5 Things To Do With A Public Health Degree

People with Public Health degrees can focus on many aspects of public health to optimise community health. With the healthcare industry growing fast, the expanded access to healthcare creates more jobs and career opportunities.

The health crisis caused by outbreaks such as the Covid-19 pandemic puts pressure on an already laboured industry. Depending on your education, there are various options from which you can choose. However, public health is all about promoting healthy behaviours regardless of position. These behaviours include promoting proper nutrition, better hygiene, preventing disease and environmental safety for everyone.

Young graduates with Public Health degrees sometimes get confused about what career path to pursue. While studying diseases is excellent, I have rounded up five other things to do with a Public Health degree.

5 Things To Do With A Public Health Degree

Community Health Specialist

As a community health specialist, you are tasked with developing and executing health programs to help communities achieve excellent health. Community health workers are usually frontline public health workers who closely understand the community they serve. This valuable relationship enables you to serve as a link between health and social services and the community. You will be charged with easing access to health services and improving the quality of service delivery. While you may not need to perform clinical duties and medical treatments, you will provide essential health support. This role will also allow you to advance your career and improve yourself while assisting the communities.

Entry-level positions for community health workers in the UK start from £22,500 per year.

Public Health Administrator

Public health administrators are concerned with health and disease prevention programs. They are in charge of the administration, leadership, and management of healthcare organisations such as hospitals and other medical facilities. There are several reasons why this career path is desirable besides the obvious high pay. You manage and complete social missions that can improve health conditions for millions of people every day. You can also oversee outreach programs that alert people to health concerns such as potential outbreaks or pandemics.

This role is rooted in business management, though, as administrators must plan programs as business ventures. You will have to focus on performance, negotiation, innovation and quality service delivery.

Public Health administrators in the UK can earn as much as £250,000 a year.

Research Assistant

The role of a research assistant is to provide support for a research team by collecting, analysing, and interpreting data. Although a research assistant's duties may vary in scope, it usually depends on the project and its duration. An advantage of choosing a career as a research assistant is that you can do it, locum. This flexible arrangement can be rewarding and fulfilling without committing to a permanent contract. As a research assistant, you may also decide to conduct research and publish your findings in journals or personal websites.

Research assistants earn as much as £29,000 on average.

Clinical Research Coordinator

The Clinical Research Coordinator plays an essential role in various medical studies. As a clinical research coordinator, you will research basic preventive care, managing diseases, and modern best practices. Your primary roles will also include managing clinical trials, collecting data, informing participants on study objectives, and administering questionnaires. Given the health implication of the job, this role requires a blend of clinical research education and experience. As the health industry grows and expands, this role would be on the front lines of research and development.

Clinical research assistants' salaries begin from around £25,000

Social And Community Service Managers.

Social and community service managers lead organisations that provide various health care services to the public. These services may occur via local health and wellness departments, local government organisations, or publicly or privately funded programs. As a Social and Community Service Manager, you will coordinate and supervise programs that support and improve public well-being. The organisation you work with may focus on specific demographics such as children, the aged, the disabled, homeless people, etc. Your actual role within these organisations may vary, but it ultimately is geared towards providing care for people.

The average salary for a community service manager in the UK is £30,000

In Conclusion

So, you have that degree in public health, but you are not sure what to do with it. I have explored five of the numerous career choices you can make. You can see from the quoted figures that these career paths can be quite rewarding. However, they can be equally fulfilling, too, since you get the opportunity to help people deal with health concerns. If you are not sure of where to start, you can always call a company you are interested in for an informal visit to see what they do. You can volunteer your service for a short time to gain some experience or better still you can apply to intern for a short time whilst also gaining experience. Do not let the fear of starting stop you and do not under utilise your skills.

You can always reach out if you need career advice and tips on navigating career paths.

Best Wishes 

Dr Mute’