Pursuing a degree in public health after MBBS
Amongst the most plum of health-related avenues is that of Public Health, which entails all aspects of promoting and maintaining the standards of people’s health. There are specialized courses that empower and guide students for this role, the most important being MPH or Master of Public health.
Remember the simpler days when our dreams were restricted amongst core jobs such as doctor and engineer? When one’s medical journey led to either being a doctor or a medical practitioner. When opportunities post MBBS remained in restrictive categories? Apparently, the diaspora education has evolved to such an extent that life after MBBS is enriching, as various verticals of health and welfare expand to create newer positions and avenues to contribute towards the benefit of a robust future.This is a world envisioned based on demands and hence, the educational world evolving to meet these circumstances.
Amongst the most plum of health-related avenues is that of Public Health, which entails all aspects of promoting and maintaining the standards of people’s health. There are specialized courses that empower and guide students for this role, the most important being MPH or Master of Public health.
What is Master of Public Health?
The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree entails on nuances of public health practices, on both grass root and government levels. Here, students are encouraged to develop strong competencies over a set of integrated interdisciplinary domains such as Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Health Policy and Systems, Public Health Leadership and Management, Evidence-Based Policy and Health Care, Health Communication, Diversity and Culture, Program Management and Planning, Public Health Biology, Systems Thinking and Environmental Health Sciences. This degree often supplements the skill sets achieved by an MBBS course, making it the perfect post-MBBS program.
Why is Public Health important?
While the health status of the population has improved to the great extent globally in this century, a lot more needs to be done. With the evolution of the public health comes the enormity of diseases that manage to withstand the test of advancement. The public health initiatives taken by such public health officers affect mankind on a global scale. Public health professionals address broad issues that can affect the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities, societies, and countries —taking proactive measures to proceed towards a better future. Here are a few achievements that public health officers have made a reality:
Increase in life expectancies.
Reduction in infant and child mortality, at a global scale.
Eradication/reduction of deadly communicable diseases.
Career options for the future
Physicians-MPH covers preventive care and patient education- two of the most crucial aspects that every physician needs to master over. This degree provides its bearers with expertise to conduct awareness
programs among their patients, lowering the risk of chronic illnesses and infectious diseases.
Nurses-MPH program has newly inculcatedthe branch of Occupational Health Nursing, catering to this segment. Now, degree holders can oversee various community outreach programs at their facilities, while gaining a chance to work with educational institutions and nonprofit organizations in the field of public health.
Occupational and Environmental Health Specialists- MPH program changes the focus from individual specific issues to population-based problems. This makes it easier for individuals to understand the impact of the environment on the health of the community, grooming enthusiast into being the catalyst of change.
Epidemiologists and biostatisticians gain great knowledge from undertaking an MPH course. It helps them harness an understanding of diverse social, economic, cultural and religious factors that impact community health, bringing in a broader perspective into the table.
Policy analysts-Public health forms an integral aspect of public policy and programs, based on which the betterment of the world is considered. Analysts with a Masters in Public Health tend to have an in- depth understanding of health issues affecting the community, noting their impact on the political mark up.
The demand and supply
The demand of individuals holding this degree has risen, owing to the upward state of health and sanitation that contributes greatly to the well-being of the nation. To supplement this demand, eminent institutions s are uplifting the educational framework of the health domain, through its Master of Public Health (MPH) degree.
(The author is President, IIHMR University, Jaipur)
Source: Hindustan Times, 17/07/2019
