Behind The Scenes In A Public Health Career

Exclusive Interview: Amy Metzger, Senior Health Program Specialist for Compassion International shares The Secret to a Career in Public Health

Amy Metzger was 15 years old when she started working in a hospital in her native state of Kentucky. Amy is a natural care giver. By the time she entered Northern Kentucky University she knew she wanted to be a nurse or pursue a career in the physical therapy field so she got her biology degree.

After graduation, while working in a hospital in Kentucky, Amy found out her sister was sick. So she went to Atlanta to stay with her. That choice lead to an adventurous career in public health. “It sort of happened by accident,” says Metzger, the Senior Health Program Specialist for Compassion International, a large global nonprofit. “I was working in hospitals and I had my biology degree and I kept thinking, ‘What am I going to do with this degree?’”

While in Atlanta caring for her sister, Amy decided to take classes at a nearby Emory University. One of the classes offered was in public health. Amy quickly settled upon a Master’s degree in public health with an emphasis in international health. While taking classes she began interning at the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC is the nation’s health watch squad. It is the center of all the nation’s public health policy and research.

“Public health had been in the back of my mind all along,” says Metzger. “After all these years working in hospitals, seeing patients who were so sick, I thought it would be nice to help people prevent illness. It would be nice to stop people from getting sick.”

What Does A Public Health Professional Do?

When Amy Metzger first started her job as senior public health specialist at Compassion International, many of her co-workers had plenty of questions. “They would ask me, ‘What is it that do you do?’” she says laughing.

The main job of a public health worker is prevention — the field exists to keep people from getting sick.

With the recent reports of the Swine Flu in the media, public health has come into the foreground. The CDC has more than 97,000 followers on Twitter, Swine Flu has a recently created current events Wikipedia page and the Obama administration seems to have televised public health updates daily.

The most common image of a public health worker is probably something like Renee Russo’s character in the movie Outbreak, running around suburban neighborhoods, outfitted head-to-toe in a plastic protection suit in hot pursuit of an Ebola-like virus that is wiping out small town America.

But working in public health isn’t all about crisis or public health emergencies. A viral video from the American Public Health Association (APHA) showcases all the work that public health workers do from ensuring water safety in an African village to giving vaccinations at a local American clinic.

“It’s such a broad arena,” Metzger says of the public health industry. “A career in public health means working in all the areas of health care that prevent illness. Whether it is dispensing vaccinations, monitoring the effects of new medication, bio statistics, epidemiology, international health, environmental health research, health management and policy, or simple health education, there are plenty of opportunities to work in the public health industry.“

A Day in the Life of Public Health Worker

As a senior health administrator at Compassion International, Amy travels among the more than 20 countries in which Compassion works training health care workers to administer approved health care programs to Compassion-assisted children. Compassion works with more than 5,000 churches around the world to help more than 1 million children. Compassion’s global health program monitors everything from pre-natal care to vaccinations against any one of the many preventive childhood illnesses to administering HIV/AIDS therapy. A typical day is no typical day.

Amy may spend one day pouring over the latest health statistics from children in Tanzania trying to see if Compassion’s malaria intervention programs are working. She’s looking for malaria outbreaks, or more importantly, the lack of malaria outbreaks, among Compassion-assisted children there. The next week she could be bouncing inside a dirt-spattered utility vehicle on a dirt road flushed with rocks in Uganda traveling to monitor health workers dispensing crucial HIV/AIDS drug therapy.

She says she loves the variety and relishes the opportunity to meet people who are directly affected by her work each day.

How Is The Outlook For Public Health Careers?

The Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) estimates the United States will need more than 250,000 public health workers in the next decade. In addition, the public health force has shrunk, with more 50,000 fewer public health workers employed in 2000 than were in 1980. Added to that is the fact that nearly a quarter of the public health workforce is set to retire in the next three years. To keep pace with the growing need and contracting workforce, ASPH estimates the country will need to train three times the number of current public health graduates over the next 12 years.

“It is an emerging field and there is such a tremendous need,” Metzger says. “There are a lot of opportunities in the field of public health.”

“You really do not need that many years of education to get a job in the public health arena,” says Metzger who has a master’s degree in public health administration. “And if you have a degree in other fields — especially nursing or biology — but even finance, technology or economics, take a few courses in public health and it will definitely help you get a job in the industry.”

There are many ways to get a degree in public health including online undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as online certifications. Experts say it’s best to choose a sector you’d like to work in – say preventive disease, health education, strategy and research – and begin with online certification courses. The best options are for people who have a nursing or medical background already.

