What is a master of public health (MPH)? You could possibly not do much better than a MPH degree if you are looking to enter the public health service in an administrative capacity. You would employ the knowledge gained over various disciplines to assess and resolve issues in public health.
There is nothing more important than a person's health. Having an enjoyable life is difficult when your health is ailing. This is also the case for society as a whole, which is why the maintenance of public health is so complicated.
There are a number of factors that make for a healthy society, not the least of which are access to health care, food and shelter, and a safe working environment. Simply put, maintaining public health is a complicated issue without easy solutions. It is here that a master of public health comes in.
If anyone is to achieve success with the MPH degree they need to be committed to and passionate about the work it takes to see all issues through to the end. To enter this sector, the health of communities all over the world needs to be a primary concern. It is important to have a passion for working on specific issues.
The work involved in public health is not easy. Today's issues require professionals in the public health sector to be determined to the successful resolution of said issues. One therefore needs to seriously examine one's willingness to deal with the challenges associated with this profession before attending the MPH program.
One cannot overstate the importance of the Master of Public Health internship experience. Students get the opportunity to see what they learned in theory applied in the real world. The value of an internship is that it re-affirms classroom theory.
It can be hard for a student to accurately gage what they have learned during the MPH course. Often, upon entering an internship, students are surprised by just how well they are actually prepared for the public health service. In the MPH internships students are exposed to a number or environments including clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and even non-profit organizations.
Some students take a year off after college to get some work experience before pursuing a public health graduate degree. Immediately after completing their undergraduate program, some students attend a graduate program. Students also do volunteer work during their undergraduate degree.
This gives student's needed focus by the time they attend master of public health programs. It does seem to better prepare students for the program if they get involved in some public health activities beforehand. Some schools admit students even with no solid public health experiences but they prefer those with academic background from a health-related field.
These students are often placed in field-based activities so they have the chance to gain public health experience. Many students already have years of public health masters programs experience, however. There is already much clarity on the direction they want to take in their application of the knowledge and skills gained through MPH programs.
