Outlook of academic public health

[bcmak]

Hello academic public health professionals!

I am currently a 4th year public health major, graduating in the spring.
Come next fall, I will be applying to MS and Ph.D epidemiology programs.

In the past few years, I've heard a lot of dismal prospects about the future of academia and graduating doctoral students. To what extent does this apply to public health? I really like public health research and have an ever growing interest in teaching at the university level. I've heard a lot about academia in other fields but very little about public health specifically so any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

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[mats7]

I'm not sure about teaching at the university level. It's very hard in terms of competition. However, there are so many opportunities to be in academia or work at a think tank with a university affiliation. It's somewhat cyclical with politics, but PCORI has increased funding by millions and with so much data coming out of EMRs, it's amazing. If you're interested in academia, I'd go right to the PhD at a top university like Harvard, which will open doors for you if you want to be a professor and a PI.

 

[Stories]

Academia is on an interesting path with more students and postdocs and fewer full tenure track positions year on year. These types of articles have chronicled the saga: http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110420/full/472276a.html. It's actually a strong reason I decided not to pursue an academic career, myself.

However, NIH recently did get a boost in funding, specifically, NCI, through Joe Biden's efforts along with AACR and others. How long it'll last and what it means for faculty positions is still unclear.

 

[deleted480308]

The trend is pushing toward adjuncts. Getting a tenure spot in any academic field is getting harder because the schools are kicking out more students than the market requires

 

[ClinicalHC]

As mentioned, academia is lagging when it comes to positive career outlooks. Good teaching positions can still be found, especially if you are willing to travel.

Have you considered a government public health position? You could always start there and transition to an academic position when you found one you are really interested in.

 

[bcmak]

Academia is on an interesting path with more students and postdocs and fewer full tenure track positions year on year. These types of articles have chronicled the saga: http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110420/full/472276a.html. It's actually a strong reason I decided not to pursue an academic career, myself.

However, NIH recently did get a boost in funding, specifically, NCI, through Joe Biden's efforts along with AACR and others. How long it'll last and what it means for faculty positions is still unclear.

Yeah I think going into government would be the best bet for me. Plus I really like the work that the CDC and NIH do, especially in terms of genetic epidemiology.

 

[bcmak]

As mentioned, academia is lagging when it comes to positive career outlooks. Good teaching positions can still be found, especially if you are willing to travel.

Have you considered a government public health position? You could always start there and transition to an academic position when you found one you are really interested in.

Government is actually where I've been looking at the most. Of course, ideally I'd love to be a professor but even an adjunct position to supplement a government job seems like a pleasant combo for me.

 

[bcmak]

I had another question -
My undergrad grades were not all that great.
Realistically, I'm probably going to only be admitted to MS programs first. If I do well in my Master's program, will that help offset my rockier undergrad grads for Ph.D programs?

 

[Stories]

I had another question -
My undergrad grades were not all that great.
Realistically, I'm probably going to only be admitted to MS programs first. If I do well in my Master's program, will that help offset my rockier undergrad grads for Ph.D programs?

Your performance and experiences (i.e. research experiences) in your master's program will form the vast majority of the application criteria for a PhD program in public health disciplines as not many students come from a public health undergrad background.