Public Health Is . . .
- The science and art of protecting and improving the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and research for disease and injury prevention.
- Improving the health and well being of people in local communities and across our nation.
- Helping people who are less fortunate to achieve a healthier lifestyle.
- Working to prevent health problems before they occur.
- Professionals achieving true job satisfaction by knowing they are making the world a better place.
Ten Essential Public Health Services:
- Monitor health status to identify community health problems.
- Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community.
- Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues.
- Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems.
- Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts.
- Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety.
- Link people to personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable.
- Assure a competent public health and personal health care workforce.
- Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services.
- Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems.
There are many Paths to a Successful Career in Public Health
The concentration Youngstown State University offers:
Health Education/Behavioral Science - The practice of selecting, applying, and monitoring appropriate behavioral, social, and political change strategies to enhance the health of populations.
Other concentrations:
Biostatistics - The use of statistical methodology for analyzing health related data.
Epidemiology - The study of the distribution and determinants of disease and disability in populations.
Health Policy and Management - The study of health care systems, health care reform, health law, financial management, clinic management, and policy analysis.
Environmental Health - The study of issues associated with the adverse chemical, physical, and biological agents in the environment on human health.
Career Options
- If you are interested in HEALTH EDUCATION: As an educator with a graduate degree in public health, your primary challenge will be to develop and implement interventions designed to improve overall health.
- If you are interested in ADMINISTRATION/MANAGEMENT: Rapid changes in both the private and public sectors of health care and related industries mean more opportunities for qualified professionals to manage complex institutions, organizations, and health services delivery programs.
- If you are interested in HEALTH POLICY: With an advanced degree, you'll be in a position to make vital health policy decisions that affect countless lives by examining the complexity and dynamics of our public health system and its impact on the health of individuals and communities.
- If you are interested in COMMUNITY PRACTICES: To strive for mobility or a leadership position in health care programs, a graduate degree in public health will equip you to launch a successful career in community practice.
- If you are interested in RESEARCH: A career in basic and applied research demands interdisciplinary skills to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing field. A background in science -- biological, natural, social, or behavioral -- opens the door to many career opportunities, and an advanced degree in public health will help you realize your full potential.
If you want a variety in courses and career options, enjoy promotion disease prevention, and are looking for excitement in school, then an undergraduate degree in public health is a great choice.
Public health is a great mix of various fields (medicine, economics, sociology, anthropology, mathematics, communications, and much more). One of the many great qualities of public health is its diversity. Combine your many interests with a degree in public health and add your perspective and expertise to a field's diversity. (This information obtained from the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health's website.)