Public health organizations and professionals strive to promote a healthier and safer world. They fight challenges to promote healthcare equality and accessibility across communities. A public health degree opens up numerous lucrative opportunities to innovate, improve and enhance public healthcare systems.
If you aspire to improve healthcare without pursuing a medical degree, public health allows you to explore multiple career paths. Do you wish to design and implement policies to enable marginalized and remote communities better access to quality healthcare? Or perhaps, you desire to improve vaccination programs and research preventive techniques and cures.
Public health professionals work in policymaking, global healthcare programs, preventive care, family planning, and much more. Keep reading to explore some exciting career opportunities after obtaining a public health degree.
Health Informatics Specialist
Health informatics specialists, also known as biostatisticians, examine large volumes of healthcare data to pull crucial insights and conduct analysis. Then, they suggest improvements and innovations by applying statistical principles to research. Health informatics specialists work for governments, public health organizations, food and drug administration authorities, and clinical biostatistics organizations.
They handle genome projects, conduct clinical trials, and analyze medical data to examine global health trends. As a biostatistician, you can work to identify successful treatments to cure a life-threatening disease. You can also research to establish connections between health issues and public lifestyle choices.
With an annual income of over $60,000, health informatics specialists enjoy financial stability and job security. You can explore this career path after pursuing your specialization. If you’re already working in a public health organization or local government, consider pursuing an online Masters in Public Health to up your game to the next level.
It is wise to choose a specialization focusing on healthcare informatics, statistics principles, and research compilation. Academic advancement can help you explore in-house opportunities for career growth as a biostatistician.
Administrative Positions
Healthcare administrators work for a myriad of healthcare facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, and more. They earn an average annual income of over $65,000, with lucrative opportunities for growth and leadership roles. What does a healthcare administrator do? He/she runs a healthcare organization, oversees all management processes, and ensures efficiency.
Healthcare administrative professionals pursue public health degrees to improve patient care processes and outcomes. They organize healthcare professionals and staff, maintain resources and inventory, and improve communication and coordination. Administrators manage health programs, budgets, and staff and work closely with health equipment vendors and suppliers.
Undoubtedly, the most vital part of their job is policymaking. Healthcare administrators are actively involved in the healthcare policies of an organization. They work to improve policies and address weaknesses within the healthcare system with practical solutions.
Epidemiologist
An exciting career path for those who aspire to work in disease prevention and evaluation – epidemiologists, enjoy rewarding careers. They work with local and federal governments, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and global organizations. Epidemiologists monitor and examine the spread of illnesses and viruses.
They work to identify the causes of various diseases, devise solutions and recommend improvements in existing treatments with newer strategies. This career path is much similar to that of a clinical scientist. A professional must combine skillsets proficient in medicine, biology, mathematics, and statistics to conduct practical research and propose actionable solutions.
Epidemiologists can educate policymakers about infections, viruses, and life-threatening diseases plaguing the general public. They can create extensive reports and research to highlight healthcare issues and propose well-researched solutions. More importantly, epidemiologists work closely with governments to examine local and federal healthcare programs.
It is a highly lucrative career path, and seasoned professionals can work with leading global pharmaceuticals and research organizations. On average, epidemiologists earn an average income of over $62,000 annually.
Public Health Project Manager
Here’s another lucrative career path that combines public health experts with a dynamic management skillset. A public health project manager works with government departments, pharmaceutical companies, non-profits, and research organizations.
These professionals oversee and manage the development and implementation of public health programs and projects. They work closely with on-ground teams and executive decision-makers to promote the success of public healthcare projects. Their responsibilities include budgeting, overcoming challenges, preventing delays, and coordinating with policymakers and executive leaders.
Essentially, a public health project manager combines project management capabilities with a deeper understanding of a community’s healthcare needs. They also examine the progress of different projects and strive to improve efficiency and productivity. On average, these professionals bank an annual salary of over $75,000 with superior job stability and security.
Health & Safety Engineer
If you aspire for a career that merges your devotion to public health innovation with a tech-savvy skill set, this is it! As a health and safety engineer, you can leave your mark on the global healthcare sector by designing machinery and equipment.
Health and safety engineers work with governments, pharmaceuticals, technology firms, medical equipment manufacturers, and even construction firms. They are responsible for designing medical equipment, machinery, and systems to facilitate early diagnosis and improve disease prevention and treatment.
They design equipment and tools used in hospitals, factories, offices, and residential buildings. They help mitigate potential hazards by devising effective health and safety programs. Aside from investigating hazards and accidents, they also research disease prevention and treatments.
These professionals work for a multitude of organizations that seek to promote healthier workspaces. For instance, factories hire them to identify potential safety hazards in machinery and design safety programs and equipment. They make workplaces more efficient and safer by installing safety devices and mechanisms. On average, health and safety engineers bank an annual salary of over $75,000.
Conclusion
Are you struggling to identify the right career path after obtaining your degree in public health? Fear not, for this is a common problem and a sign that you’re growing and exploring as a professional. The key is to embrace this fear and channel it to find your true calling.
Close your eyes and imagine yourself working as a public health professional. Do you see yourself as an educator who trains policymakers or spearheads global awareness programs? Or perhaps, you see yourself working on vaccination programs for undeveloped countries. Find your calling, and build it into a successful career!
