Public Health Degrees Provide Broad, Practical Education

by Sarah Clark
Online Degrees Columnist

Public health degrees prepare professionals for management and administrative careers in a variety of areas. They provide an education that prepares you to take on many different public health management and policy issues.

Making sure that everyone receives equal and appropriate medical care, tracking diseases and preventing their spread, running a hospital that is profitable but ethical: these are a few of the issues that professionals face in public health jobs.

Training for Public Health Jobs
Those with careers in public health typically have a bachelor's or master's degree in the field. During their degree programs, they may learn about ethical issues facing the healthcare industry. They may also study the business side, such as how insurance companies reimburse doctors and how healthcare providers set their rates. Since numbers are a big part of any medical practice, many students benefit from a dual degree in business and public health.

Careers in Public Health Policy
Some public health workers focus more on health policy. They might, for example, take up the issue of America's high number of uninsured citizens and the growing cost of healthcare. In addition, they might study trends in health, such as the use of condoms and spread of HIV and AIDS; much of that work is done by epidemiologists at places like the National Institutes of Health.

A public health professional might also look at ways to prepare for the aging baby boomer population, which is set to retire over the next couple of decades. They might look at how healthcare providers can prepare to serve this group in hospitals, assisted living facilities, retirement homes, and aging-in-place communities.

Many public health jobs focus on running a healthcare facility, such as a hospital or group of medical clinics. Such jobs require keen management skills and attention to budgets, human resources, facilities management, and other administrative aspects.

Learn more about public health jobs by visiting the Department of Labor's website and researching public health-related degree programs. Find out if it's a field that could lead you to a satisfying, rewarding career.

About the Author
Sarah Clark is a freelance writer specializing in career development and postsecondary education.

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