r/publichealth • u/Short-Worldliness297 • 1d ago
DISCUSSION Is Public Health a good path ?
If there anyone who is currently doing there bsc or mph in public health or a proffessional, please kindly share your insights and experiences.They'll be really worth for me.
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u/Lelo_B 1d ago
This is a historically bad time to get into public health.
If you want to jump into it a few years from now when the field is (hopefully) stable again, I recommend getting a bachelors degree in anything related to statistics.
You can easily jump into epidemiology or biostatistics with that degree, but also get data analytics jobs in other fields, too. It’s very flexible.
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u/dec92010 MPH Community Health Sciences, MCHES 1d ago
public health might not exist in like 2 years
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u/MrChrisRedfield67 1d ago
America isn't the only country with Public Health programs. American's public sector for Public Health is obviously going through a rough time right now but non-US based public health will still exist. A LOT of our interventions are based off of piloted programs in other countries like Safe Injection Sites.
Also, non-profits are also public health based. They might be inefficient at times but a lot of public health research wouldn't exist without funding from non-profits like the American Heart Association etc.
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u/dec92010 MPH Community Health Sciences, MCHES 1d ago
True but OP was interested in the USA, according to their posts
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u/MrChrisRedfield67 1d ago
Public health will still exist in the United States because diseases don't magically go away by not believing in them.
American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, MS Society, March Dimes, etc. all fund public health based research conducted at research hospitals and employ public health related staff. Pharmaceuticals companies have a lot of MPHs or PHDs as epidemiologists and biostatisticians. Infection Controls staff that work at hospitals and long-term care facilities are a mixture of MPHs and nurses. A lot of non-profits around maternal health, harm reduction, HIV care, LGBTQ+ based care and other organizations that have been here 20+ years through multiple administrations providing services that health departments can't like needle exchange services.
I agree that it isn't the best time to get into the field but I think people fail to realize how big the field actually is. The field goes beyond health departments and the CDC.
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u/djn24 1d ago
There are a lot of good careers in Public Health, and we need motivated people to join the field.
We're under attack from a combination of big money interests that benefit from sick, controllable labor to exploit, anti-science jerkoffs, and, worst of all, eugenicists like RFK Jr. and Jim O'Neil, and Peter Thiel.
A bachelor's degree alone won't get you very far in this field. You're better off studying a hard science or a field like economics, sociology, political science, psychology, women's studies, etc. Those classes will either help you develop the tools to become an effective researcher within this field or to become an effective community advocate or organizer.
Go to grad school after that and either get an MS in the more research-oriented fields (Biostats, Epidemiology, etc.) or an MPH in the fields that don't require the same research skills. A PhD is useful if you want to be a director, professor, or research PI.
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u/dec92010 MPH Community Health Sciences, MCHES 1d ago
I was gonna say there might be positions in public health because current group are getting their positions cut or are burnt out from the field.
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u/Short-Worldliness297 1d ago
Thanks.It helps me a lot.
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u/Mountain-Cow7572 1d ago
do not do sociology or women’s studies unless you wanna be unemployed 💀 psychology is also not worth it unless you pursue a master’s or above
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u/fishinfool4 1d ago
Fully agree with everybody else, a bachelor's in public health would be a waste at the moment. It is really hard to recommend it as a career path under trump and the brain worm. The damage they are doing will last decades, and a lot of said damage won't be realized for years after these clowns are gone. I dont know that most agencies at a city/county level have had to make cuts to this point, but hiring is definitely down because of all the uncertainty.
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u/primaryprevention 1d ago
started my bsph 3 years ago 😭 im cooked
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u/fishinfool4 22h ago
You may be close enough to being done that you can get a foot in the door before things get too terribly crazy.
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u/Short-Worldliness297 1d ago
Thank you very much. From your experience, which field or degree would give me the most useful skills and opportunities right now?”
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u/fishinfool4 1d ago
It depends. Public health is a massive field. Are there aspects of it that particularly appeal to you?
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u/Late_80s 20h ago
I'm not sure if you're interested in this field or something more administrative but I would like to suggest nursing. You can work anywhere (hospitals, home care, community, case management, clinics, insurance, consultation, telehealth, run your own business, and of course, public agencies. Public health has a notoriously hard time finding public health nurses also. It's a fun field to work in as a nurse (speaking from experience). If public health in america falls, you can easily transition to any other area.
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u/TheInfinitePymp 1d ago
If you go into public health, go data heavy. Learn programs such as ArcGIS, Excel, mapping, etc., and be GOOD AT IT. The data analysts are usually "safer" positions, but right now know that PH is under extreme negative influence in the US. A bachelor's in PH is a joke. Get a hard science (bio, chem, engineering, etc.). Is you want to get a MOH, then get a job with your local govt health department and they'll pay for it. Even an MPH isn't worth the price unless it's paid for by someone else.
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u/willsketchforsheep 1d ago
I got a job as an epi right out of grad school (non-MPH) in May making a good amount (for me, at least) and even then I generally don't recommend it as a path.
Not because I dislike the field but because aside from the happenings in the US right now, I feel like there are far more public health grads than there are public health jobs. Like, if you're dedicated and this is the only thing you could see yourself doing, then yeah, I guess, but if you're just kinda half considering it I wouldn't recommend it because it'd likely be more trouble than it's worth
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u/Remarkable-Doctor55 1d ago
I just graduated with my MPH in May. I still can’t get a job even with my 5 years of experience. I would not recommend anyone to get into public health right now. I’m sorry shit sucks right now. I understand that public health is important, but it is not worth the mental toll
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u/Significant_Net5940 1d ago
Yes . I have a degree in pharmacy. Some of my classmates perused a masters in public health degree. This or a nursing background would diversify your job opportunities.
