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Blog Summary
The pursuit of a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree offers a multifaceted boost to one’s career trajectory. This advanced degree equips individuals with a robust skill set tailored to address complex public health challenges. From epidemiology and biostatistics to health policy and management, an MPH curriculum provides comprehensive training essential for roles in healthcare administration, community health, policy analysis, and research. Moreover, an MPH degree enhances critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership abilities, making graduates highly sought after in various sectors, including government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private healthcare firms. Overall, investing in an MPH degree promises not only career advancement but also the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on public health on a local, national, and global scale.
Public health is a field where experts work to control or prevent diseases and build an environment of wellness, and better quality of life.
Public health professionals are equipped with the knowledge and experience to promote health and improve lifestyle by formulating policies, educating community members, building safety standards, generating awareness, and conducting research and investigating incidence and spread of diseases.
What is Public Health?
People often confuse Public health with the medical field. But doctors are the last line of defense, and public health professionals are the first. Public health experts try to minimize the cases that reach the doctors. The field of study is wide like any life science subject. It has many disciplines like:
Public health policy management
Maternal and Child Health
Community Health
Epidemiology
Environmental Health
Biostatistics & Bioinformatics
Global Health
Who is this course for?
MPH suits anyone who realizes the importance of disease prevention, understands the urgency in addressing the socio-economic gap in community health, and works to achieve equity in health.
Master’s in Public Health (MPH)
A degree in public health enables these professionals to bring about the desired change in living conditions of a community and enhance their health and welfare. Acquiring a master’s degree in public health helps professionals make informed decisions and take actions to build a healthier community. Getting an MPH degree in Zambia is an essential step to uplift society in general. A master’s in public health will help you improve your nation’s health and environment.
The demand for public health specialists has seen an upward trend since 2019. Public health officials are now required to administer their theoretical and educational practices.
Public health officials enforce strict health protocols directed by the state. Senior public health officials draft these protocols at the central and state level. But their implementation is at the local level for better relevance.
Public health experts undertake research to mine data to aid in policy framing. Administration of the services and healthcare is a duty of public health officials.
Career Paths After Pursuing a Public Health Course (MPH)
Getting a master’s degree deepens your understanding and elevates your learning in any field. There is a multitude of jobs that are available after you complete the master’s program. Here are a few job profiles that need a postgraduate degree in public health.
1. Healthcare Administrator
The healthcare administrators are the key decision-makers at any healthcare facility. They oversee patient experience, policy framing, implementation, and day-to-day management of the facility. They’re also responsible for the creation and monitoring of work plans for staff. They have to manage the finances of the facility and use it for development.
Additionally, they ensure that the facility is operating within the law guidelines. Health care administrators oversee staff training and coordinate with the doctors. Also, they have to look out for new investors.
2. Epidemiologist
Epidemiologists trace the origin of a disease and control the disease-causing factors. The epidemiologist must plan and coordinate the research to conclude their studies.
This branch of public health has to procure samples from the patients. Interviewing patients and analyzing samples are additional responsibilities. Post-analysis, they communicate their findings to physicians and public health administrators.
Epidemiologists work toward formulating and monitoring the plan for the prevention of disease. Writing the proposals to get grants to fund their research is a part of their job profile.
3. Social and Community Service Workers
The social workers work on the ground and coordinate ground efforts in real-time. They interact with and interview patients and clients and verify their case history.
Supervisors check the skills of social workers to ensure that the right people take up tasks. Social and community service workers usually drive efforts between many initiatives.
Also, they divert the clients or victims to the right program. It allows them to help people with different issues to get relief from suitable programs. In addition, they have to train these individuals to make them job-ready.
4. Dieticians and Nutritionists
Dieticians and nutritionists bring the phrase “you are what you eat” to life. Planning the diets comes inherently to their job profile, be it a hospital or a food program. Yet, their job profile is not limited to that. They have to assess and plan the diets of the patients for growth and healing.
Having a master’s in public health helps better administer and elevate the patient experience. It helps in better implementation of the health policies and providing adequate diets.
5. Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors support patients and help them on a prescribed recovery path. Their primary duty is to encourage and plan the recovery of people who have traumatic experiences. It means working with patients and addicts if you are heading an anti-addiction drive. The counselors must have the will to help anyone prima face and be free from social and racial bias.
6. Lecturer
Lecturers promote wellness by educating the youth and creating an environment of learning. As a lecturer, you must strive to connect with the pioneers in your subject. When you are working closely with students, driving research becomes eminent.
The National Foundation for Educational Research in England and Wales suggests that outdoor sessions are also helpful in learning. It helps students learn real-life skills and grasp the processes. Promoting the right resources and preventive strategies is another aspect of the profile. Being a lecturer requires you to have a PhD and your roots in your subject with a strong foundation.
7. Health Policy Analyst
Healthcare analysts are responsible for analyzing health policies mandates. They have to ensure the implementation of the state and the central health policies. Responsibilities include:
- Preparing policy briefs.
- Upkeeping with the latest development that impacts public health.
- Conveying information to the right people.
They have to present their findings to the investors and in public meetings. Planning these policies is a big part of the job profile work with data scientists and their analysis. Many health policy analysts usually publish their findings in scientific journals. So, research is a necessary part of their job.
Recent developments in data science and technologies have made working with data easy. The data-driven decisions make a policy more accurate.
Policy analysts must learn more about bioinformatics and biostatistics. It will not only aid in the research but understanding your metrics as well. Many NGOs take their help for better implementation and formulating action plans.
FAQ’S
What is the eligibility for enrolling in a master’s program in public health?
For admission in Master of Public Health, Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health or Health-Related Professions Such as Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Environmental Health, and Bio-Medical Sciences is mandatory. Yet, many universities allow enrolment of students from relevant fields such as Social Work, Demography, and Health Education as well.
What do I do after my master’s in public health?
You can start working with non-government organizations for program management. Enroll in state-level planning or local level public health management offices. You can work towards uplifting society by offering your services. Many universities need their professors and head of the department to have a PhD.
What is the duration of a master’s in public health (MPH)?
The course duration is two years, yet depending on the learning plan. The curriculum can have a 6-month internship with 18 months of on-campus learning or a strict 24-month learning program.
Do public health jobs pay well?
Careers in public health have seen a pay raise of at least 10% every year. The demand for public health experts is ever-growing. Considering the recent global pandemic that forced the world to lockdown, people have realized the value of public health management. Globally, the need for public health management has grown to coordinate global relief efforts.
