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Working in Public/Global Health

  • 22-03-2010 5:08pm
    #1
    piby
    Closed Accounts Posts: 539 ✭✭✭


    I'm very interested in working in global health and I suppose I'm just trying to garner some opinions on it. There's a lot of info floating about the web on courses etc. I have an undergraduate in microbiology and thus in my particular case I imagine I'd be looking at doing an MSc and or PhD. Do you think that not having done medicine, or being a medical doctor for that matter, would be a disadvantage in this line of work?

    Like I said there tends to be a quite a bit of info on but not so much on what one does after their postgraduate course. It may be quite an open and generic question but I guess I'd just like to know how you got into it, your career path and what it is you do on a daily basis?


Comments

  • #2
    tallaght01
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,778 ✭✭✭tallaght01


    Get some good qualifications, so you're useful. Do a masters in public health (or masters in international public health if there's one in Ireland).

    Then just get yourself overseas. There's lots of scope for micro grads in developing countries. Approach an aid agency or IrishAid as your first port of call when you have enough experience that would allow you to go and be useful independently.


  • #3
    drzhivago
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 926 ✭✭✭drzhivago


    these are two very different careers

    begs the question why
    where and what do you expect to do


  • #4
    LilMrsDahamsta
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 451 ✭✭LilMrsDahamsta


    This is the one that springs to mind immediately.

    (I'm running out the door late for work; I'll come back and write a proper reply later.)


  • #5
    piby
    Closed Accounts Posts: 539 ✭✭✭piby


    drzhivago wrote: »
    these are two very different careers

    begs the question why
    where and what do you expect to do

    Well if I had to pick I'd probably prefer to work in global health. I'm interested in how all factors (disease, economics, sociology, poltics etc.) are involved in shaping health in the international community. I've always been interested in medicine and health but I think it's perhaps pointless to go do a medical degree if I could get into global health without it!
    LilMrsDahamsta wrote: »
    This is the one that springs to mind immediately.

    (I'm running out the door late for work; I'll come back and write a proper reply later.)

    Yeah I had a look at that before and it looks brilliant. Was actually in contact with them during my last year of the undergrad but they have something like 300 applicants for 8 places and most of those are mid-career professionals!!

    There two others offered in Ireland; an MSc in Public Health in UCD and an MSc in Global Health in TCD. I've also had a look in the UK in particular the programs at Edinburgh, LSHTM, UCL and Oxford seem to align more with my concept of what I would/could be doing, at least in a research capacity.


  • #6
    Sraina11
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4 ✭Sraina11


    Hi
    Hope you are doing good.
    I wanted to join MPH in UCD.
    What are the job prospects after MPH program?
    Me being an international student,can i apply for jobs in ireland after the degree?

    Regards


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  • #7
    nakuru
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2 ✭nakuru


    so in relation to this, working in global public health and then in public health as in UK/Ireland are different career paths. In relation to a degree in Public Health fine I suppose but then this tends to be a very common post-grad, given your background in Micro you could consider Epidemiology or some of the more specialised LSHTM post grads which are related to Micro. LSHTM do a very good Epi MSc they also do Nutrition in Public Health and there is lots of work in nutrition overseas once you are qualified, although with all things will be challenging to get your first few months of work experience.

    If you are looking at global health I would probably select LSHTM or Liverpool School over the Irish courses as they are really globally recognised courses and specialise in developing country contexts. They are not cheap of course but only one year and worth considering.

    It is tough to get work with international agencies and be prepared to apply for Intern positions and or get involved in research while you wait for a job opportunity. in the mean time doing volunteer work at home and even short elective volunteer positions can help with getting your CV noticed. Once you have the few months of experience then fairly easy to continue to get work.
    Irish Aid they take on development specialists and for this you need experience, difficult to get in to this organisation and generally you need experience.

    Public health in Ireland as a career path is pretty weak although in the UK would be potential if this is an area you are thinking of and there is much more opportunities here.


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