“There is a role in public health for people from all sorts of walks of life.”

–  Dr. Greg Martin
Specialist in Public Health Medicine
Health Service Executive (HSE) Ireland

Introduction

Working in the fields of public health and global health can be a rewarding experience, with the ultimate vision of achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. The global pandemic has inspired future practitioners to pursue public health and has underscored the urgent need for competent professionals to help address current and future challenges.

Despite the increased demand for professionals across the health sector, breaking into a career in public or global health can be challenging. Episodes 67 and 68 of the Public Health Insight Podcast answer questions about pursuing graduate education in public health, careers in the field, and the skills and competencies required for success. In these episodes, the team chats with Dr. Greg Martin, a medical doctor working as a Specialist in Public Health Medicine based in Ireland. Dr. Martin is also the host of Global Health with Greg Martin, a YouTube ™ channel with resources for public health professionals including tips on finding the right global health jobs. 

Table of Contents/Breakdown of what is covered in this post

In this article we will highlight:

• Graduate Education in Public Health
• What to Consider when Planning a Public Health Career
• Obtaining Public Health Experience
• The Future of Public Health and Post Pandemic Priorities

Graduate Education in Public Health

What degrees do I need to get started in Public Health? What additional degrees may help in my future career?

To work in public health is to tackle the systemic problems leading to health inequities. In order to do this, public health practitioners need core skills such as basic epidemiology, statistics, and research methods taught through undergraduate and postgraduate education. As such, most entry level public health roles require a minimum of a master’s level degree.

For many people, the first step into a public health or global health career is pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH). However, people holding a master’s level degree in similar areas wishing to pursue public health roles do not necessarily need to commit to an additional MPH. Entry level positions often specify requirements for an MPH or equivalent, with those holding master’s degrees in similar veins, such as epidemiology, likely to be as successful in pursuing a public health or global health career. 

Public health professionals who are looking to further their formal education beyond a master’s degree can go on to pursue a PhD in Public Health or a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH). These programs require a significant time and energy commitment, about 3 – 6 years depending on the program. Professionals seeking roles in academia or institution-based research are likely to need to obtain an advanced degree to be successful in this arena.

While both PhD and DrPH programs teach candidates research skills, these tracks differ in how the research is applied practically. PhD programs often focus on advanced research and statistical skills where candidates investigate the very specific research questions of their supervisor or the funding body. In this stream, candidates are well-prepared to continue in academia and add to the body of public health research.

By contrast, DrPH programs connect research with public health practice. DrPH programs  include a research component, but also train candidates in leadership skills, interdisciplinary collaboration, and practical applications of public health research. After obtaining a DrPH, professionals often work with key global health organizations in leadership roles (Park, Migliaccio, Edberg, Frehywot, & Johnson, 2021; Walden University, 2022).

What to Consider when Planning a Public Health Career

What careers are out there and what competencies do I need to elevate my skill set?

A major challenge for budding health practitioners is determining in what kind of organization and in which branch of public or global health they would prefer to work. Public health and global health are wide and diverse fields with career paths leading to work in:

• health agencies at local, national, and international levels,
• non-government organization (NGO) work,
• not-for-profit public health sector, and
• academic institutions,

to name a few.

Within these sectors, public health practitioners can work in a range of specialities – from focusing on a specific disease or population to public policies promoting health and wellness to addressing the social determinants of health.

Future public health professionals may know specifically the area in which they would like to  work. In this case, gaining competencies specific to the subject matter of their desired roles can help progress their public health career more quickly. For example, aspiring public health practitioners wanting to join the fight to eliminate malaria can obtain additional training in case management, epidemiology, and vector control. While this can help a person progress along a specific career path, specializing can also keep a person ‘boxed-in’ and make switching focus areas difficult later.

Those who are not as certain about which area of public health they wish to tackle and people who wish to keep a more generalist profile can focus on competencies that are transferable across multiple fields. Obtaining project management certifications, leadership courses, general business skills, and data management proficiencies can help these professionals stand out in application pools. While these general skills can help lead to a variety of career paths, candidates should keep in mind that they will be competing for roles against those with more specialized skill sets, potentially making roles more difficult to achieve.

What other considerations are there in choosing a global health career path?

Another consideration for future public health practitioners is the daily working life and environment in which they hope to operate. Public health professionals need to ask themselves questions such as:

• Where do I want to live?
• Am I willing to travel frequently?
• What salary range do I want?
• How comfortable am I with sudden changes in tasks or priorities?

