Patients can now consult with doctors. They can also monitor their health through the sleek, fashion-forward watch and access their medical records with the help of healthcare providers. Both health care and public health are changing rapidly.
New tools and technologies have enabled us to tackle issues that were once thought to be difficult. If you are one of those leaders who want to earn a master’s degree in public health, then it can be the best way to achieve your goal.
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What are masters of public health?
Masters of public health is a professional and nonthesis graduate degree designed to train students to improve the health of populations worldwide. Public health goes far beyond the traditional view of healthcare. Practitioners in public health strive to improve the economic, social, and environmental health of communities.
Career paths for masters of public health graduates:
If you have an interest in establishing your public health career, a variety of career paths exist that you can follow. The field of public health interacts with law, business, technology, pharmaceuticals, the science which enables you to combine your passions and find the right fit. Masters in public health graduates work at federal, state, and local health agencies, hospitals, nonprofits, private foundations, private-based agencies, and health maintenance organizations.
Do you want to know where masters of public health can take you? Here are the top positions popular for master of public health graduates.
1) Healthcare Administrators:
The average salary of health care administrators per year is about $99, 730. The estimated job growth by 2028 is about 18 percent. The main responsibility of healthcare administrators is to oversee the daily operations of the hospital, research labs, physician practice, or other healthcare facilities.
Moreover, health care administrators also develop organizational goals and manage the facility budget. They also work to ensure the patients are receiving quality and efficient care.
2) Registered nurses:
The average salary of registered nurses is about $71,730 per year. The estimated job growth by 2028 is 12 percent. The main responsibility of registered nurses is to assess an individual’s health. They also provide patient care, record symptoms, analyze test results and administer medicines and treatments.
Registered nurses also provide emotional support to patients and their loved ones. They also consult with doctors and prepare patients to live at home once their treatment concludes.
3) Epidemiologists:
The average salary of epidemiologists is about $69,660 per year. The estimated job growth by 2028 is about 5 percent. The main responsibility of epidemiologists is to study the patterns of disease.
They also aim to improve the outcomes of public health by publishing research, establishing community education programs, or developing new health policies. The epidemiologists also collect, analyze and communicate data to health practitioners, policymakers, and public work to prevent future outbreaks.
4) Community and Social Service Managers:
The average salary of community and social service managers is about $65, 320 per year. The main responsibility of the community and social service managers is to supervise social service programs.
They also outreach to community organizations such as homeless shelters, substance abuse clinics, and mental health facilities. Community service managers often oversee budgets; write grant and funding proposals and train volunteers. They also plan initiatives to increase support and awareness of their programs.
5) Nutritionists and Dieticians:
The average salary of nutritionists and dieticians is about $60,370 per year. The estimated job growth by 2028 is about 11 percent. The main responsibility of dieticians is to assess patient’s nutritional needs.
They also counsel clients on healthy eating habits. Nutritionists also create personalized meal plans for patients. They also collaborate with other healthcare professionals to coordinate and improve patient care.
Dieticians might also establish educational workshops or manage food programs in hospitals, schools, and other long-term care facilities.
6) Behavioral disorder, substance abuse, and mental health counselors:
The average salary of mental health counselors is about $44, 630 per year. The estimated job growth by 2028 is near about 22 percent.
Mental health counselors advise patients who suffer from alcoholism, mental health issues, eating disorders, drug addictions, and other behavioral problems.
The main responsibility of mental health counselors is to evaluate patient’s health and recommend treatment programs. They also refer clients to other services such as job placement organizations and other support groups.
7) Health information technicians and medical records:
The average salary of medical records and health information technicians is about $40,350 per year. The estimated job growth by 2028 is 11 percent.
The main responsibility of healthcare technicians is to organize, analyze and report health information data. Moreover, medicals records also review patients’ records to ensure all data is accurate and secure. Thus, they also track patient’s outcomes and often code and categories data for insurance reimbursement purposes.
8) Emergency management:
The responsibility of emergency management is to reduce health risks during emergencies such as viral outbreaks, hurricanes, or terrorist attacks. You will plan for immediate and long-term responses before an emergency occurs.
After the fact, you will analyze the response. One should choose a career in emergency management if one can perform well under pressure. Moreover, you can think proactively and have compassion for others in tough situations.
Emergency management jobs include disaster relief coordinator, emergency management specialist, and emergency preparedness researcher.
9) Global health:
The responsibility of global health workers is to improve health for populations around the world. With global health, you will engage yourself in community outreach to promote health behaviors or study large-scale epidemics like malaria, HIV, and COVID 19.
If you are passionate about global health equity and want to make a difference beyond your local community then you should consider a career in global health.
Global health workers work as policy analysts, infectious disease analysts, field consultants, international aid workers, and global health educators.
10) Environmental health:
It deals with manmade aspects of the environment and nature that impact human health. You will also develop and impact interventions for issues such as climate change, air pollution, sanitation practices, and occupational risks.
If you care about the planet and passionate about making the world a safe place for vulnerable and at-risk societies, then you should choose environmental health as a career path.
Environmental health jobs include health and safety director, environmental health specialist, and health inspector.
Conclusion
Listed above are 10 career paths for masters of public health graduates.
