The public health care industry reaches far and wide, across the entire globe and all of its people. The public health industry is also one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. And while there is a strong need for public health services everywhere, there are geographically demarcated regional health centers where the need for public health workers exceeds that of the nation’s average.
It is important to recognize that the public health industry offers a variety of public health career opportunities. Additionally, public health funding by state varies which likely influences how the overall public health infrastructure develops geographically. First, though, it is important to understand the many career opportunities available in the following public health categories.
- Administration & Management — an Executive Director or a Health Services Administrator, etc.
- Behavioral & Social Sciences — a nutritionist, a psychotherapist, or occupational therapist, etc.
- Education — community health educators, professors, etc.
- Environmental Health — a sanitation engineer or an environmental toxicologist, etc.
- Public Policy — a lawyer, a government worker or a politician, etc.
- Research and Statistics & Biostatistics — an epidemiologist or a biomedical technologist, etc.
The Best States for Public Health Jobs
The best states for public health jobs include the following:
New York
The state of New York is home to some of the finest healthcare facilities and institutions of higher education in the world. In fact, the Big Apple (New York, NY) alone receives over a billion dollars in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) annually. The state of New York is home to one of the largest state populations with residents older than 65. New York has recently experienced new growth in the private and public healthcare industries.
Texas
The state of Texas covers approximately 250,000 square miles, which makes it the second largest state, behind the state of Alaska. The city of Houston, in particular, boasts it is home to the renowned Texas Medical Center (TMC) — considered the largest grouping of health care organizations and research institutions in the world. The Texas Medical Center, by itself, employs nearly 75,000 public health professionals. The state of Texas is unilaterally focused on the preventative care and the education of the public through exception education and training opportunities of public health workers
Georgia
The state of Georgia is home to the country’s leading public health agency, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC). The CDC impacts every aspect of each citizen’s daily life. In 2017, the CDC operated with a budget that exceeded $7 billion and 12,000 employees in the United States and another 100+ countries. Public health professionals in Georgia are prepared to respond to emergencies and emerging public health issues.
Ohio
The state of Ohio is home to the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, considered to be one of the finest hospitals in the nation by US News & World Report. The city of Cleveland is home to exceptional public health and medical schools that operate with teaching hospitals and medical centers. Cleveland is also home to the innovative technologies of fuel cell research, biotechnology, and cancer care.
What Are the Centers of the Public Health System?
The fundamental mission of the public health system is to improve the overall health of each and every member of a population. The public health system operates on a federal, state, and local level simultaneously. However, the public health system requires a tremendous amount of coordination and exceptional management skills for the system to function effectively and efficiently.
The US public health system is organized into several key geographic locations, which generally remain along the eastern seaboard of the country. Let’s review the top four public health centers.
Washington, DC
Washington, DC is the capital of the United States’ and acts as the hub of the federal government. Washington DC is the geographic nucleus of public policy making in most important areas of government management. Public health policy ideas begin in many parts of the country, but to become a federal regulation or law, the public health care notion must pass through the halls of the federal government.
This is one of the fundamental reasons why there are many available public health jobs in Washington DC. While many of the public health jobs in Washington DC are affiliated with the governmental public health policy agencies there is also high demand in nearby Baltimore, MD. Public health jobs in Washington DC are available in the United States Department of Defense, the Department of Labor, among many other agencies.
New York City, NY
New York City is the city that never sleeps; this includes the public health professionals employed in what some call the greatest city on Earth. New York City is home to some of the most innovative, critical thinkers in the field of public health. There are exceptional public health institutions of higher learning located within the city’s five boroughs that offer some of the most interesting public health internships in NYC:
- CUNY Baruch College
- CUNY Brooklyn College
- CUNY Hostos College
- CUNY Hunter College
- Long Island University (Brooklyn)
- Mount Sinai School of Medicine
- New York University
- SUNY Health Science Center (Brooklyn)
Students graduating after completing one of the many popular public health internships in NYC center the public health job market prepared for the many public health jobs in New York, and public health jobs in New Jersey, New York’s western neighboring state.
