Want to make a career in Public Health? Opt for Master in Public Health

There cannot be a better time to realise the importance of public health as an academic discipline, that equips one with desirable skill sets of a public health professional, than during this unprecedented time of COVID 19 pandemic.  The field of public health is ever-evolving as it responds to the health needs of the population regionally, nationally and globally.  The goal is to improve the immediate as well as the external environment and the behaviours that promote the health and wellbeing of people, families, communities and populations. The discipline provides insight into the practice of public health policy, epidemiology, the research on public health issues and coaching and grooming of professionals who would be the focal point for transforming research into policy and real-life practices to improve the population health both for now and for generations to come. Currently, public health professionals across the country are busy planning, implementing and monitoring the health system response and community-level preparedness in containing the pandemic. The implementation of the key initiatives, their monitoring, quality assessments and evaluation to effectively address the issue require a multi-dimensional perspective and key skills across various domains.

Masters of Public Health programmes are vital in this situation as this niche curriculum is at the forefront in producing the graduates that provide key skill sets in the current situation.

Masters of Public Health programmes are designed to produce public health professionals. In the Indian context, we expect these graduates to be ‘fit-for-context’ and ‘fit-for-purpose’. We expect Indian MPH students to be trained in the context of the Indian health system while being equipped with the right set of skills and competencies to perform at their workplace.

As a broad principle, the eligibility criteria for these programmes are generally broad, thus permitting a rich diversity and widening the perspective within the classroom.

Several institutions across the country offer MPH programmes. As a broad principle, the eligibility criteria for these programmes are generally broad, thus permitting a rich diversity and widening the perspective within the classroom. The programmes are usually affiliated to local universities for granting the degree. The curricula are designed and implemented as per University regulations. In this regard, the University Grants Commission has circulated a model MPH curriculum that was prepared by a Taskforce constituted by the Health Ministry. The model MPH curricula have identified core public health competencies that must be a part of the skill-set of MPH students. Cross-cutting competencies that complete the repertoire are also identified in the model guidelines.

Most programmes provide opportunities to undertake dissertations or research work and internships which expand the public health horizon of the students. The field experience while conducting primary data collection as part of the dissertation provides relevant hands-on exposure to public health research in real-world while internship options provide an opportunity for real-time implementation of the competencies in the work-setting. These components of the program are helpful for linking the classroom teaching to the real-life situation.

Many initiatives have been taken up by the Government of India in the last decade which has built-in scope and future engagement for public health professionals thereby substantially improving the employability of the graduates. 

The National Health Policy 2017 speaks specifically about the creation of a public health management cadre across the states. Public health jobs offer a diverse set of positive experiences whether a graduate is employed in the public or the private sector. The public sector jobs include working with the districts and the National Health Mission as an epidemiologist or within the national health programmes at various positions specific to the program. Health professionals already working within the public system also opt for these programmes to widen their technical expertise and conceptual base to handle public health problems. Potential jobs also include working with Non-Governmental Organisations, academic and research institutions as well as in consulting organisations. A greater number of students are also increasingly opting for doctoral level studies in public health.

India’s triple burden of health problems, communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases and environmental health problems, disasters/calamities present multiple challenges to the health system. Public health training equips graduates with the appropriate skills to plan and respond to the requirements of the country.

About the authors

Dr Suparna Ghosh Jerath is Professor and Head, Community Nutrition and Dr Himanshu Negandhi is an Additional Professor at PHFI Delhi - Indian Institute of Public Health. Dr Suparna is also an Intermediate fellow, DBT/ Wellcome Trust India Alliance.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha