What can one say is a master of public health or MPH exactly? It is probably true to say that the MPH degree is the most widely recognized public health qualification for administrative positions. You would employ the knowledge gained over various disciplines to assess and resolve issues in public health.
Indeed, nothing is more important than a person’s health. Having an enjoyable life is difficult when your health is ailing. If this is true for a person, it holds true for a society; but maintaining public health is no simple task.
There are a number of factors that make for a healthy society, not the least of which are access to health care, food and shelter, and a safe working environment. 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.
If anyone is to achieve success with the MPH degree they need to be committed to and passionate about the work it takes to see all issues through to the end. One needs to exhibit a desire to improve community health across the globe. It is essential for there to be a passion for problem solving.
This involves some serious hard work. It is imperative in today's challenging environment that public health professionals be motivated to finding effective solutions to these problems. 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. The value of an internship is that it re-affirms classroom theory.
Sometimes, it is hard for students to gauge exactly how much they have learned during their MPH course. However, once they get into the internship and start to apply what they’ve learned, often students cannot believe how well-prepared they are in entering the public health workforce. In the MPH internships students are exposed to a number or environments including clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and even non-profit organizations.
As a way of getting practical experience, some students actually take a year off after college to do some practical work. Some students will however enter a program as soon as they have completed an undergraduate program. Public health initiatives taken on by some who are still busy with their undergraduate degrees are also not uncommon.
As such, these students attend master of public health programs with clear direction in their minds. It does give students a great head start when they do work in the public health service before actually starting with the MPH program. While some schools will accept students with no experience, they do prefer those with some academic background in a health-related field.
Students often engage in field activities to give them an opportunity to gain experience in public health. Many students already have years of public health masters programs experience, however. They know exactly where and how they will use these new skills learned from MPH programs.
