Are you interested in promoting and protecting public health? Have you ever considered becoming a public health consultant? PH consultants have the public health experience, training, and education they need to help prevent disease. Additionally, they help prolong life and promote healthy lifestyle choices. Public health consultants are employed by many different organizations. These include government agencies, healthcare organizations, non-profit organizations, and businesses. They help to create and promote policies and programs that promise to improve community health outcomes. These highly trained public health professionals have graduate-level education and employment experience. This makes them experts in their field. Are you are curious about entering this satisfying career? Or even if you just want to know more about how to become a public health consultant, read on to learn more.
What is public health consulting?
The public health position as a public health consultant promises to be a rewarding position. Public health consultants are professionals who can work to improve public health. This is done through the protection and promotion of health-oriented practices. Making the world a safer and healthier place, public health consultants are free agents. This means that they can choose their clients, projects, research topics, and work schedule. They can also choose their pay rate as self-employed public health professionals. As self-employed workers, they often enjoy the benefits and the difficulties of being an entrepreneur. Public health consultants choose their own projects. This can lead to opportunities with different agencies, locations, and people. Those working as public health consultants will often have expertise in a variety of areas in public health. This makes them more marketable. Jobs and projects may include doing community health assessments and developing and implementing health promotion activities. They may also be involved in training workers in emergency preparedness and promoting safety programs, to name a few.
What level of education is required for public health consultants?
Public health consultants have master’s-level education from an accredited university. Most often, this degree is a Master’s of Public Health (MPH) degree from an accredited program. These public health professionals may begin their careers with a bachelor’s degree in a variety of areas. These areas include biology, psychology, nursing, social work, or health science. Other bachelor’s degrees can be in more specialized fields. Some examples are biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy, behavior science, or environmental health. These may also be a path to becoming a public health consultant. Many work in their field, discover their affinity for public health, and then go on to pursue their MPH degree. A smaller number of public health consultants go on to earn a Doctor of Public Health (DPH) degree. This degree can lead to leadership positions in government, as well as academic positions at the university level. For a public health consultant, the MPH degree is the degree to have to qualify for being hired. The MPH, coupled with experience, will put you well on your way to meaningful employment.
What can you expect in a Master’s of Public Health program?
The Master’s of Public Health degree is the leading professional degree for public health professionals committed to promoting and protecting health. The MPH typically requires 40-60 credits of advanced courses to complete. Check out the MPH programs that are accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH). Accreditation by CEPH assures quality and completeness of the program. MPH degree programs can take from one to three or more years to complete. The amount of time depends on whether they are pursued on a full-time or part-time basis. There are reputable MPH programs offered around the country in a variety of formats. These formats include on-campus, online, and hybrid programs. Being accepted into a MPH program requires a bachelor’s degree with the grade-point-average requirement met. Other requirements often include a satisfactory Graduate Record Exam (GRE), work experience requirements, a personal statement, and letters of recommendation. Programs may also have additional requirements. It is important to check your program of interest for the specific entrance requirements.
Every MPH program teaches the five public health core competencies. This competencies are: social and behavioral science, epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health sciences, and health policy and management. Students have the option to reach beyond the core competency work. MPH students may choose to specialize with concentrations in related areas. These areas include maternal/child health, nutrition, biostatistics, epidemiology, health education, health services administration, environmental health, global health, and generalist, among others.
As well as traditional coursework, MPH programs typically have other requirements. These may include fieldwork, internships, a culminating project, research, a thesis paper, and/or a comprehensive examination. Fieldwork requirements are often 200 hours. Remote online students can generally fulfill their requirements at their location. Some online and hybrid programs have on-campus requirements. They often ask students to report for in-person intensive classes, labs, exams, or orientation.
What amount of work experience is required to work as a public health consultant?
Public health consulting requires expert-level knowledge on a subject. This is usually obtained through work experience. MPH graduates gain valuable experience during their fieldwork and internships. This experience will open employment opportunities. A public health consultant should have at least two to five years of meaningful experience. It is important to build a resume that displays successful and relevant work experience. All of this experience will help lead to getting a job as a public health consultant, which will be an important step to a successful career.
Newly graduated MPH holders can seek positions at government agencies. Some examples of these agencies are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Indian Health Services, World Health Organization (WHO). Wherever one works, they should seek to expand professionally. They should also aim to build a valuable resume, which can lead to becoming a public health consultant.
How do public health consultants get certified?
There are many certifications available to public health professionals. The following seven recognized certifications can set the public health professional apart. Many others are vying for public health consultant positions, making these certifications important.
The most widely recognized certification requested by employers is the Certified in Public Health (CPH) certification. This is a voluntary and general certification for those holding their MPH degree. Public health professionals get this certification through the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE).
MPH holders with an interest in health education often pursue the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) certification. This certification is offered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc (NCHEC).
The Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) certification indicates advanced competency in health education. This certification is also offered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc (NCHEC).
