A public health career comes very easily with a mindset of dedication and service. An MPH job is geared toward promoting wellbeing, improving quality of life, and reducing the disability of the general populace. A master public health professional (MPH) is someone with refined communication skills and a keen eye for analyzing statistical data.
Public health professionals in NGOs and the public sector provide selfless service, their work often garners international awards and recognition. You have public health professionals to thank if general sanitation levels in your city are high. Also, if you woke up this morning without a communicable illness it is because of these professionals.
Increasingly, the private sector is emerging as a big employer in community-focused initiatives and research on future population-based business initiatives. Due to this, there is often confusion related to ‘what is a biostatistician’.
The answer is that it is one of the most essential profiles in the broad MPH job spectrum. If you are a doctor who is looking at a non-clinical career and public health is an area of interest, please read on to know more about why it is a rewarding career choice.
Overview of the MPH Job Spectrum
Public health professionals play a key role in shaping policy and implementation of public health programs. As a public health professional, your duties range from studying diseases to analyzing health statistics. You may also be involved in devising awareness programs and monitoring vaccination drives. Your actions as a public health professional greatly impact vulnerable and at-risk groups across different age ranges.
MPH Job Roles and Responsibilities
No day in public health is the same. It has many areas of influence and diverse objectives. Doctors will find their experience in treating patients evolves to shape the future of their communities. Jobs in the public health field are highly varied. You may choose to specialize in one of the following streams:
- Biostatistics
- Epidemiology
- Global Health
- Community Health
How to Obtain a Master’s Public Health Degree?
Public health degree programs range from a master’s public health or doctoral public health degree. Most colleges offer full-time and part-time options. A typical Master of Public Health program lasts for about 2 years. Public health online courses are also becoming increasingly popular.
What is a Biostatistician’s Role?
Biostatisticians and epidemiologists combine health care practices and data analysis to measure the impact of public healthcare programs. While Biostatisticians collect and analyze data for research and policy frameworks, epidemiologists focus on tracking, assessing, and controlling the spread of highly infectious diseases.
What does a Community Health Worker do?
Community health workers are tasked with creating awareness around proper hygiene and promoting a healthy lifestyle. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the commendable work of public health professionals into sharp focus.
In India, various government schemes for mother and child welfare, immunization drives, and emergency medical care in remote areas come under the purview of public health officials. They track community indices like malnutrition, infant mortality rate, and disease prevalence, they are also responsible for the procurement and dispensation of vaccines.
Who Should Become a Public Health Professional or Biostatistician?
A clinician with excellent communication skills, a mind for problem-solving, and a knack for seeing the bigger picture is best suited to pursue a master’s public health degree. Doctors looking to create an impact on public policy worldwide should pursue a career in public health.
A Master of Public Health provides opportunities to improve analytical and research skills. Clinical research is also frequently driven by public health professionals and a doctor trained in public health would be able to connect the dots between the various environmental, social, and physical factors surrounding a patient’s health.
Master in Public Health (MPH) Job Goals and Benefits
Public Health has a strong focus on social justice. It aims to bring to light the disparities among different communities and provide long-term solutions to healthcare problems giving public health workers an immense sense of satisfaction.
Public health offers greater job security and options for career growth as compared to a clinician. The demand for qualified and experienced public health workers is quite high in India; and globally, and will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. The demand for qualified and experienced public health workers is quite high in India; and globally, and will continue to grow for the foreseeable future.
Public healthcare professionals also enjoy a good work-life balance, away from the stresses of clinical procedures and hospital visits, you have greater opportunities to spend time with your family, focus on your skills, and pursue your passion. Domestic and foreign travel opportunities are also quite high, you may be attending conferences, presenting research, or documenting community programs. Public health is an evergreen sector and offers immediate employability, a master’s public health graduate can expect a higher income compared to general physicians and the salary package often has many other benefit options including insurance and allowances.
Here’s a Look at your MPH Job Outlook
Public Health professionals operate at the intersection of many domains in the healthcare system and have various job titles. Doctors could expect to be offered any of the below job roles:
- Medical and Health Services Manager
- Healthcare Administrator
- Communicable Disease Specialist
- Infection Control Practitioner
- Chronic Disease Epidemiologist
- Maternity and Child Healthcare Specialist
Other positions held by public health professionals are in physician clinical services, public health policy analysis, biostatistics, environmental health, and emergency management.
MPH Job Benefits
The U.S Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) predicts a 17% growth in public health professions by the year 2026. The large shortage of public health workers resulting from the coronavirus pandemic has induced this growth for public health professionals. As per LinkedIn statistics, there are close to 79,000 jobs available in the field of public health worldwide currently. Of these, more than 600 of those jobs are in India alone. India is poised to employ one of the largest public health workforces in the world, this is as good a time as any to invest your career in Public Health.
Conclusion
This article has helped explain some of the major questions, including what is Master’s in Public Health, is and what is a biostatistician, among others. Public Health is a noble profession, those involved work relentlessly to create a healthier and safer world. Hence, any clinician with the desire to make a lasting impact in the community should pursue a master’s public health degree to further their knowledge of the healthcare system. For graduates with a degree in MPH job opportunities are at an all-time high. Their actions make a huge difference and will be remembered for a long time. They are the invisible cornerstones of the healthcare industry.
