A Career as a Public Health Specialist

There is no doubt with the advances in technology that, as a population, we are continuing to live longer; yet with the cost of medical care constantly on the raise, is it any wonder an industry would develop out of the concept of “preventative” maintenance? We are after all, all too aware of this concept; from large corporations who strive to maintain their expensive equipment in an attempt to secure the bottom line, to the local neighbor who would rather afford the costs of preventative maintenance over the expense of replacing a broken down vehicle. To that effect, automobile manufacturers have even begun to include major necessary “preventative maintenance” items in their “owner’s manuals.” For instance, I have to replace my timing belt and water pump every 75k miles in my Nissan. Interestingly enough, while we were focused on maintaining everything else around us, somehow we forgot to consider our most valuable complex asset, our bodies. How is it that the maintenance of a human health and its performance somehow got left over looked and left to fall through the cracks?

The need for public health specialists…

Until till recent years the thought of humans not only living well in to their 80’s and 90’s, but living vibrant lives was concept that did not appear to go hand-n-hand. However, today the thought is not only real but, the concept and relevance of “quality of life,” both before and well into the twilight years, is more important than ever before thus making the demand for, and need, of educators and health advocacy even greater.

So, what is public health…?

The concept of public health is not a foreign one; it ultimately emerged from the practice of heroic medicine. Yet today it has evolved into something ...

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... us, knowingly or unknowingly, at greater risk that can and possibly will lead us to a dark place. If this trend is allowed to continue or, perhaps revelation through education suffices and people start making their health a priority, one thing is for sure, either way, the future of the public health professional is not only bright but it will only continue to get brighter.

Sources:

1. www.whatispublichealth.org/what/index.html; Title: What is Public Health

2. www.healthstate.mn.us/pathways/specialtyareas.html ; Title: Public Health Career Specialty Areas; Sub-Specialties of Public Health

3. www.whatispublichealth.org/faqs/index; Title: What is Public Health? – Frequently Asked Questions

4. www.pzfizerpublichealth.com/publichealthbooks.aspx

5. www.whatispublichealth.org/impact/achievement.html; Title: What is Public Health? – Impact of Public Health