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Exploring Health Professions
Public Health
Public Health is the discipline that deals primarily
with community-based, population-oriented aspects of
health care. Grounded in epidemiology and closely allied
with preventive medicine, public health stresses health
promotion and disease prevention and seeks to understand
and control many of the non-medical aspects that
influence disease and human well-being. Public health
undergo many aspects of curative health care but is
taught as a separate discipline in over twenty-five
schools of public health and in numerous programs in
public health at other institutions.
Often (but not always) a graduate course of study, the
MPH (Master of Public Health) is the recognized primary
credential and is sought by those wishing to enter a
broad, health-oriented career. So-called "core" public
health courses include basic biology, epidemiology and
biostatistics, health planning and management,
environmental health and social behavior. These courses
can be augmented by advanced work in nutrition,
population health, environmental health, health law and
a number of other areas. A thesis and/or practical
experience is often required. Advanced degrees can be
pursued.
With the completion of public health training many
graduates enter state and local agencies,
non-governmental organizations and a variety of other
institutions requiring a broad knowledge of health and
disease.
Tufts University offers an MPH combined with the MD
degree, as well as a freestanding MPH degree. In
addition, there is a joint BA/MPH program that students
can apply to in their sophomore year (see
www.tufts.edu/med/gpph.)
For further information contact the Association of
Schools of Public Health (or The Council on Education
for Public Health.), 1101 Fifteenth St., NW Suite 910,
Washington, DC 20005, www.asph.org. or the Council on
Education for Public Health
www.ceph.org, or
www.whatispublichealth.org.
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