Public Health Career Opportunities

Unlike many degrees, a degree in public health can almost guarantee a job once completed. That’s because it is the fastest growing sector of the fastest growing industry in the United States. The ASPH predicts the major medical breakthroughs to come will not come from new medical cures or published findings but from population-based prevention programs. That means public health is a growth industry. Domestically health care centers are looking for public health workers to work in preventive diseases, vaccinations, community health and research and education and awareness.

Globally, public health workers are needed to help with health care infrastructure including computerizing health records, as well as medical research, monitoring the effects of trial medications and much more.

Here are some careers in public health that you may not be aware of:

• Emergency Responders
• Health Educators
• Community Planners
• Sanitarians

• Restaurant Inspectors
• Nutritionists
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Community Planners

“I feel a lot of security in my job,” says Metzger who began working abroad in Uganda. “Go get a degree in public health and you’ll have lots of job security.”

Earn A Public Health Degree Online

Get the education and credentials you need for a successful career in Public Health. Take the first step towards earning an accredited degree in public health online through your choice of top ranked schools by requesting additional program information today:
Explore Online Public Health Degree Programs

Featured Public Health Degree Programs Walden University Master of Public Health Master of Public Health BS in Public Safety/Emergency Mgmt. MS in Disaster Medicine/Mgmt PhD in Public Health

Leading Schools Walden University Capella University A.T. Still University AIU Online South University

Learn more about Public Health Careers:

What is Public Health?- joint communication and awareness project developed by the Association of Schools of Public Health and Pfizer Public Health.

World Health Organization job listings-place to find international public health jobs.

American Public Health Association Career Mart- – offers links to jobs in the public health industry and information about annual meetings.

Walden University

Online

Balance your personal and professional commitments while earning a respected Ph.D., master's degree, or bachelor's degree online at Walden University. Programs offered in management, education, psychology and health and human services.

Programs:

• Ph.D. in Public Health
• Ph.D. in Human Services - Public Health
• Master of Public Administration - Health Policy

Kaplan University

Campus

Advance your career and get the distinct competitive advantage you need with an online degree from Kaplan University. And do it without missing a day of work.

Programs:

• MS in Health Education
• Master of Public Health
• BS in Public Administration and Policy

Campus Locations:

Fort Lauderdale

The University of Liverpool

Campus

Advance your career and increase your earning potential with a masters or a doctoral degree from the University of Liverpool. Study online in small groups of business professionals.

Programs:

• Master of Public Health (Epidemiology)
• Master of Public Health
• Master of Public Health (Management of Health Systems)

Campus Locations:

Online

Grand Canyon University

Campus

Earn your degree online with Grand Canyon University. We offer approximately 100 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs that can be completed 100% online. Degree programs are available in the fields of education, nursing and health sciences, business, fine arts and production, and liberal arts.

Programs:

• Master of Public Health

Campus Locations:

Phoenix

University of Phoenix

Campus

As the largest private university in North America, University of Phoenix has more than 200 locations, and is available online in most countries around the world. Whether you're seeking a college degree at an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral level, we can help you reach your academic goal—and sooner than you might think.

Programs:

• Master of Public Admin
• BS in Business/Public Sector
• Master of Public Administration

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El Centro
San Diego
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Pasadena
Beale AFB
Roseville
Online
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Murrieta
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Gardena
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Lathrop

DeVry University

Campus

A graduate degree really can make a difference, especially when it's from DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management. Online, evening and weekend classes are available.

Programs:

• Master's-Public Administration

Campus Locations:

San Diego
Alhambra
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Fremont
Sherman Oaks
Irvine
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Anaheim
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Daly City
Pomona
Oakland
Colton

Strayer University

Online

Get the right foundation for your future with a degree from Strayer University. Evening, weekend and online classes are all available to meet the needs of busy adults.

Programs:

• Masters: Public Administration

Golden Gate University

Campus

For more than 110 years, non-profit Golden Gate University (GGU) has been helping adults achieve their professional goals by providing undergraduate and graduate education in Accounting, Law, Taxation, Business and related areas.

Programs:

• Public Administration - Executive Masters
• Public Administration - Masters

Campus Locations:

San Francisco
Santa Clara

Western International University

Online

Pursue your degree with Western International University. We offer programs at three campuses in Arizona and a live, interactive online classes taught by experienced industry professionals.

