Preparing for a Career in Public Health
Considering
a Career in Public Health
The National
Indian Health Board NIHB Public Health Summer
Fellowship is a good
option for students who are considering a career in
public health. The NIHB believes in the importance of
building the numbers of American Indian and Alaska
Natives in the public health workforce so Native people
have the capacity to address the health needs of their
community.
The fellowship is directed toward rising junior and senior
American Indian and Alaska Native undergraduates. Based in
Atlanta Georgia, the fellows are individually mentored and
educated for 9 weeks in health policy, programming and
research. Fellows engage with the Tribal Leaders helping
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
implement its Tribal Consultation Policy.
This fellowship is the result of NIHB’s partnership with
the Morehouse School of Medicine, the CDC, Emory University
Rollins School of Public Health and the Minority Health
Professions Foundation. A general description of the
program is at the Morehouse School of Medicine
website.
Schools
of Public Health
Schools of public health offer a wide range of degrees,
including
- Master of Public Health (MPH)
- Master of Health Administration (MHA)
- Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA)
- Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
- Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH)
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Some schools also offer such joint degrees such as MD/MPH. Distance learning programs are available.
Courses are typically organized around five major areas of public health:
- biostatistics
- environmental health
- behavioral science/health education
- health services administration
- epidemiology--a branch of medical science that deals with the incidence, distribution and control of diseases in a population.
Some schools also include such areas as
- maternal and child health
- global health
- nutrition/dietetics
- occupational health and safety
- laboratory practice
For more information about schools of public health and opportunities available to graduates of these programs, see the website of the Association of Schools of Public Health.