Public Health Courses: Admission, Syllabus, Eligibility, Exam & Career

Public health professionals try to prevent problems from happening or recurring through implementing educational programs, recommending policies, administering services, and conducting research. This is what makes them different from professionals such as doctors and nurses, whose primary concerns are treating patients after they have fallen ill. Their purpose is to reduce inequalities related to health care. Promoting healthcare equity, quality, and accessibility is a big element of public health. 

Advantages of pursuing Public Health:

The science of protecting and promoting people's and communities' health is known as public health. Encouraging lifestyles that are healthy and easier to adhere to, recognizing the disease or symptoms, and detecting, preventing, and responding to infectious diseases are all part of this effort. Overall, public health is about protecting the health of an entire community of people. These communities could be of the size of a neighborhood, or as big as an entire country or region of the world. 

Eligibility Criteria to get admission in Public Health courses: 

The eligibility for this course depends on what kind of form/program you choose. That is because various academies offer certificate courses for public health while there are also colleges and institutes which offer it in both a diploma and degree format. The classification between them and the different requirements needed to be eligible to pursue Public Health in all formats are mentioned below: 

Certificate Courses in Public Health 

A certificate in public health gives you the skills you need to get a job in the field or continue your studies in it. Health science, environmental science, statistical analysis, and public health policy are all covered in-depth in public health certificate programs. After earning a bachelor's degree or gaining industry experience, most people pursue a public health certificate. A credential like this can help professionals advance in their careers. Various online study portals offer certificate programs for public healthcare. 

Bachelor of Public Health 

This course is also known as B. Sc. In Public Health. It is an undergraduate course in public health sciences and is a 4-year course that includes visits, research projects, and internships. To be eligible for this course, candidates must have qualified class 12th exam by any recognized board of education with physics, chemistry, and biology as their main subjects. Students who have completed a 3 year or 2 diploma in Allied Health Sciences after completing class 10th/SSC are also eligible to enroll in the BPH program. 

Master or Advanced PG Diploma in Public Health  

A bachelor's degree/ diploma in any discipline of health science (for example, graduate in medicine/ Ayush/ Dentistry/ Veterinary Sciences/ Allied health sciences/ Biostatistics/ Nutrition/ Psychology/ Nursing and other related graduate degrees) from any recognized Indian university or equivalent degree from any foreign university is required for aspirants who want to pursue a Master's/ Advanced PGDM in public health in India. Although a bachelor's degree should have a minimum aggregate score of 60%, several institutes recognize even a 55% graduation degree. 

Job Scope:

Some of the common occupations which candidates opt for after finishing their public health course are mentioned below:

Healthcare Consultant: Because the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries are extremely competitive and continue to evolve at a quick pace, businesses must constantly learn and implement new strategies to stay ahead of the curve and maximize opportunities. This is where healthcare consultants may be really useful. Many firms aspire to achieve their goals with the confidence that comes from professional analysis and direction from individuals and teams within strategic healthcare consultancies, who have broad experience across the sector and consulting skills. 

Healthcare Manager: Their top priority is like that of any other healthcare professional, is to make others feel better. They are responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating the activities of other practitioners, departments, and groups. They work in areas ranging from human resources to specialist clinical departments in hospitals. Furthermore, healthcare managers are expected to have sound business judgment and excellent communication abilities. 

Public Health Research: The work constitutes analyzing data, conducting surveys and lab results to introspect the health of the population. They discover patterns, risks, and other factors, such as whether biology, behavior, society, or the environment influence a population's health.

Public Health Officer: They are mainly in charge of housekeeping, disposal of waste, and vermicomposting plant maintenance.

Health and Safety Engineer: Health and safety engineers are in charge of scientific and technological services. The primary responsibility of a health and safety engineer is to monitor workplace health and safety, risk, and hazards. They are also in charge of developing strategies and procedures that will keep employees safe at work. 

Top Institutes for Public Health Diploma/Degree Programs: 

• SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Center, Chennai 
• Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 
• All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata 
• Santosh Medical Hospital, Ghaziabad 
• Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar/ Hyderabad/ Shillong/ Bhubaneshwar/ Delhi 
• Parul University, Vadodara 
• James Lind Institute, Bengaluru 
• Public Health Foundation of India, Gurugram 
• Indian School of Technology and Management, Mumbai 
• Singhania University, Jhunjhunu 
• Center for Health Management Studies and Research, Pune 
• Amity University, Noida 
• Poornima University, Jaipur 

As mentioned above, there are certificate courses available for Public Health on online education portals and a few foreign universities too. Some of them are: 

• Coursera 
• Udemy 
• Drexel University 
• University of Essex 
• Harvard University, Online Learning 

You can learn more about Healthcare courses and find the college/institute that suits you the best by visiting courses.docthub.com