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Public health professional
Also called: Epidemiologist, MPH professional
Works to prevent disease and improve health across whole communities, not one patient at a time.
What the work is
Public health professionals plan and run programmes that keep large numbers of people healthy: vaccination, nutrition, maternal and child health, TB and malaria control, clean water and sanitation, mental health and disease surveillance. Epidemiologists study patterns of disease; programme managers run schemes on the ground; analysts work with health data.
The National Health Mission, Ayushman Bharat, state health departments, global health organisations and NGOs all employ public health graduates. The COVID-19 pandemic showed how essential this work is.
A typical week
- Plan and monitor health programmes
- Analyse health data and surveys
- Train and support field teams
- Write reports and present to officials
It suits people who
- Care about the health of communities
- Like data and planning
- Are comfortable with field visits
Your path to get there
School (Class 8-10)
- Take Science with Biology, or Humanities with a health interest
Class 11-12
- MBBS, BDS, B.Sc Nursing, B.Pharm, life sciences or social sciences
College or fresher
- Volunteer in a health NGO or camp
- Take an MPH (IIPH, AIIMS, TISS and others)
- Learn data tools such as Excel, Stata or R
Working or switching
- Doctors, nurses and social workers move into public health through an MPH
- Healthcare workers can return through refresher courses and re-registration with their council.
- Hospitals often have flexible shifts and part-time roles for returning nurses and doctors.
Exams and certifications
| Name | What it is for | When |
|---|---|---|
| MPH admission tests ↗ | Master of Public Health admission | After graduation |
Exam names, eligibility and dates change. Always check the official website for this year's notice.
Job market
Job titles to search
Who hires
Where the jobs are
These buttons open a live search for "Public health officer" on each job site. TalentMeter does not list or vouch for the jobs there.
Outlook
Growing with national health missions and global health funding.
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