I am considering applying to public health PhD programs because it seems like clinical psych is geared more toward those who want to practice than those who want to do research. Have other people chosen public health or have any opinions on this topic?
I know plenty of clinical psychologists who do research, maybe teach a bit, but do no clinical work. In my clinical PhD program some faculty weren't even licensed. If you want to go this route, you will be looking at an extremely competitive job market and therefore should focus on programs that will emphasize your research training. The Academy of Psychological Clinical Science lists programs that are geared toward training clinical scientists (though I'm sure this list is not exhaustive):
https://www.acadpsychclinicalscience.org/
I have a few colleagues with a DrPH, one of whom is a collaborator. My observation is that there is some overlap in our training (especially when it comes to basic research methods and statistics), but public health leans more toward the big picture view of health and behavior. Think about the scale of the phenomena or problems that interest you. If you want to really delve into the nuts and bolts of behavior and clinical phenomena, or if you want to design psychological interventions and do clinical trials, a clinical psych doctorate is the way to go. However, if your interests are in large-scale observational studies, policy analysis, or design of health promotion interventions for the general public, a public health doctorate could serve you well.
Regardless of degree, it is hard to land a research career or tenure track faculty position. One advantage of clinical psychology is that you can always use your clinical training to help fund your salary. For instance, if you work in an academic medical center (eg, medical school, teaching hospital, etc.), you might "pay your way" in part by taking on some clinical responsibilities. And it's not unusual for university faculty to do a little private practice. Ideally, you can align at least some of your clinical duties with your research interests (though doing both can be a lot to juggle regardless).
It also depends very much what area of public health you study...biostats or epidemiology have tremendous flexibility and it is very easy to find "a" job no matter what. Policy? Way more difficult and limiting.
This is excellent advice. If you are leaning toward public health, you should think about a strategy to keep your options open when it comes time to finding a job. For instance, a solid biostats background will open doors for you, while you can still pursue behavioral research.