Sunday 25 March 2012

Master Of Public Health-A Creative Discipline

What is a master of public health (MPH)? The MPH degree is considered one of the most popular qualifications for administrative positions in public health. Professionals in public health employ knowledge and skills from various disciplines to assess, define and solve public health problems.

Indeed, nothing is more important than a person’s health. It is hardly possible to have a fulfilling life if you are not healthy. If this is true for a person, it holds true for a society; but maintaining public health is no simple task.

A healthy society is greatly dependent on access to health care, clean air and water, sufficient food and shelter, and a safe working environment to mention a few. There is no simple way to deal with the issues that one encounters in public health. This is where the role of a master of public health important.

In order to be successful, a MPH degree candidate needs to have passion and determination. One needs to exhibit a desire to improve community health across the globe. It is important to have a passion for working on specific issues.

The work involved in public health is not easy. Public health professionals need to actively commit seek to commit to finding effective solutions to the challenges in this sector today. It is therefore vital that one does a self-assessment before attending any 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. It can be said that an internship 'confirms' what was learned in class.

Sometimes it can be hard for a student to accurately assess how much they managed to really learn during the MPH program. When students start to actually apply what they have learned they can't believe just how prepared they are for entering the public health industry. The internships in the MPH program see the students participate in a variety of settings such as companies, clinics and hospitals.

Some students take a year off after college to get some work experience before pursuing a public health graduate degree. Other students attend a program right after their undergraduate program. Some get involved in public health initiatives even while completing their undergraduate degree.

This gives student's needed focus by the time they attend master of public health programs. It does give students a great head start when they do work in the public health service before actually starting with the MPH program. Schools like to accept students with an academic background in a health-related field.

Students often engage in field activities to give them an opportunity to gain experience in public health. By the time they are in public health masters programs many students already boast years of experience. They are already clear on the direction they want their careers to take.