Department of Public and Community Health

Community Health is a service-oriented profession with a variety of career opportunities that can make meaningful contributions to the health and welfare of the individual and society. Today, with the emphasis on prevention rather than solely on treating the ill, many institutions are developing health promotion and wellness programs for community members. Currently, the job market in Community Health is excellent. If you enjoy working with people and are interested in health or health related areas, you may want more information about the variety of challenging and very rewarding careers in public and community health. There is a growing need for health professionals who can interface between fields of practice, research, planning, administration and policy development.

Some Students' Answers to "Why Public and Community Health"

Personally Gratifying

“My purpose for pursuing a Public Health degree is to use educational outreach to prevent problems … before they even begin [and] learn how to communicate these messages effectively and to positively influence the community. Giving people the tools and the right motivation to true health is the key to satisfaction.”

“…my work at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (Lyon, France) [provided] the opportunity to converse with researchers from around the world [and] essentially sealed my interest in pursuing a career in public health.

“There’s nothing like preparing for and conducting a …presentation to an audience; training them, challenging them to think about what they believe, watching them process the new information, and finally decide, for themselves, on a new, healthier, more empowering belief system. It’s truly exhilarating!”

“I have a strong interest in health issues that are primarily associated with women and children…such social plagues as child abuse, domestic violence, improper prenatal care or lack thereof, and eating disorders. I believe my background in psychology has given me a strong foundation in understanding the many social, cultural and physiological factors that contribute to human behavior.”

“Every day I work with marginalized, minority women in an effort to help them access the healthcare system. Winston Churchill once said, ‘We make a living out of what we make; we make a life out of what we give.’ I plan on making my life out of giving – giving health, hope and equality….”

Addresses Major Health Challenges

“…we are facing some tremendous health challenges in our country [that] need to be addressed on both public and individual levels. It seems as though a great deal of our health crisis is the result of insufficient or ineffective health education…we are constantly fighting mixed media messages resulting from poor scientific interpretation and over-simplification….asked if I thought trying to teach kids to be healthy was really worth my time, I answered emphatically, ‘I can’t imagine anything more worthy of my time.’”

“…we ought to consider first how health may be preserved. After my first hand experience with patients [as a physician in India] I realized that the only effective means to achieve “health for all” would be through proper planning and implementation of community health programs.”

“Today in China, the healthcare system is under exceptional stress and it is an urgent and challenging task to promote health and prevent diseases for the almost one-fourth [of the world’s population living in China]. I wish to explore the psychological, social and behavioral factors that influence health with my background of public health [and] to develop effective interventions….”

“Living in a community [in Nigeria] where most health problems had to be addressed at the primary care level, always nursed the ambition of being an effective community physician and a motivator of change towards effective health practices….in addition to my basic medical education, the avenue to change is the identification of risks, research, information acquisition and dissemination, and community empowerment….”

Complements Diverse Interests

"People from many academic and professional backgrounds are seeking degrees in public and community health to diversify the types of jobs for which they will be qualified."

“I am drawn in general to the promotion of wellness and support of preventive health practices within communities; specifically, I am interested in stress reduction and coping behaviors, nutrition, smoking cessation, physical fitness, and Spanish speaking populations.”

“Although my ultimate goal is in medicine…I wish to complete the MPH program and use the experience to enhance my medical career. It [is] clear that my career in the medical field will incorporate public policy and community health.

“I saw how health issues affect the very core of a community [in] an Ethopian immigrant community…facing these children was the substance abuse and its accompanying violence that ravaged the mental and physical health of all…I wanted to be part of the solution, part of designing a program to improve the health and well being of a population that was undergoing a harrowing transition to [a new] society.

“[Given] the pressing issues that the international society faces today…I want to be a part of global society…working with people and helping them with their problems and concerns….”

“An MPH in Community Health Education would provide me with the opportunity to combine my professional interests in health education, human behavior and health psychology, and to broaden my knowledge and skills in the areas of planning, administration, and public policy...at the local, state and national levels.”

“I want to combine my love for children and health science to educate…in the US and abroad about the needs of children everywhere…to inform scientists, philanthropists, doctors, legislators and others of the need to support child health concerns…to translate research into practical policy proposals.”

Serves the Disadvantaged

“As a minority, I believe that I possess the skills to effectively communicate the importance of health behaviors and education to other minorities….I will strive to decrease health disparities in minority and special populations, as well as educate….”

“Promoting healthy lifestyles and helping to empower communities of color is my passion. The people who are truly successful are those who chase their dreams at all times and pursue their path of duty.”

“…as a doctor [in India] I have seen how inadequate…the doctors feel when confronted by scores of ignorant people inundated with superstitions and taboos…. In a country where poverty is a rule and illiteracy a legacy, I have seen how easy it is for the most dreaded diseases to spread like wildfire and [that] a few simple principles of hygiene and disease awareness could have prevented such large scale pathos.”

“In communities of greatest need, I intend to help ensure greater involvement of people in the management of their own health problems by the creation of greater awareness of preventive methods. [As a physician] provision of medical care would afford the opportunity to intervene directly…and also a forum for patient education and enlightenment.”

“During my year…as a case manager with women infected with HIV/AIDS and their children…a twelve year old boy died of AIDS. He did not have to die. I am dedicated to working to help my community. I know that a change can come about.”