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Healthcare is vast; many types of professions come in its domain. And public health is the most notable and impactful profession in healthcare.

Public health professionals have a crucial job to perform in society. They help develop and implement measures and schemes that save the public from infections and diseases. In this sense, the job of a public health professional is to improve the life quality of the communities and people living in them.

If you are considering a profession in healthcare, pay some attention to knowing about public health too. There is a high chance that you will be impressed by many of the perks that come with it; below, we provide points about why you should adopt this career.

1. Availability of online education

Online education has brought a lot of convenience for those who want to continue working alongside studying. Public health professionals especially find it difficult to get a leave for a full-time study program due to the existing shortage of healthcare professionals in all healthcare sectors.

Notable institutions are now offering online higher education degrees in public health. This way, more aspirants can register in these programs without being forced to leave their existing practice.

A Master’s in public health is the professional qualification you need to have a meaningful role in this career. An online masters in public health can be received from a reputable institution whose curricula focus on public health issues, public health program development, concepts about public health initiatives in the public and private sectors, and the like.

2. A plethora of career opportunities

If you have a degree in public health, you can get into one of the various careers available in this field. You can get into epidemiology, health policy, environmental health positions, health education, and community health, to name a few.

The field of public health has immense opportunities to improve the public health status of communities by impacting their lives in various ways. You might serve as a doctor providing direct patient care or as a community public health educator to foster awareness.

3. Higher chances of employment

Healthcare has needed professional providers in all its sectors for a long time. The staff shortage can be detrimental and disastrous for the industry’s survival, especially when a calamity like the recent pandemic hits the world.

The recent pandemic has put pressure creating a surge in demand for public health professionals. Still, the on-field reality is that many healthcare clinics are understaffed due to an aging workforce and staff turnover. Therefore, if you get into this public health, you get more chances of getting employed without waiting in queues or staying unemployed for a long time.

BLS, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, forecasts a faster-than-average growth for health educators, epidemiologists, and social community service personnel for the period between 2019 to 2029.

4. Better job satisfaction

When you are engaged in a field that revolves around caring for humanity, the level of self-satisfaction is higher compared to other professions. The sense of fulfillment you get by developing means that keep societies healthy is incomparable. Even after spending a long, hectic, and challenging day at work, you feel a sense of relief at the day’s end. It is because you know that you did your best to bring comfort to others’ lives.

Apart from the psychological benefits of being in this career, you also get professional advantages. You get a chance to work with like-minded people with lofty goals about keeping the communities safe. Also, there is a higher chance to attain leadership positions which adds to the feelings of job satisfaction even more.

5. Influence public policy

Sometimes the route to making a desirable change is to become part of the framework that brings about change. This is why many people opt for a career in public health to influence public health decisions and impact the public health status of communities.

A public health degree with public policy as your major puts you in the right spot to work to achieve goals of influencing policymaking. Approaching the field of public health in this way is instrumental in responding to healthcare calamities such as the 2019 pandemic, routine vaccination drives, local disease tracking, and health and wellness plans for diverse societies.

6. Solve problems

Public health professionals are in the job of solving problems. Every day brings them new challenges in the shape of community health problems, the spread of diseases and infections, and so on. So, be sure you will never run out of issues, which means your work will never get monotonous.

When you are involved in public health endeavors, not a day goes by that you don’t develop disease prevention strategies and programs or engage in educational activities.

You interact with the public, collect data, and design initiatives based on statistical information. This way, you always remain engaged in challenging, life-changing work.

7. Global impact and health equity

Another benefit of getting into public health career is that it is globally oriented. It is because societies in various parts of the world are interrelated, even if geographical boundaries disconnect them. The recent pandemic is a first-hand example of how things happening in one part of the world influence others, for better or worse.

Healthcare policies and plans made in one part of the world are often replicated in other countries. This means you will usually be involved in creating a wider-range global impact. You will also be involved in developing global healthcare equity.

As a public health professional, you can influence and help more people at a time by understanding their behavior and helping develop policies that respond to their problems.

Conclusion

Public health is one of the various options you get when choosing a career in healthcare. You can get into policymaking, education, disease prevention, control, etc. You also get a chance to earn a higher salary and work in various workplaces. Public health experts work with new problems, and no day is the same as yesterday. Some days might be better, but be sure there will never be a dull moment in your career. And as human behavior and disease evolve, your job continues to grow.