Moreover, such a career allows people to travel a lot and improve both their community and nation, but that can sometimes depend on the field that they decide to explore. The public health sector is a very vast one, and it continues to grow and develop. No matter how tempting it might be to get a job in this field, there are a few considerations that people need to acknowledge.
One of the first aspects that you need to think about is your knowledge and skills. You might already know that in order to get a job you need to have more or less experience, and that can sometimes be acquired through education. Below there are a few more considerations to make.
Lifestyle Choices
There are different types of public health careers that one can explore. Besides being a social person you might also be required to make a few trips, but that will only happen if you work in the field. If you’d rather focus on epidemiology, for example, you will spend most of your working days in a laboratory trying to figure out the most efficient ways to stop the spread of diseases. Generally, you need to be open to new opportunities as a job in this field is most of the time quite diverse. A thing is certain, you never get bored, and you don’t have to stick to the same routine every single day of your life.
Study Options
Another important factor is obviously your knowledge. In order to land your dream job, you need to have a few relevant skills and extensive knowledge. The only way of proving your determination to make a change in this field is probably with the help of a diploma. Nevertheless, not everyone has a lot of free time and endless financial resources to invest in their education. Though, nowadays it is possible to get your degree online. A master in Public Health helps you start the career of your dreams. On online.usd.edu/master-of-public-health you can learn more about this flexible curriculum.
Career Options
The last step of this process involves finding a job. As already mentioned above, depending on your preferences, lifestyle and willingness to travel for work, you can focus on a career option in public health. Some popular fields include: global health, environmental health, community health, epidemiology and biostatistics and informatics. If you pursue a career in biostatics you’ll have to analyze population health and identify trends. This science is a great choice for those who are interested in working with numbers. On the other hand, epidemiology focuses on the spread of diseases. Professionals in this field are trying to figure the causes of those diseases and ultimately, develop solutions for those illnesses. Lastly, global health involves a lot of traveling, encouraging healthy habits and eliminating health disparities.
Starting a career in public health has a lot of benefits, but there are a few considerations to make. The ideas described above inform the aspiring professional on those considerations.
