The current outbreak of Ebola virus has killed more than 3,000 people — mostly women and health care workers — in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. According to the World Health Organization, there are more than deaths are attributed to more than 6,500 cases in several countries in West Africa.
Ebola prevention and treatment are under the purview of public health. Public health officials conduct investigations by going to the outbreak’s epicenter and tracing each contact of infected individuals. This, however, is only part of the job.
Public health officers are the unsung heroes of public safety. Foremost, they are health advocates for the people, championing clean air and water, safe playgrounds and chronic disease prevention, among many other things.
Public health officers work at the city, county, state, federal or international level to determine and communicate the incidence and prevalence of diseases to guide lawmakers as they make funding decisions based on the health needs of the community.
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Notable public health champions include C. Everett Koop, who oversaw the change in American attitudes about smoking. Now we have smoke-free environments — and smoking rates, along with concomitant tobacco-related illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, have declined.
Public health officers were at the forefront of the AIDS epidemic, identifying the human immunosuppression virus and preventive techniques to reduce the spread of HIV.
Since the beginning of 2014, two American communities — Toledo, Ohio and Charleston, West Virginia — for a time were without safe drinking water. Drinking water safety comes under the auspices of public health and exemplifies the importance of public health.
No two days are alike for public health officers as they wear many hats including that of investigator, communicator, writer and epidemiologist. Presenting complicated scientific information in a way that is understandable by nonclinicians, advocating for sound health practices and critically examining data to ensure results are interpreted and classified correctly are important parts of their duties.
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A career in public health requires flexibility, great communication skills and a natural curiosity. Traveling to a new place — inside or outside of a home country — brings you into contact with new cultures, so it’s important to be flexible to all of the excitement and quirks of people, places and organizations.
Inquisitiveness is necessary as public health is the direct application of science in the field. This requires a desire to affect communities’ populations, view a familiar problem in different circumstances and apply knowledge and prior experiences to a new situation — all in service to improve communities’ health.
Current and prospective medical students interested in becoming public health officers may receive training via a residency in preventive medicine, which typically is a two-year program and includes a Master of Public Health degree.
A fellowship in the Epidemic Intelligence Service can also be completed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which also trains physicians in outbreak investigations and epidemiology techniques. Physicians entering the service have residency training in other specialties.
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Premed public health experiences include time in the Peace Corps, serving as a national or international health educator or a study abroad experience with a health emphasis. Check for volunteer experiences at your local or state health department to have direct interaction.
Medical students interested in making the world healthier should consider practicing public health.
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Explore the Life of a Public Health Specialist originally appeared on usnews.com