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u/aishwaryarey 1d ago
I would say, if you’re open to it, pursue medicine and then maybe you can squeeze in an MPH along with it. You’ll find more work as a doctor and definitely have an opportunity to practice it. But obvi medical school is brutal and expensive so it’s up to you
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u/JaketheSnake_1234 1d ago
If you’re into public health, here’s one way to go about it:
Undergrad majors that help: Public policy, statistics, international affairs, biomedical engineering, nursing, health sciences, or economics are all solid foundations. Double majoring or minoring in public health would be a great addition and way to get both. Bachelor's in public health are nice but you really need a masters degree or tons of work experience to land roles
Grad programs to consider: Master of Public Health (MPH) or Master of Science (MS) in epidemiology, biostatistics, health informatics, management and policy, or environmental health (especially industrial hygiene). Dual degrees like MPH/Master of Health Administration (MHA) or MPH/Master of Business Administration (MBA) are great if you’re aiming for leadership roles, and a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) is an option if you want to go big on leadership or academia. PhD if you want to do research. 10-15 years ago an MPH alone was great but nowadays you need more for better mobility and mileage or need to work your way up from the bottom entry level. Ymmv
Career tips: Definitely do internships, fellowships, and grab any hands-on experience you can — that’s what will set you apart. Goal is to get both.
I love public health, but honestly, current federal and state policies make the work harder than it should be, and funding is at a low point. Pay isn’t terrible in the public sector or academia, but it’s not amazing either (avg is $40-70k). Private sector jobs are definitely more lucrative ($60-100k). If you’re chasing job security and higher pay, adding something like a Master of Public Policy (MPP), MHA, MBA, or an allied health/medical license is a good move.
I work for a university and school of public health and am supposed to help with recruitment (not my specific job but I do a lot of work with students and community) and this is my take on the field.
Good luck!
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u/Significant-Word-385 1d ago
Do you already have a bachelors degree? Are you working in any kind of field that’s at least adjacent to public health?
1.) Do not get a bachelors degree in public health. It’s basically a GED as far as public health is concerned. Harsh, I know, but also true.
2.) Gain a discipline (biology, chemistry, nursing, medicine) before you go knocking on the door of public health. PH is interdisciplinary. That’s means many disciplines come together to solve public health problems.
Very little is needed in the form of a brilliant generalist to bring it all together. Very much is needed in the form of individual talent and expertise to solve different pieces of a broad and complex puzzle.
PH problems are multi-factorial. So gain a discipline that can address some of the factors, then consider an MPH to help you understand the systems thinking required to tie it all together into a cohesive solution.
3.) If you’re just starting out, don’t let the doom and gloom crowd dissuade you. I’ve done nearly 20 years of reserve component military service. The president and politics generally had little impact on me for the bulk of that time. Folks at CDC are going through it right now. State and local health departments are feeling the squeeze as well. In 4 years will you have that same pain? Most likely not, though with any profession the future isn’t guaranteed. So go where your talents and your passions are best served.
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u/Short-Worldliness297 1d ago
Thanks. I'm not following a bachelor's degree yet.Just looking for what's better.
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u/Significant-Word-385 1d ago
The important thing right now then is that you’re asking questions. I had no idea my current job existed when I started my MPH. I could’ve had it 12 years ago (I’ve been in it for 3) before I even started an MPH. If I’d known about these types of forums and what questions to ask, I’d probably have started a lot earlier and wasted a lot less money.
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u/hisglasses66 1d ago
Not at this time, hard quant or medical sciences is the only path today. def do not do a BS in Public health - its a fake degree
Got my MPH 10 years ago. Great fulfilling career at the intersection of policy, epi, machine learning and economic. Run my own thing now. Worth it for me, but my clinical data skills is what opened the door.
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u/Antigensuperbug 1d ago
What do you mean by clinical data sets ?
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u/hisglasses66 1d ago
EMR/EHR data, Healthcare billing data and data systems that lives inside a healthcare organization limited to physician groups, hospitals, labs, health insurance and maybe a few other places.
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u/thatgirltag 15h ago
No. I have my Bchelors in Psych/Public Health and struggled to find a job. In fact I pursued something different. If you are interested in healthcare, I recommend nursing, or some other kind of healthcare field. I say nursing because it is very versatile and you can pivot into public health nursing
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u/caramelgelatto 8h ago
Do not under any circumstances pursue a degree in public health under this current administration (+/- 2 years) if you are not using it as a pathway for a career in health (nursing, Dr, etc.). It is not worth the debt and most jobs don’t pay well.
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u/sci_curiousday 4h ago
If you do public health, get into policy! Lots of jobs still available. I have my MPH and work as a Policy Manager, If I could go back in time I would do my MPP instead but, I didn’t know this was the route I would take.
I’m actually gonna go to law school in a couple of years to compliment my policy background
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u/whatdoyoudonext MS Global Health | PhD student - International Health 1d ago
Public health is an important and interesting field. Is it a good path right now? No. Take a look at the world and (if you are US based) the funding/priorities. My advice, pursue a bachelors that will give you a solid skill that you can transfer across various fields. If the world regains reason, pursue an MPH later on.