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Local Public Health a Career Path for Medical Students

By U.S. News & World Report

All health is local. Public health touches all parts of life, exemplified by the Ebola outbreak and in Baltimore with the swift response and coordination of resources to dispense life-sustaining medications in the unrest following the death of Freddie Gray. Public health is responsible for the inspections and reporting which lead to restaurant health scores, as well as the identification of food-borne illnesses such as E.coli in hamburger. Public h ealth is fundamental to the population’s health no matter who you are or where you live.

A county public health officer wears many hats, working on emergency preparedness, vaccinations, tuberculosis control, rabies control and traffic safety, including child safety seats. In addition, public health officers have responsibilities to educate the community at large and county leadership about the social determinants of health and disparities.

[Explore other careers for doctors in public health.]

Place matters in terms of health and life span. The safety of the entire community is incumbent upon an active, robust and vigilant public health system. The county public health officer is on the front lines of public safety. Clean water, food safety and disease prevention are monitored, as are disease trends within the municipalities to watch for outbreaks

Lisa Hernandez, an M.D. who also has a Master of Public Health and the public health officer for Santa Cruz County in California, starts her day before leaving home by reading both the front pages of the local newspaper and The New York Times for information crucial to her community’s health.

Upon arriving at work, she checks in with her staff to make sure they’re on track for the day with home visits for new mothers, the needle exchange program and HIV patient care, among others.

[Learn about getting a Master of Public Health degree as a medical student.]

Even with ongoing programs, each day is different and never predictable. Throughout the day, Hernandez constantly checks her emails and calendar for new activities and changes in the community that may impact the health of the residents of Santa Cruz County.

Primary prevention, health literacy and community outreach are tenets in public health. Helping to stem the tide of preventable diseases — kidney failure, stroke, premature birth, etc. — begets meaningful long-term change within communities beyond health, creating the backbone for thriving, inventive and economically stable societies.

Realizing wholesale changes in health outcomes takes time, requiring an abundance of patience on the part of public health officials and their teams to yield rewards.

If you need a rapid solution to problems you face in your chosen medical field, then prevention and public health are not for you. But if you like connecting with the community and seeing the community change based on outreach, education and continual dialogue, consider public health.

Public health officers come from many backgrounds, including internal medicine, family practice, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, epidemiology intelligence service and preventive medicine.

[Find out whether to pursue a joint M.D. degree.]

Many preventive medicine residency training programs include an MPH, a bonus for those who do not wish to incur the cost of an M.P.H. during medical school or after medical school. Check the American College of Preventive Medicine’s website for the specific requirements.

“Public health truly touches everyone’s lives,” says Hernandez. Science, advocacy and medicine work together to keep the public healthy.

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Local Public Health a Career Path for Medical Students originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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