Many leading public health agencies may be able to offer better salaries but may also require frequent travel or relocation to major cities with varying degrees of ‘liveability.’ Local NGOs, grassroots organizations, and other not-for-profit sector jobs can be incredibly rewarding, although they may not be able to offer remuneration that adequately compensates the years and cost of study. Field work in developing regions can be a calling for many globally minded public health professionals, but frequent travel and deployment to potentially unsafe areas may not be compatible with other important life choices such as starting a family. Ultimately it is up to the individual to thoroughly investigate their career progression and work towards positions that are professionally fulfilling while also in line with their expectations.

Obtaining Public Health Experience

I have my degree, now what? How do I get experience in Public Health when all of the Public Health roles require experience in Public Health?

Even after obtaining the necessary degrees and competencies, breaking into desired public health roles can be challenging, especially for those with little practical experience. However, there are methods of building experience outside of formal employment that can help candidates achieve their desired public health roles.

1.       Get visible

Social media and other platforms can offer the opportunity for people to engage with and become visible to the public health community, even if not yet formally working in the public health arena. Public health blogs, articles, videos, and podcasts give people the opportunity to create materials and invite discussion on important public health topics. By creating or engaging with public health content, aspiring professionals can  develop skill sets, work portfolios, and knowledge bases that can help progress their careers. 

2.       Volunteer work 

For those that have time and resources to engage in unpaid work, volunteering can provide experience while helping future public health practitioners develop specific skills. Looking for volunteer roles in organizations of interest can help with networking with key figures in the public health arena.

3.       Paid internships

Many larger public health and global health organizations now offer paid internships for recent public health graduates. These internships provide invaluable opportunities to connect with global health leaders and gain experience in public health.

4.       Consulting work

Consulting work can provide opportunities in a range of public health areas, allowing people to build experience. These are often short-term contracts that are intended to fill a gap or need in resources, where the consultant helps with a specific project or outcome. Consulting work can be an important steppingstone, allowing public health practitioners a foot-in-the-door to a public health career.

The Future of Public Health and Post Pandemic Priorities

What impact has the COVID-19 crisis had on public health priorities and will this impact future directions for public health?

The global focus on combating COVID-19 has brought unprecedented attention to public health but has also shifted awareness and funding away from other important health priorities. Management of deadly communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis and malaria, tackling neglected tropical diseases, and addressing non-communicable diseases are all pressing global health concerns that have taken a back seat during the COVID crisis (Bashier et al., 2021; The Global Fund, 2021; World Health Organization, 2020).

It is, therefore, important when planning out a public health or global health career, to keep in mind that the health priorities being tackled today may not remain the focus (or have funding to employ people) into the future. Not too long ago, the fight against HIV was an urgent public health concern globally, attracting attention, funding and top health professionals to combat the health threat. While achieving an HIV free world remains a global goal, other threats to health such as climate change, refugee crises, and health access inequities have taken centre stage. 

In the coming years, pandemic preparedness will be a high priority globally, with skills related to disease surveillance, data collection, and supply chain coordination in high demand. Public health and global health professionals will need to keep abreast of the changing global health landscape to keep current on their professional goals and maintain competencies required for the evolving needs of the populations they serve. 

Key Takeaways

The COVID crisis has sparked interest in public health and global health careers. While there is a significant need for future public health professionals, breaking into the field can be difficult. There are many steps to planning out a successful and rewarding public health career path.

• Most public health positions will require a minimum of a master’s level degree, but not all will specifically require an MPH, especially if a candidate holds a master’s degree in a similar field.
• Public health professionals may choose to pursue advanced degrees, such as a PhD in Public Health or a Doctor of Public Health, particularly those interested in academia or senior leadership positions within major public health organizations.
• Future public health professionals should carefully consider the kind of public health work they would like to do and in which types of organizations. Career goals should not only be professionally fulfilling, but also address personal needs and priorities.  
• Gathering the required experience to start a public health career can be challenging, but activities outside of formal employment can help candidates develop professional skills and network with key public health contacts.
• There will always be public health needs, but priorities will shift over time and public health professionals need to be prepared to evolve their work to meet the needs of the communities they serve.

The path towards a fulfilling public health career can seem daunting, requiring a significant education commitment as well as effort to break into the professional arena. However, the end result can be a rewarding career working towards healthier lives for all.

As Dr. Greg Martin summarizes, “you will be saving lives…you just don’t know who those lives are because when public health works it translates into things that don’t happen – people don’t get exposed, people that don’t get sick, people that don’t land up in the hospital placing pressure on the acute hospital system. So, the work you are doing is saving lives, you just don’t know who those lives are, people don’t know that you’ve saved their lives, so they don’t know to thank you.”