Programs:

• Master of Public Administration
• Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Science

Argosy University

Campus

Argosy University offers doctoral, master's, and bachelor's degree programs to students through its five colleges: Psychology andBehavioral Sciences, Education, Business, Health Sciences, and Undergraduate Studies, as well as certificate programs in many areas.

Programs:

• State and Local Government (MPA)
• Public Administration (MPA)
• Health Care Management (BS)

Campus Locations:

Santa Monica
San Bernardino
San Diego
Alameda
Orange

Bellevue University

Campus

Bellevue University makes it possible for motivated adult learners to earn a high-quality college degree.

Programs:

• MPA - Master of Public Administration
• MHA Healthcare Administration
• BS in Healthcare Management

Campus Locations:

Bellevue

Northcentral University

Campus

Earn your degree online and boost your career at Northcentral University. We offer online doctoral, master's, and bachelor's degree programs in education, behavioral and health sciences, and business.

Programs:

• Public Administration - PhD in Bus. Admin.
• Public Administration - D.B.A.
• Health Care Administration - PhD in Bus. Admin.

Campus Locations:

Prescott Valley

Regis University

Campus

Regis University offers a rich tradition of Jesuit education to enrich your life and further your career.

Programs:

• BS in Public Administration

Campus Locations:

West Jordan

American InterContinental University Online

Campus

American InterContinental University Online's flexible curriculum allows you to study when and where it's most convenient. Earn your degree at an accelerated pace from an accredited school that is respected by employers.

Programs:

• Bachelor's of Business Administration in Healthcare Management

Campus Locations:

Schaumburg

Independence University

Campus

You can advance your career 24/7 with online education at Independence University, your proven partner with over 30 years of experience in delivering quality distance education right to our students. Our programs are designed to allow you to continue working and earning as you pursue your online degree.

Programs:

• MS - Healthcare Administration

Campus Locations:

Salt Lake City

California College San Diego

Campus

California College San Diego (CCSD)offers degree programs in Medical Specialties, Respiratory Therapy, Healthcare Administration, Business Management and Accounting, Computer Technology and Networking, Computer Programming, and Computer Science. Online programs are offered by our affiliated college, Stevens-Henager College, Salt Lake City/Murray.

Programs:

• Master of Science in Healthcare Administration (Online)
• Master of Science in Healthcare Administration
• Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration

Campus Locations:

San Diego
National City
San Marcos

Carrington College California

Campus

Carrington College California offers the programs you need to begin a career in healthcare. Choose from Healthcare, Massage Therapy, Dental Assisting, Pharmacy Technology, or Veterinary Services.

Programs:

• AS in Health Care Administration
• Certificate in Health Care Administration

Campus Locations:

Pleasant Hill
Stockton
Citrus Heights
Sacramento

Jones International University

Campus

Earn a high quality degree in Business, IT, Education, or Communications. Jones International University® offers self-paced bachelor's and master's degrees tailored to your needs.

Programs:

• BBA Health Care Management

Campus Locations:

Englewood

Ashworth College

Campus

Get the hands-on training and skills it takes to succeed with Ashworth College, a respected, worldwide leader in distance education. Study at the times and places most convenient for you.

Programs:

• Associate of Science Degree in Health Care Administration

Campus Locations:

Norcross

Keiser University Graduate School

Campus

Keiser University offers accredited degree programs in today's high-demand careers: Healthcare, Technology, Paralegal, Business, Nursing and Legal Studies.

Programs:

• Health Services Management, Graduate Business Certificate

Campus Locations:

Fort Lauderdale

Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies

Online

Founded in 1789, Georgetown University is the nation's oldest Catholic and Jesuit university. Today, Georgetown is a major international research university that embodies its founding principles in the diversity of our students, faculty, and staff, our commitment to justice and the common good, our intellectual openness, and our international character.

Programs:

• Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Rasmussen College Online

Online

You deserve a better career and a better life. Rasmussen College in Minnesota can help you get both. Earn a career-track degree in Business, Child Care, Criminal Justice, or Healthcare. Our personalized classes focus on your needs.

Programs:

• Medical Administration Associate's Degree

South University Online

Campus

Designed with the needs of working adult students in mind, South University, Online Programs is built on the same curriculum offered at South University's campus locations. As a student at South University, Online Programs you will receive the same degree, quality instruction, variety of learning options and level of service found at the campus locations.

Programs:

• Healthcare Management (BS)

Campus Locations:

Savannah