Download Public Health

Careers
Public Health
Information Provided By:
Georgia Statewide Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
http://www.sowega-ahec.org/index
PowerPoint Presentation By:
Juliane Monko & Dr. Frank Flanders
CTAE Resource Network, June 2009
Based On PowerPoint Ideas From:
Penny Howard, RN, Healthcare Science Instructor
 There are six centers in the Georgia AHEC
Network, and each serves a multi-county
region.
A
H
E
C
 The AHEC mission is to meet the health needs
of Georgia by improving the supply, distribution
and quality of healthcare providers.
 AHECs offer enrichment programs, camps,
learning tools, student counseling, volunteer
and mentoring activity coordination, and access
to other educational resources.
 Contact your regional AHEC for more
information.
Objectives
 Students will be able to describe health careers in the
field of Public Health.
 Students will be able to plan a healthcare career path
in Public Health.
Careers in Public Health
Epidemiologist
Health Educator
Epidemiologist
Epidemiologist
 Epidemiology is a science that focuses on the
prevention of disease in human populations.
 Epidemiologists are medical scientists who study
why disease originates, how diseases work inside the
body, how they pass between people and how they
spread through populations. These scientists work
to understand the cause of disease.
Epidemiologist
 Epidemiologists can be broken down into three
groups:
 Applied
 Research
 Clinical
Epidemiologist- Applied
 Applied epidemiologists usually work in
communities where there is prevalent disease.
 They evaluate the disease outbreak and construct
programs for effective prevention, intervention, and
control of these diseases.
Epidemiologist- Research
 Research epidemiologists study infectious and
chronic diseases that can affect the entire body,
attempting to eradicate or control these diseases.
Epidemiologist- Clinical
 Clinical epidemiologists work primarily as
consultants for hospitals. They inform the medical
staff of infectious outbreaks and provide
containment solutions.
Epidemiologist
Work Environment
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Colleges and universities
Consulting firms
Federal government
Hospitals
Industry
Non-profit organizations
Public health departments
Research institutes
Research laboratories
Salary
 Average Starting Salary
$33,000 (bachelor’s level)

Figures according to 2006 data. To see
updated figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC
website at:
http://www.sowega-ahec.org/index
Epidemiologist
Academic Requirements
 A bachelor's degree is required for admission into a
graduate program. Programs leading to a Master's of
Public Health degree usually takes two years to
complete. A doctoral degree takes 3 to 5 years to
complete and leads to a Doctor of Public Health
(D.P.H.) or Ph.D.
Health Educator
Health Educator
 Health educators teach people and communities
preventive health care and behavior modification
techniques.
 They help determine the health needs of
communities and improve health practices through
health programming.
Health Educator
 Depending on the area of concentration, health
educators design, implement and evaluate health
programs on such topics as infectious disease, drug
abuse, nutrition, safety human relations, stress
management and weight control.
 Health Educators are also skilled in writing
educational materials, public information reports,
and grant proposals.
Health Educator
Work Environment
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Colleges and universities
Community health centers
Corporate wellness centers
Faith-based organizations
International, federal, state, and local
health agencies
Hospitals
Schools
Physicians' offices
Research institutions
Salary
 Average Starting Salary
$28,000 (bachelor’s)
$32,000 (master’s level)

Figures according to 2006 data. To see
updated figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC
website at:
http://www.sowega-ahec.org/index
Health Educator
Academic Requirements
 Bachelor's and master's degrees are available;
however, the latter is usually preferred.
Summary
There are a variety of careers available in Public Health.
Educational requirements vary by career and career level.
Students interested in these careers should use the
information provided here as a basis for a career plan. The
student should also research the career further to complete a
career plan.
Careers available in Public Health:
• Epidemiologist
• Health Educator