It would be fair to say that a degree in public health isn’t for everyone, while to make the matter even more complicated there’s not just “one type” of public health career.
On the contrary, there are several to choose from. An online masters in Public Health proves this, and shows that one does at least have options as soon as they graduate from college.
Bearing this in mind, today’s post is all about exploring these options. We will now take a look at four types of career that the public health industry offers.
The medicine route
Unsurprisingly, the medicine route is the one that most people think of first. At the same time, while it is sometimes regarded as being “glamorous”, it is also one of those professions that involves years of training. The compensation on offer tends to cover this for most people of course, and it opens up a wealth of opportunities ranging from nursing to physical therapy.
Opting for non-profits
If we turn to working for non-profit sectors within public health, this is one that really can split opinion. On one hand, it’s incredibly rewarding. After all, in most cases at least, you are helping people who are less privileged and really need that support. Additionally, the people who work within non-profits tend to be exceptionally passionate, and it really can be an exciting environment to work in.
Of course, there are downsides. The career prospects aren’t as stable, and the money is obviously not as good as others are due to exceptionally tight budgets. You of course don’t require as much specialist knowledge as the medicine option, and you might simply be involved in this from a fundraising perspective.
Getting involved in academia
This next sector isn’t one that is going to appeal to everyone, but if you have an interest in research then academia can be a very good route to take. You will probably need to be educated to Ph.D level, but the fact that public health is such a fast growing major suggests that it could be a route worth considering.
In contrast to the non-profits solution, this is one that can be associated with high incomes.
Working for government
Some would suggest that there are only certain types of individuals who are suited to government work. As most people are aware, government work has plenty of advantages associated with it and this even means that some people always aim for employment down this route.
From a public health perspective, there are plenty of agencies that are funded by the government and this is proving to be a popular career path for many. Of course, if you do decide to work for such an agency, it stands to reason that you will be legislated by some of the strictest regulations going. For some people, this just isn’t within their DNA, which is why one of the other three options might be considered in a private sense.
