Public Health is taking over...

[IgweEmeka]

So the new hot career is public health. More so if you have an MD and an MPH. I hear a lot of physicians are moving toward public health. It is just as lucrative and much much much less stressful. Specifically, my fathers very good friend was a practicing MD (Pediatric Oncologist) and has moved from that and now practices public health in the area of Cancer. I am seriously considering doing an MD/MPH degree. What do y'all think?

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[uptoolate]

So the new hot career is public health. More so if you have an MD and an MPH. I hear a lot of physicians are moving toward public health. It is just as lucrative and much much much less stressful. Specifically, my fathers very good friend was a practicing MD (Pediatric Oncologist) and has moved from that and now practices public health in the area of Cancer. I am seriously considering doing an MD/MPH degree. What do y'all think?

As a Ph.D/MPH=> public health is NOT just as lucrative. Still worth getting the MPH, tho'

 

[getunconcsious]

As a Ph.D/MPH=> public health is NOT just as lucrative. Still worth getting the MPH, tho'

So you're in med school and you have a Ph.D and an MPH? Wow, props on all the credentials.

I think people should just do what they like. If you like public health then go for it, but I wouldn't get into anything just because it was a 'hot' field.

 

[wetlightning]

So the new hot career is public health. More so if you have an MD and an MPH. I hear a lot of physicians are moving toward public health. It is just as lucrative and much much much less stressful. Specifically, my fathers very good friend was a practicing MD (Pediatric Oncologist) and has moved from that and now practices public health in the area of Cancer. I am seriously considering doing an MD/MPH degree. What do y'all think?

i'm interested in public health -- never heard of it as exceptionally lucrative.

seems to me that people who enter it do so b/c of specific interests they have or things they'd like to see changed -- very policy/global work-oriented

 

[ilovemyhorse]

i'm interested in public health -- never heard of it as exceptionally lucrative.

they told us in public health school orientation that "a masters in public health is the only degree you can get that will lower your income"

so if you're interested in making tons of money, it's probably not a good idea

 

[Law2Doc]

If you like public health then go for it, but I wouldn't get into anything just because it was a 'hot' field.

I agree with this. Not sure if you are right in terms of public health being lucrative (I would tend to guess otherwise), but bear in mind that hot fields come and go and public health may not be hot anymore by the time you finish 4 years of med school plus enough residency to keep your clinician options open. This is not a career where you can focus on short term trends.
And for all you know cancer might not be such a problem by then (or be surpassed by something worse - a Martian flu spread by cyborgs perhaps ).

 

[bwells46]

So you're in med school and you have a Ph.D and an MPH? Wow, props on all the credentials.

I think people should just do what they like. If you like public health then go for it, but I wouldn't get into anything just because it was a 'hot' field.

With all the chronic diseases, practice variation, and policy problems, you'll be able to do a lot with a MPH if you're interested in these types of things. If not, then it's probably a waste of time for you.

Just to put this in context, I have master's degrees in public health and business and I've been using them to do research on chronic kidney disease and physician practice patterns. You would be amazed at how many clueless docs out there are not treating their patients to goal. It's bad for the patient, bad for the medical profession, and bad for the economy. That's what prompted me to pursue my degrees before applying to medical school.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Most careers in Public Health are government positions, whether they be on the County, State, or National level. You've got to be kidding if you think anything offered by the government is "lucrative". Sure, there are private sector jobs in the field, but those are in the minority. All of these jobs are increasingly important, as a few hundred million dollars worth of public health work are worth a few billion dollars of medical care. If you want to make a difference in many, many lives, go into public health, but don't do it because its "hot".

 

[Mr PluM]

So the new hot career is public health. More so if you have an MD and an MPH. I hear a lot of physicians are moving toward public health. It is just as lucrative and much much much less stressful. Specifically, my fathers very good friend was a practicing MD (Pediatric Oncologist) and has moved from that and now practices public health in the area of Cancer. I am seriously considering doing an MD/MPH degree. What do y'all think?

medicine attempts to treat and cure the patient and disease at the human individual level

public health attempts to treat and cure the society and disease at the social level..

it took the west, about 200 years to reach the same conclusion the hegel and marx had reached....

don't be a dunce IgweEmeka, it is not about lucrativeness it is about intervening at the societal level at the population level...probably explains why the new england journal of medicine, lancet, and other "top" research journals are emphasizing public health........it is a social push...

hopefully this clarifies your misinterpretation of the push towards public health

 

[fantasty]

But, in the realm of managed care, public health and the "wellness" model will become more and more important. And, understanding costs of health care and societal costs are important for any type of doc.

But, I agree with the others - public health is not lucrative and should be considered if you enjoy the material and the mindset of preventive medicine. But, one area that may pay pretty well is research in private industry. People with public health backgrounds (including MD/MPH) can find well paying jobs in the business sector.