Public Health
Here's the Cliff's Notes version of the well-worn, oversimplified physician vs. public health worker fish analogy:
"A doctor and a public health worker stand on the bank of a river, watching a lot of sick fish go by. The physician says, "I'm going to jump into the river to treat as many sick fish as I can." The public health person says, "I'm going to walk upstream to see what's making all those fish sick."
In other words, the doctor is interested in the health of individuals, public health workers focus on populations. However, the distinction isn't that clear and neat. Plenty of doctors do work at the population level and plenty of public health people are interested in or motivated by the influence of their work on individuals.
Public Health at Dartmouth
The Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine offers an 11-month, full-time accelerated MPH program that provides a uniquely comprehensive introduction to the U.S. healthcare systems and its impact on population health. Students gain an understanding of the medical care and public health systems and shape their interests through electives in health policy, quality improvement, and health services research. They also have the opportunity to pursue an independent internship or an independent research project.
Geisel also offers a 22-month, online and hybrid MPH program that is designed for working professionals. The 22-month program enables students to pursue their MPH with minimal time away from family and jobs. Students learn the skills and knowledge to lead transformative change in public health and healthcare through a variety of coursework. Additionally, students work with a small group of 30-40 peers who bring a range of experiences and perspectives to the program as physicians, nurses, social workers, program managers, researchers, policy analysts, and administrators. With a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio, students also have direct access to Geisel’s world-renowned faculty.
In addition to the above MPH programs, Geisel offers several Masters of Science (MS) programs in Epidemiology, Healthcare Research, Implementation Science, and Medical Informatics; as well as dual degrees and certificate programs. You can learn more about these different programs on Geisel's website.
What can you do with a degree in Public Health?
The spectrum of public health careers is wide, but some of the most common jobs are health educators, medical scientists (epidemiologists), social workers and statisticians. Public health professionals focus on
- Confronting global health issues
- Improving access to health care
- Controlling infectious disease
- Reducing environmental hazards, violence, substance abuse, and injury
- Implementing educational programs
- Developing health policies
- Conducting research
Public Health Education
Possible Degrees:
- Master of Public Health (MPH) is the most common graduate-level degree. This degree is suited for students interested in pursuing a professional career in public health, and is not primarily geared toward teaching or research.
- Master of Health Administration (MHA) which prepares students for careers in hospital administration, health policy, and health service management.
- Master of Science (MS) and Master of Health Sciences (MHS), are academic degrees oriented toward students wishing to seek a career in teaching or conducting research at a college or university or other settings.
- Many others! Check each school's offerings of varying degrees. For example, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health offers 9 different degree programs.
- You can also obtain Doctoral degrees (Ph.D, ScD, DrPH) and Dual Degrees (MD/MPH, JD/MPH, MPH/MSN, among others).
Years of Study: ~1 year for an MPH, MHA, and MS
More Information
To learn more about Public Health, related degrees, educational programs, and the application process, please see the websites below.
- The Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health
- The ASPPH's Academic Program Finder
- SOPHAS-Schools of Public Health Application Service
- The SOPHAS Program Finder (with program descriptions and links to institutional webpages
- Public Health Online
- Public Health Career Guide