Everyday, the US citizen utilizes countless aspects of public health. From clean drinking water and sanitation, to adequate housing and a safe work environment, the list of public health services is virtually endless. Since public health is such a major part of everyday life, it is no surprise that the list of careers options in public health is also quite extensive. Infectious disease, maternal health, drug safety, nutrition, education and the military are just a few of the many fields of public health mentioned in Beth Seltzer’s book “101+ Careers in Public Health”. Today’s focus will be on infectious disease, specifically on the work of the epidemiologist.
Broadly speaking, epidemiology is a branch of medicine that focuses on the patterns
…show more content…
The first notable case of epidemiologic investigation occurred in London in 1854. A British physician named John Snow surveyed townspeople and analysed data to determine that cholera was the result of polluted drinking water. (Schneider, 2014 p. 48). This technique is a common practice for epidemiologists. When an epidemic erupts, they will survey the infected to determine similarities and narrow down the search, and then collect samples in the field to pinpoint the …show more content…
From there, “the minimum educational requirement to work as an epidemiologist is a master’s degree from a school of public health. Some jobs require a doctorate” (“Institute”, 2009 p. 23). Most jobs require a strong background in statistics and the master’s degree to have an emphasis in epidemiology. Any growth within the field usually requires a doctorate. However, simply having a master’s in public health does not guarantee a career in epidemiology. Many other factors are required or heavily encouraged. To determine these factors, current epidemiologists were asked how they achieved success in their jobs in a 2002 survey conducted by Ross Brownson, Jonathan Samet, and Stephen Thacker. The most common positive comments were “the choice of institution from which a scientist graduates, the choice of hot research topics, and hard work. For many persons, access to a strong mentor has been noted as one of the most important career advantages.” (Brownson et al., 2002). Many also stated that an intense curiosity was needed to be successful. In addition, due to the unpredictability of disease, epidemiologists must be willing to work unconventional hours. Therefore, epidemiology is not an easy career to begin. Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding career. Most people choose epidemiology because they
study I am going to go into detail about the epidemiology, discuss the signs and
Mary Louise Fleming, E. P. (2009). Introduction to Public Health. Chatswood, NSW, Australia: Elsevier Australia.
In an effort to analyze the natural history of a disease, an epidemiological triangle is used. An epidemiological triangle is comprised of a susceptible host or individual, environment, and a causative agent. The host tends to have low immunity, poor nutrition, and a concurrent disease. The host tends to have poor
The field of public health is an ever-changing and evolving specialty. New threats and challenges occur on almost a daily basis. A public health professional must be diverse in his scope, and have the educated aptitude that is needed to overcome unique challenges. But my questions is are all public health professionals equal in education? Now days there may be a variance present between public health professionals that may hinder some from effectively carrying out their duties. Here in lies the importance of a credentialing body aimed at ensuring a sound foundation for public health professionals to build upon.
Public health may be defined as “a social and political concept aimed at the improving the quality of life among the whole population through health promotion, disease prevention and other forms of health intervention”.(1) The purpose of public health practice is to improve the health of society rather than individuals and reduce health disparities between individuals, groups, and communities through organized effort of the communities, individuals and organizations. As Marmot points out: “creating a fairer society is fundamental to improving the health of the population and ensuring a fairer distribution of good health”.(2) Besides this, the public health field is expanding to tackling new and contemporary risks: obesity, sexually transmitted
In some way, public health is seen as a modern philosophical and ideological perspective based on ‘equity’ and aimed to determine inequitable in society. It seen as a ‘science’ and ‘art’ in the sense that it deals with the cause of disease, treatment of illness as well as it involves laboratory experiments, intervention and promoting of health of the population. Winslow (1920, p. 23) defined public health as ‘the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting physical health and efficiency through organised community efforts for the sanitation of the environment, the control community infections, the education of the individual in principles of personal hygiene, the organisation of medical and nursing service for early diagnosis and preventive treatment of disease, and the development of social machinery which will ensure to every individual in the community a standard of living adequate for the maintenance of health. On the other hand, it is ‘the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organised effort of society’ (Acheson, 1998; in Cowley S, 2002, p. 261).
Social determinants of health has been a large topic for many years and can have a positive and negative effect on individuals, families and communities. (World Health Organisation, 2009) The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, including the health system. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels, which are themselves influenced by policy choices. Social determinants have many factors and in this essay education will be the main social determinant of health discussed and how this could have an impact on the physical and mental sides of health.
I have chosen Public Health as my career path because I have a passion for making a difference in people’s lives and helping others achieve their goals. Also, I chose healthcare as a career because health does not only focus on the physical aspects of wellness, but it applies to all areas of wellness, such as, intellectual, social, spiritual, financial, occupational, environmental and emotional wellness. Moreover, Public Health is a challenging, diverse and dynamic field. My philosophy of health is very simple, to prevent, improve and educate the lives of individuals, families, communities and the population. Besides, there is no safer way to touch people’s lives than through public
This report is based on the major and specific global health problems in the world. Global health refers to the health of all people in the world which concerns about the health issues that go beyond the borders of each country due to the globalization ( Dyar & Costa, 2013). As well as health issues are referred to the health problems created due to this globalization.
“Epidemiology is the study of the determinants and distribution of health, disease, and injuries in human population.” (“WHO definition of health, 2017”). This definition according to WHO stands above all others, it is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events and the application of study to the control diseases and other health problems. In other words epidemiology is finding out what is happening so you can have an intervention on how to control it. There are several methods that can be used to carry out epidemiological investigations such as:
I have always been intrigued by the field of science and that is the reason I pursued the field of Biochemistry for my undergraduate studies. How The Human body works and the different determinants that can affect one's health or a community as a whole have always been captivating to me. I wanted to emerge in a profession that is beneficial for me, my community, and the world I live in. I came to realize through various science courses and health care experiences that a career in health care was the best path for me to outreach my community and the world.
Epidemiology is the study of how frequently diseases rise in different groups of the public and why they happen, evidence gathered via epidemiologists is used to plan and gauge disease prevalence to help evaluate strategies to prevent illness (BMJ, 2017).
Over the last years, attention to public health issues has been increasing as well as aspirations to high health standards. Medical professions are in high demand because of the need of constant improvements of the health care system. The medical field offers a wide range of valued career paths and opportunities that differentiate by their responsibilities, obligations, educational requirements, and salary. When considering a career in health care, it is very important to analyze all the aspects involved and then determine the choice that best fit the person needs.
How will a master’s degree in public health help prepare you to address these problems?
Taylor P., (2003), the lay contribution to public health in: Public health for the 21st century. Buckingham Open University Press, Buckingham, 2003, pp 128 – 144.