How the Public Health Major Prepares You for the Job Market
Public health is the study of health care, disease management in the public sphere, and health trends from a social perspective. This means that rather than looking at health care purely on a biological or medicinal aspect, public health majors focus on health care and health care delivery in relation to the social environment and population. Public health majors are curious about how the human element affects health care and how different societies and cultures vary in handling the health of its populations. These majors take courses in epidemiology, global issues, biostatistics, and other topics related to bettering the studentís understanding of health care on a local and global level. Studies also focus on health policies and their effectiveness throughout history and health care management. The knowledge gained by public health majors prepares them for a future working with disease control, immunization, and other important aspects of health care that keeps the public safe and healthy.
Best Career Paths for Public Health Majors
Public health is a broad field that has many varying employment opportunities for those passionate about community safety and prosperity. The best career paths for public health majors are:
- Health Administrator. Health care facilities, though primarily seen as places where the sick and injured are treated, are still businesses. For this reason, administrators are needed to run the facility like a business. Health administrators ensure that every part of the clinic, physicianís office, or hospital runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible. They are responsible for organizing other employees, ensuring that the facility is always adequately staffed, keeping patient medical records accurate, and working with clinical managers to provide the best possible patient care. Health care administrators make an average salary of $80,240 annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Public Health Social Worker. Social workers have the opportunity to directly help those in need. They work with disadvantaged people, and public health social workers in particular provide emotional support to those suffering from illness, injury, or disease. They also help the loved ones of those coping with the health burdens. Public health social workers counsel and educate those they work with, sometimes referring the ill to other social services that can benefit them. Social workers may conduct research in the effectiveness of social policy and administration and assist in policy development. Public health social workers make an average salary of $47,560 annually, according to the Bureau.
How to Market Your Public Health Degree
Your public health degree is more flexible than you may realize. Although public health may seem like a narrow field of focus, it is actually applicable to many areas of study. Public health majors do not only learn biology and health issues, but also learn about the fundamentals of social interaction, research, problem-solving, policy making, and other skills that are needed in many industries. Public health majors need only to prove to employers that they are capable of adapting to different work environments and that their education provided them with skills that are easily translated into real working situations.