Those interested in public health administration seek the Certified Public Health Administrator (CPHA) certification. The Public Health Practitioner Certification Board (PHPCB) is the certifying board for this credential.
Also administered by the Public Health Practitioner Certification Board (PHPCB), the Certified Emergency Response Coordinator (CERC) credential. This is for those in the public health field of emergency preparedness.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) offers many certifications. For public health professionals, the credential as a Certified Physical Activity in Public Health Specialist (CPAPHS) is the most popular. Find out more at ACSM.org.
For public health workers in correctional health, the Certified Correctional Health Professional (CCHP) is the credential to have. This helps workers to be recognized as a leader in this field. The National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) offers the CCHP certification to those who are qualified. Check out the NCCHC website for more information.
What characteristics does a public health consultant often have?
Successful public health consultants have certain core competencies that make them effective. Policy analysis, technical writing, and quantitative modeling are important skills to have. Other valuable skills are drafting abilities and designing useful reports. These skills help to prepare and present technical information in a meaningful way in meetings. Public health consultants are creative at problem solving. They also have a commitment to serving the community. Public health consulting requires confidence in one’s ability to get the job done. These self-starting public health professionals are able to communicate with a wide range of people. They can also drive projects to be done on time, and within budget constraints. They are flexible, with organizational skills and time-management abilities. These skills help them get the job done. Public health consultants are collaborative. They are able to work with different stakeholders and community members. It is valuable for public health consultants to have strong analytical skills and writing abilities. It is also helpful to have the capacity to work in a wide variety of settings. This characteristics can help someone have a meaningful impact on public health.
How much money does a public health consultant make?
Salaries for public health consultants are difficult to pin down. Much depends on education, years of experience, area of specialization, and geographical location. Here are some examples from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on salaries in different areas of public health. These are namely those of health education specialists, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and environmental scientists. These are just four of the many areas of public health. The salaries listed are the median annual wage. This means that half of workers made more and half made less than that amount. Information was taken from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov).
- Health education specialists are public health professionals that develop programs. They also instruct individuals and groups about health and conditions affecting well-being. The median income for a health education specialist was $56,500 in May 2020.
- Epidemiologists play an important role in public health. They are responsible for investigating patterns and causes of disease and injury. Epidemiologists earned a median annual wage of $72,560 in May 2020.
- Biostatisticians work to analyze data to solve problems in public health. They earned an annual median wage of $92,270 in May 2020.
- Environmental scientists work to protect environmental and human health. In May 2020, the median annual wage for an environmental scientist was $73,230.
Finances are not the only beneficial part of working as a public health consultant. Public health consultants can also enjoy the satisfaction of improving health. This is done in the community, as well as around the world.
What is the job outlook for public health consultants?
The job outlook for all health professions, including public health, is above the average for all occupations combined. According to BLS.gov, health education specialists have an employment growth projection of 17 percent from 2020 to 2030. Employment of epidemiologists is projected to grow 30 percent from 2020 to 2030. Biostatisticians have a projected growth rate of 33 percent from 2020 to 2030. Environmental Scientists can expect an eight percent growth rate from 2020 to 2030. This is about the same as the average for all occupations.
Much of the anticipated growth is expected to come from openings that result from the need to replace workers. Normally, workers leave to enter different occupations, or leave the workforce to retire.
Why is there such a need for public health workers?
According to the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH), the United States has been experiencing a diminishing public health workforce. This is taking place throughout the country. The ASPH cited that there were 50,000 fewer public health workers in the year 2000 than in 1980. With fewer public health workers and a growing population, the need for additional public health workers is growing. There is a shortage of health educators and epidemiologists. There is also a shortage of biostatisticians, environmental scientists, and other important public health workers. In turn, this means that there may be a greater vulnerability to health threats. The public health workforce has the important job of tackling many of the relevant issues facing our world today. This may include obesity, physical inactivity, tobacco and drug use, and infectious disease.
Part of meeting the need for an increased public health workforce has been the expansion of Master’s of Public Health programs. These programs are often flexible and cost effective. They provide the tools needed to meet the needs of public health in the twenty-first century.
Entering the wide and meaningful field of public health may be a great way to promote and protect health. Meanwhile, a public health consultant can earn personal satisfaction and rewards. They can also enjoy good annual salaries, growing job outlooks, and professional benefits. Protecting vulnerable populations, protecting the environment, and researching and utilizing statistics are all part of this important public health role. All of these play an essential role in promoting public health. Pursuing a career as a public health consultant may put you on a path for both personal and professional benefits. All the while, you will be promoting public health at home or abroad.
By Carol Dolan BS RN BSN CDCES
December 2021
Carol graduated with her BS in Nutrition from Montclair State University and her BSN in Nursing from Rowan University. She is a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) currently working with adults and children living with diabetes in both outpatient and inpatient settings.
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