Careers Public Health

Information Provided By:Georgia Statewide Area Health Education Center (AHEC)

http://www.sowega-ahec.org/index

PowerPoint Presentation By:Juliane Monko & Dr. Frank FlandersCTAE Resource Network, June 2009

Based On PowerPoint Ideas From:Penny Howard, RN, Healthcare Science Instructor

AH

EC

There are six centers in the Georgia AHEC Network, and each serves a multi-county region. 

The AHEC mission is to meet the health needs of Georgia by improving the supply, distribution and quality of healthcare providers.

AHECs offer enrichment programs, camps, learning tools, student counseling, volunteer and mentoring activity coordination, and access to other educational resources.

Contact your regional AHEC for more information. 

Objectives

Students will be able to describe health careers in the field of Public Health.

Students will be able to plan a healthcare career path in Public Health.

Careers in Public Health

Epidemiologist

Health Educator

Epidemiologist

Epidemiologist

Epidemiology is a science that focuses on the prevention of disease in human populations.

Epidemiologists are medical scientists who study why disease originates, how diseases work inside the body, how they pass between people and how they spread through populations.  These scientists work to understand the cause of disease.  

Epidemiologist

Epidemiologists can be broken down into three groups:

Applied Research Clinical

Epidemiologist- Applied

Applied epidemiologists usually work in communities where there is prevalent disease. 

They evaluate the disease outbreak and construct programs for effective prevention, intervention, and control of these diseases.

Epidemiologist- Research

Research epidemiologists study infectious and chronic diseases that can affect the entire body, attempting to eradicate or control these diseases. 

Epidemiologist- Clinical

Clinical epidemiologists work primarily as consultants for hospitals.  They inform the medical staff of infectious outbreaks and provide containment solutions.

Work Environment Salary

Colleges and universities Consulting firms Federal government Hospitals Industry Non-profit organizations Public health departments Research institutes Research laboratories

Average Starting Salary $33,000 (bachelor’s level) Figures according to 2006 data. To see

updated figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC website at: http://www.sowega-ahec.org/index

Epidemiologist

EpidemiologistAcademic Requirements

A bachelor's degree is required for admission into a graduate program.  Programs leading to a Master's of Public Health degree usually takes two years to complete.  A doctoral degree takes 3 to 5 years to complete and leads to a Doctor of Public Health (D.P.H.) or Ph.D.  

Health Educator

Health Educator

Health educators teach people and communities preventive health care and behavior modification techniques. 

They help determine the health needs of communities and improve health practices through health programming. 

Health Educator

Depending on the area of concentration, health educators design, implement and evaluate health programs on such topics as infectious disease, drug abuse,  nutrition, safety human relations, stress management and weight control. 

Health Educators are also skilled in writing educational materials, public information reports, and grant proposals.

Work Environment Salary

Colleges and universities Community health centers Corporate wellness centers Faith-based organizations International, federal, state, and

local health agencies Hospitals Schools Physicians' offices Research institutions

Average Starting Salary $28,000 (bachelor’s)

$32,000 (master’s level) Figures according to 2006 data. To see

updated figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC website at: http://www.sowega-ahec.org/index

Health Educator

Health EducatorAcademic Requirements

Bachelor's and master's degrees are available; however, the latter is usually preferred.

Summary

There are a variety of careers available in Public Health. Educational requirements vary by career and career level. Students interested in these careers should use the information provided here as a basis for a career plan. The student should also research the career further to complete a career plan.

Careers available in Public Health:• Epidemiologist• Health Educator