Project Description
Overview
The public health is the science of creating and protecting healthy communities through research, education, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Unlike the medical model of care that focuses on symptom treatment, the goals of public health interventions center on health promotion and disease prevention. Public health professionals implement educational programs, develop policies, administer services, conduct research, and regulate health systems to achieve these goals. Public health can occur in a small hospital setting, or on a global scale.
According to the CDC, as a public health professional, you would:
- Prevent epidemics and the spread of disease
- Protect against environmental hazards
- Prevent injuries
- Promote and encourage healthy behaviors
- Respond to disasters and assist communities in recovery
- Assure the quality and accessibility of health services
So, what is the difference between public health and healthcare?
Public health is focused on population health, whereas healthcare is focused on the individual patient. While medical and clinical sciences training is essential to a job in health care, it is only needed peripherally in public health. Lastly, health care is based mainly within the private sector, whereas public health is mainly based in the public sector.
Salary Info
Salary varies widely depending on the role, educational level, and geographic location. Here are a sample of 2016 median salaries from the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the Bureau of Labor:
- Health Educator: $44,390
- Epidemiologist: $70,820
- Environmental Technician: $44,190
Do your research to get a better sense of what specific organizations in particular cities are paying entry-level employees. Check out Glassdoor and Salary.com to get an idea. Also, a cost of living calculator can be very useful when trying to compare salaries in different parts of the country.
Internships
- CDC Health Equity Internships
- CDC Research Fellowships (Applications due September-January)
- Harvard Summer Program in Epidemiology (4 weeks)
- Leadership Alliance Summer Research-Early Identification Program
- University of Maryland School of Public Health Summer Training and Research (STAR)
- University of Michigan Summer Enrichment Program
- Summer Institute in Biostatistics (SIBS)
- Federal Opportunities for Students
Post-Graduate Programs
US Based Programs
- AIDS United Americorps
- Alliance Health Project
- ‘Health Corps’ programs
- Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition
- Maine Migrant Health Program
- Pew Charitable Trusts
- Washington AIDS Partnership
- Centers for Disease Control – Public Health Associates Program (2 year)
- Centers for Disease Control–Environmental Public Health Lab Fellowship
- CDC Lab Openings and Fellowships
- AmeriCorps/National Health Corps
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Advanced Laboratory Training Fellowship
- Emerson National Hunger Fellows Program (1 year)
- Global Health Corps
- Leland International Hunger Fellows Program (2 year)
- UCSF Alliance Health Project Post-Bac Internship Program
- University of Washington: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) Post-Bac Fellowship
- Federal Opportunities for Recent Graduates
International Programs **Some of these programs have costs to participate
- Amigos de las Américas (Latin America)
- Doctors Without Borders
- Foundation for Sustainable Development
- Global Emergency Care Collaborative (Uganda: research assistant positions open for public health students and pre-med students, internships and gap-year opportunities)
- Global Health Corps (Fellows Program)
- Omprakash (founded by Willy Oppenheim ’09. This is a great place to begin your search for international internships working in areas of women’s health, education, the environment and more.)
- Partners in Health (The Americas, Africa and Russia)
- Princeton in Africa
- Project Mercy (Ethiopia)
- Results for Development Institute
- Safe Passage (Health Education; headquartered in Yarmouth, ME. Offices in Antigua and Guatemala City)
- Timmy Global Health (Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Nigeria)
- UNICEF (internship programme)
- CARE USA
- Unite for Sight
- Grassroots Soccer
Organizations
Connect with the McKeen Center for the Common Good to learn about student-led organizations, such as the Public Health Volunteers Club, volunteer opportunities in Brunswick, such as Midcoast Hunger Prevention, and Alternative Winter and Spring Break trips. Learn about the Global Citizens Fellowship and the Denning Summer Fellowship programs.
- John Snow Inc
- FHI 360
- Palladium Group
- IntraHealth
- PATH
- BRAC
- URC-CHS
- Johns Hopkins: Center for Communication Programs
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
- Public Health Institute
- Global Health Strategies (global health consulting company)
- MCD Public Health
Local Organizations
- Oasis Free Clinics
- Midcoast Hospital
- College Guild
- Spindleworks of Independence Association
- Tom Settlemire Community Garden
- Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program
- Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bath/Brunswick
- United Spay Alliance
- Wolfe’s Neck Farm Foundation
- American Cancer Society–Maine
- Portland Housing Authority
Resources
Job Boards
- Public Health Jobs: http://publichealthjobs.org/
- Careers at the CDC: https://jobs.cdc.gov/
- ServiceInternships.com
- National Association of County and City Health Officials
Professional Organizations
There are many professional organizations related to public health with information and resources for students including networking opportunities, career advice, and possible next steps to take. Some prominent organizations to check out include:
- Association of Clinical Research Professionals
- American College of Epidemiology
- American Nurses Association
- American Public Health Association
- American School Health Association
- American Society for Microbiology
- Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs
- Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics
- Association of Public Health Laboratories
- Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
- Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH)
- National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
- National Environmental Health Association (NEHA)
- National Institutes of Health
- Public Health Foundation
- Society for Public Health Education
- The Carter Center
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH)
- American Sexual Health Association (ASHA)
- Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
Idealist is a great way to search for a nonprofit organization that works to improve public health and wellness. You can search by city, state or even country (as a few international organizations are represented here as well). If you secure an unpaid internship, you can apply for a Funded Internship grant through Career Planning to support your experience.
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