r/publichealth • u/Short-Worldliness297 • 5d 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/JaketheSnake_1234 5d 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!