Public health jobs in New York and public health jobs in New Jersey include the many public health positions in the field of Research and Development, Education and public outreach, technical applications of environmental health initiatives and those public health professionals who work directly with the public.
Atlanta, GA
The city of Atlanta is home to the nation’s lead public health care agency — the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC’s location is the primary reason why most public health professionals find there are many available and interesting public health jobs in Atlanta GA.
These public health jobs in Atlanta GA provide public health professionals with a broad option of the multitude of public health positions required to support the efforts to improve the health of all American citizens.
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Is Public Health a Good Career Choice for International Students?
The very definition of public health is the improvement of the overall health of the Earth’s entire population. And, in order to meet the essential mission of public health, public health professionals must be available to fill the many entry level international public health jobs required to appropriately enforce public health policies that extend the life expectancy and improve the quality of life for everyone.
There are many exceptional Masters in Public Health in USA for international students degree programs that prepare graduates for a variety of entry level international public health jobs. International public health professionals are the experts who must be skilled at understanding the health care standards that typically differ from country to country.
International public health jobs are available in the broad range of the many facets of the public health industry. Graduates from a Masters in Public Health in USA for international students degree program study coursework that includes:
- Behavioral Counseling
- Epidemiology
- Global Disease Control
- Humanitarian Efforts
- Nutrition
- Public Health Interventions
- Public Health Systems
- Social Services
- Vaccine Development
Public health professionals become the future’s global public health leaders who set forth the public health missions through policy enactment, research funding and develop outreach programs that reach to those communities who are most exposed and/or disadvantaged.
Many international students choose to attend one of the many Masters in Public Health in USA for international students. Upon graduation, the international students educated and professionally trained in the United States often return to their home country to fill the available international public health jobs and to apply their skills gained through earning their public health degree.
However, many international students who earn their public health degree in the United States remain stateside to continue their education by earning a graduate or doctoral degree in the field of public health. Public health experts develop the programs and outreach programs to address the ongoing public health issues that continue to threaten portions of the population. These include:
- Changing Weather Patterns Creating Natural Weather Events With Devastating Consequences
- Increased Life Expectancy That Has Now Created the Largest Aging Population
- Increase and Prevalence of Environmental Contaminants, etc
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What Regions Need the Most Public Health Support?
At the end of 2018, the United Health Group, through their United Health Foundation, released their annual report regarding the “most healthy state” rankings. The 2018 report was the 29th Consecutive yearly ranking report by United Health Group.
The healthiest states include #1, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont, followed Utah. Public health professionals in these states have maintained their exact rankings from the previous year. Of note is the state of Maine, which jumped 7 spots to land at #16 due to improved child poverty rates and tobacco cessation success.
According to the United Health Foundation’s annual state-specific public health report, the states in need of the greatest improvement include:
Louisiana
The Louisiana Department of Health issues the state’s Health Report Card each year. The Health Report Card for 2018 issued by the Secretary of the Department of Health covers the 9 regions of the state of Louisiana. According to the report the state of Louisiana faces the following public health issues –
- Obesity — 36.2% of Louisiana residents meet the definition of obese, compared to the national average of 29.9% (2017).
- Diabetes — The national average is 10.5% for patients first diagnosed with diabetes. Louisiana’s percentage of adults diagnosed with diabetes for the first time is nearly 30% higher than the national average at — 13.6%.
- Cancer Deaths — Each year, Americans lose their lives to cancer at a rate of 189 deaths per 100,000 residents. Louisiana’s residents lose their lives to cancer at a rate of more than 215 deaths per 100,000 residents.
Mississippi
The Mississippi State Department of Health/Office of Health Data & Research (OHDR) is responsible for the management of public health data. Currently, OHDR is responsible for an Asthma Surveillance Program, Pregnancy Risk Evaluations, Youth Tobacco Programs, and Youth Risk Behavior Systems.
