Careers in Healthcare: Become a Public Health Leader

School of Health Professions and Human Services

Careers in Healthcare: Become a Public Health Leader

“We connect students with organizations aligned with their interest in public health.

The breadth and the scope of opportunities for students to conduct an internship is quite impressive and sets [our students] up for employment after the program.�

Isma Chaudhry, MD, MPH, Adjunct Associate Professor of Health Professions Director, Master of Public Health program Hofstra University

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“As a medical clinician, there is very little you can address in terms of the disparities in healthcare.

The field of public health has always inspired me because you deal with population health, not just your patients. You deal with community health.

You see those results and they are collectively more satisfying.

A degree in public health gives you a clearer vision.

It provides different lenses to view health care and to see the disparities in various sections of the population.

A public health degree challenges you towards advocacy in those areas.

At Hofstra, for example, our faculty and students are very passionate voices on community health, healthcare disparities, immunization, immigrant health, and our environmental health.”

— Isma Chaudhry, MD, MPH, Adjunct Associate Professor of Health Professions Director, Master of Public Health program Hofstra University

What do they do?

Clinicians and health professionals are often motivated by a desire to help people and make the world a better place. Yet your sphere of influence as a health professional can feel limited to the clients and families in your practice. Public health leaders want to do more. They are inspired to take on health issues on a larger scale and move the impact of their work beyond their clients and families to help whole populations of people.

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What are my job prospects in this field?

Burning Glass Technologies estimates that the job market for public health

In addition, it is a versatile degree that prepares students to be health leaders in such areas as: • Medicine and clinical care

professionals will grow by 13.87%

• Law

through 2028 , which is considerably more

• Health education

*

• Research

than the 5.87% expected growth for all

• Business analysis

other occupations during the same period.

• Data analysis • Project and program managers *Source: Burning Glass Technologies, March 2019

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Job prospects in the NY metro area for public health professionals according to Burning Glass Technologies Top locations with the largest number of job postings for public health professionals:

Projected growth of jobs in the NY metro area for all public health careers:

Average annual salary in the NY metro area:

$77,197

California, Texas, and New York

8.06%

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics*, fields with the largest growth potential for Public Health professionals in the NY Metro Area include: Projected growth through 2028

Annual mean wage for 0-2 years’ experience

Annual mean wage for 3-5 years’ experience

Annual mean wage for 6+ years’ experience

General Research

22.2%

$55,000

$66,000

—

Health Education

14.6%

$54,000

$64,000

$65,000

Chemical & Physical Science

14.5%

$101,000

—

$110,000

Health and Medical Research

8.2%

$68,425

$66,899

$84,485

8%

$62,000

$66,000

$79,000

Field

Project & Program Managers

*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016

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What kind of education do I need?

Public health professionals often get a master’s degree to complement their area of expertise and to qualify them to work with larger organizations. Hofstra University’s Master and Public Health program, for example, is the only program accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) in Nassau County, Long Island, NY, and Queens County, NY. “Hofstra is a unique hub off a very diverse student body and faculty,” agrees Dr. Chaudhry. “Diverse, not just in their ethnicity but in their academics.

We really want our students to work with other disciplines. That’s what public health is all about - working together. The goal is to provide the best health care, whether it’s primary care, preventive care, or understanding the social determinants of health in that area and addressing those issues.

Hofstra’s diversity allows students to network in the classroom, through internships, and alumni.

Our alumni are incredibly strong. They are connected and they continue to want to be active and assist our current students, which I think is a standout of our program. In addition, our students are very smart and academically solid, so they are welcomed wherever they want to go for their internships.

Students have interned with the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, in the County Department of Health, at Northwell, Catholic Charities, and other major health care systems, like Nassau Community Medical Center. Our students have also done internships in areas of environmental justice, in community health organizations, and with the Nassau County Coalition for Domestic Violence. We just don’t open them to the experience of local health care, we help them find opportunities in global health care experiences, too. It really does make a difference in the student experience.”

— Isma Chaudhry, MD, MPH, Adjunct Associate Professor of Health Professions Director, Master of Public Health program Hofstra University

What should I look for in an educational program?

Look for a program that integrates your profession with public health and has strong connections to the community. ”Hofstra’s health degree programs understand that the health fields are all interconnected so students can expect to find that they take classes that overlap into various other programs,” says program alum Nuzhat Quaderi. “This allows for networking beyond just one focused area of study. If you are a prospective student looking for networking opportunities, knowledgeable and caring professors and advisors, enthusiastic peers, out-of-classroom opportunities, and are passionate about health care, I would highly recommend looking into a degree at Hofstra University.”

