What are the career prospects in Public Health?

A medical student looking for opportunities can consider Public Health courses as there is a rising demand in this field along with well-paying job opportunities. Some of the job opportunities, include GIS, Community Clinics, Health Department, Research Institutions, Biotechnology Firms, Big Data, Care Analytics, etc.

Public Health is the study of improving the health and lifestyle of people and their communities. It includes injury detection and prevention, response to infectious diseases, promoting healthy lifestyle habits and researching on diseases. The main aim of Public Health is to make the world a healthy place and spread awareness about healthy habits. In today’s market, there is a huge need for experts in the field to overlook and ensure proper execution of health policies of Public Health. This requires trained professionals who are aware of all the laws and policies to work for the betterment of people’s health. These professionals are expected to strategize Public Health issues. They need to assess the quality of work in private as well as in government healthcare centers. There are various quality institutes in India that offer courses in Public Health. One can opt for a Masters in Public Health (MPH) or a diploma course. The placement opportunities in this sector are huge and are highly paid.

How to Enroll for Public Health Course

The students who want to enroll in Public Health courses must have an aggregate percentage of 60 per cent in their bachelor's degree in any discipline of healthcare sciences from a recognized State or Central University. The admission in any institute for this course is based on a merit score obtained in the entrance exam. The students must also have a minimum of 55% aggregate marks in their higher secondary level. There is about 10% relaxation for the reserved candidates.

Skills Required for Public Health Course

Master in Public Health is a two-year full-time course and the Diploma in Public Health Management is a one-year full-time course. The students are trained to improve the general health care system and to enhance the health of the population. It is a multidisciplinary field and candidates from various disciplines can apply for this course. It is a course in which the students are trained about the aspects of Public Health and there is a list of compulsory and elective subjects offered to a student. The students are encouraged to develop their scientific approach and have an excellent understanding of the theoretical aspects. Internship opportunities are also provided to the students so that they can develop their skills and learn to act in real-life situations. The various specialisations in the Master in Public Health include Global Health, Epidemiology, Maternal and Child Health, Health Policy, etc.

This course includes a variety of teaching and learning techniques which includes many classroom programs, seminars, lectures, presentation, case study, discussions, assignments, field projects, etc. The students are trained in such a way that they can efficiently carry out good work in real-life situations. They are educated to develop communication and managerial skill to work for organizational problems and overcome them efficiently and in a cost-effective manner. The student acquires their degrees only after they finish an internship in any organization. This is because practical knowledge is very important in such fields and students should know how to implement their theoretical knowledge to manage actual problems. The core areas of focus are biostatics, epidemiology, ethics, Public Health biology, public policies, health and functional management.

Cost of Public Health Course

The cost of an undergraduate course in Public Health is somewhere around Rs 1-3 lakh in India and the cost of a postgraduate course is around Rs 11,000-2.5 lakh. The fee depends on the institute. Generally, the fee accepted by the government institutes is lower than the private institutes.

Top Institutes for Public Health

List of top 10 institutes which provide Public Health courses is given below. The ranking is based on various factors such as NIRF ranking, national importance, infrastructure, placement records, faculty, ratings and reviews of students and alumni of the institute, etc.

Name of College	City	Annual Program Fees (in Rs)
Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR)	Jaipur	6,00,000
Manipal University - Manipal Academy of Higher Education	Manipal	2,65,000
Lucknow University	Lucknow	50,000
University of Hyderabad - UOH	Hyderabad	7,450
Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences	Ahmednagar	8,00,000
Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phoole University	Jaipur	36,000
Jawaharlal Nehru University	Delhi	4,000
Amity University	Noida	80,000
Noida International University	Noida	83,000
Panjab University	Chandigarh	5,850

Job Roles & Growth Prospects in Public Health

The demand for experts in Public Health is on a rapid rise. A student from this field can explore various job opportunities in areas such as GIS, Community Clinics, Health Department, Research Institutions, Biotechnology Firms, Big Data, Care Analytics, etc. Specialists from this field can work in both private as well as in public sector organisations. They can also work from pharmaceutical companies or health insurance organisations. Employment for such experts is available in various government or international health associations. A professional can also choose to work in a non-profit organisation. The major recruiting companies that recruit professionals in Public Health are World Health Organization (WHO), UN Children's Fund, McKinsey & Company, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, etc. The salaries offered to these experts are usually high and can go up to Rs 15 lakh per annum. A trained professional in this field can work as a healthcare administrator, health informatics specialist, epidemiologist analyst, health and safety engineer, Public Health manager, tropical disease specialist, management policy advisor, NGO director, etc.

Job Role	Average Salary (in Rs LPA)	Top Recruiting Companies
Public Health Doctor	15-20	National Health Mission, Khordha
Tropical Disease Expert	18-25	Tata Memorial Center
HIV Specialist	17.5-30	BASICS OF IMMIGRATION CONSULTANT SERVICES LLP
Medical Director	12-23	National Health Mission, Uttarakhand

Future Growth Prospects

A student looking for opportunities in today’s world should consider Public Health courses because it is becoming more and more popular and the salaries offered are very decent. Public Health is a very sensitive area but it has a lot of potential job opportunities in today’s world. The role of Public Health is to overcome the challenges faced by the country and to enhance the quality of health care.