The state of Mississippi aligns with the federal government’s goal to reduce infant mortality rates down to 6% of live births. Currently, Mississippi has an infant mortality rate of 8.7%.
Alabama
The state of Alabama’s infant mortality rate, of 7.4%(2018) exceeds the federal government’s objective of 6 per 1000 live births. Unfortunately, the infant mortality rate for Alabama’s teenagers (10-19) is an astounding 9.1%.
Oklahoma
Similar to the other states in need of public health service improvements, the state of Oklahoma’s State Health Report (2017) also reveals an unacceptable infant mortality rate. In fact, the state rates itself with an ‘F’ grade. The state graded itself with a ‘D’ for the prevalence of smoking as well as for the resident’s rate of obesity. It is also noted in United Health Foundation’s report that Oklahoma fell the greatest distance — from #42 to #47.
Arkansas
The Arkansas Department of Health issues a program guide to its services that indicates the many public health issues that face the state today. The state’s public health budget is apportioned in the areas of healthy eating for obesity problems, tobacco cessation to mitigate cancer health issues, dental health programs, and diabetes awareness & outreach initiatives.
Where are the Best Public Health Schools?
Some of the best public health schools in the world are located in the United States. Students vying for education in one of the many facets of the public health industry will discover that the prevalence of public health schools can be found on the east coast, California and the Lone Star State of Texas.
Public Health Schools — East Coast of the United States
The United States’ east coast is home to the oldest institutions of higher learning, otherwise known as the colonial colleges. A colonial college is defined as an institution of higher education that was established prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
In 2019, US News & World Report’s top 5 rankings of the best public health schools in the country were located in Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York, and Georgia. However, many of the schools that round out the top-10 list are located the Golden State of California. Recently, though, public health schools in Texas are regularly showing up on school ranking lists.
Essentially some of the best public health schools in the world are situated in about a handful of states.
Maryland
The degree programs from public health Johns Hopkins University are recognized among the most elite public health degree programs across the globe. These public health degree programs are offered through the Bloomberg School of Public Health; one of the schools at Johns Hopkins that was founded in 1916. Students studying from public health Johns Hopkins University and research ways in which to improve healthy behavior by reducing the consequences of chronic diseases and creating programs that ensure a mother and child receive the best of care, among others.
Georgia
Public Health schools in Georgia that are deemed exceptional include public health programs offered by:
- Emory University — The Rollins School of Public Health
- Georgia Institute of Technology — The College of Sciences
- Mercer University — The Department of Public Health
- University of Georgia — The College of Public Health
As noted above, the state of Georgia is home to the federally directed Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many of the public health degree programs in the Peach State of Georgia have been integrated with internships and fellowships at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
California
Public Health schools in California that top the public health education rankings include –
- The University of California (UC) Berkeley — School of Public Health
- The University of California (UC) Los Angeles — Fielding School of Public Health
- The University of California (UC) Davis Health — Department of Public Health Sciences
- San Diego State University — College of Health & Human Services
North Carolina
Public Health schools in North Carolina include the following remarkable institutions of higher learning:
- Elon University — School of Health Sciences
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Gillings School of Global Health
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro — School of Health & Human Sciences
The residents of North Carolina have been urged to sign the North Carolina’s Division of Public Health to sign/agree to the state’s Resolution for a Healthier North Carolina initiative to become an active participant in making the Tar Heel state the most healthy in the union.
And the rest of the best…
It is important to consider the other quality public health degree programs offered throughout the United States –
- Boston University — Boston, Massachusetts
- Brown University — Providence, RI
- Columbia University — New York, New York
- George Washington University — Washington, DC
- Harvard University — Cambridge Massachusetts
- Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
- University of Michigan — Ann Arbor, Michigan
- University of Washington — Seattle, Washington
- Yale University — New Haven, Connecticut
All State Rankings:
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20 Best MPH Programs in California for 2019