Drawing on the expertise and resources of Hofstra’s programs in the Department of Health Professions, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and Northwell Health, the Master of Public Health program’s interdisciplinary approach allows students to pursue work in: • Business • Economics • Education

• Law • Public Administration • Political science • Sociology • Psychology

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ALUMNI PROFILE: STUDENT PROFILE: Megan Patierno, Hofstra Class of 2018 Nuzhat Quaderi Major: Training ClassAthletic of 2015

Hired: TK

What led you to be interested in the field of Public Health?

athletic training program at Hofstra. Jayne Student-athlete Megan Patierno knew that NQ: “Like all children, Hofstra’s from when I wastraining youngprogram I wanted to bebea heroand of one kind or always another.

I wanted and to save Kristin have encouraged athletic would lives, help people in need and ultimately changeher thepassions world. for My idealsupported career changed one day to the next, me in myfrom studies.” the perfect way to combine from Wonder Woman, biology to pediatrician, then eventually to public health professional, but one thing always stayed and sports.

After logging more than 1,000 hours of constant – the desire to do good with purpose. experience between her freshman and As she prepares to graduate, Megan, an senior years, that Megan feelshealth ready to meet the infielder on Hofstra’s softball team, isopportunities, one From various mentors and exposure through volunteer I learned public was everything I ever believed in.

Public health is about recognizing that there is more to health care than demands of working for an NFL team. of the first female students to be chosen prescriptive medicine, for thata caring for the health of whole communities means looking further than treating a paid, postgraduate athletic training MP: “Every semester, you’re assigned cough or mending a broken bone, order internship withand thethat Newin York Jets,toa achieve position health equity we must first address structural work withserving a different team and or being inequities in society. I am happy to say that today I am exactly wheretoI belong; my college community she’ll start this summer. doctor.

I also helped manage the doctors’ of service to the field of public health!” clinics for Hofstra athletes and was able to MP: “I’ll be working directly with the players What attracted you toduring Hofstra University’s Public Health program?assist them with orthopedic and general pre-season, setting up practices, medicine.” doing treatments, and all aspects of sports NQ: “Choosing the right program was certainly the most difficult task while applying to graduate school. I medicine.” freshman year,give Megan done looked into many schools in the tristate area searching for programsSince that her would not only me has career and athletic training rotations with three Hofstra She credits strong m entorship from Hofstra that fit networking opportunities, but would also provide coursework my perspective of what true service in sports teams, College’s team, Head directed Coach Larissa Anderson and health care should be. Softball A colleague me toward Hofstra’s program while IMolloy was working atsoftball NYU Langone and that Nassau Community College’s two professors in research the Department Health I knew Medical Center. After doing thorough on theofprogram, Hofstra University was football where I should be. team, as well as a physical therapy rotation Professions, Jayne Ellinger and Kristin with ProHealth.

LoNigro.

Hofstra University’s program has connections to many of the key health care players in the greater area, MP: “I’ve the opportunity MP: “Jayne and Kristin recommended me including Northwell Health and various community-based organizations, and had it places emphasis to onwork planning under a lot of athletic trainers and have for the opportunity and were instrumental and implementing health, wellness, and disease prevention, and most of all, has a spirit that builds community learned so much. I’ve built a large network in helping me get my foot in the door ... and strengthens passions.

Athletic training really wasn’t considered

of professionals in my field and hope

I started working with aa team of ambitious students the Public Health Newsletter.

Then I servedatasmy a to continue to make connections profession for women.

They’veon worked graduate research assistant The for Suburban Studies under Dr.beyond.”

Chris Neidt. I got involved in internship and in theat field forNational 20 years Center and pioneered the developing and implementing a health leads resource desk at Nassau University Medical Center and became a graduate assistant for Community Partnerships & Civic Literacy with the Center for Civic Engagement.

In addition, I had the privilege of serving as the first president of Hofstra’s Graduate Club, Society of Public Megan’s story isn’t unique – 100% of 2015-2016 School of Health Professions and Human Health Advocates, which allowed me the opportunity to implement a Nassau County-wide service fair and undergraduate recipients whofor responded ourthrough graduation organize a weeklong series Services of events for National degree Public Health Week the first to time thesurvey MPH or program. Last, but certainlyother not least, I had the chance to intern rate) for areported year at the andemployed Welfare Council reliable sources (64% knowledge thatHealth they were or have of Long Island, developing started survey instruments and data collection methods to evaluate prevalent health or were planning to start graduate school within one year of graduation. care access barriers.

I am truly grateful to be a part of a program where the faculty is so willing and eager to take the time outside of class to get to know and direct students to not only more learning opportunities, but job opportunities as well.”

Careers in Healthcare: Become a Public Health Leader Careers in Healthcare: Become an Athletic Trainer

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School of Health Professions and Human Services

Click here to learn more about Hofstra’s Master of Public Health program