Why public health? What is it about this area that interested me? Actually, its many things.
From the time I was 16 until I was a senior in college I was dead set on becoming a physical therapist. I had these grand plans of helping people to learn to walk again. And of course I would be the best PT ever! Well, thankfully, in NC where I attended undergrad and where I was looking at PT schools, they had a requirement of a 100 volunteer hours in a PT setting to apply. THANK THE LORD! I volunteered the hours then got hired in the PT department as an aide. Now, I will tell you, I am very naive in thinking people have the same values and morals as I do. There have been many discussions with my friends about how I always assume someone is going to make the choice I would (to me, the RIGHT choice).
Well, when you are working in PT, you have to trust that your patient is going to go home and do the exercises you showed them. You assume that they WANT to get better. This is not always true. You have patients that come in ALL THE TIME with every little ailment, treating us like we are personal trainers. You have patients that don't want to go back to work after an injury so they don't try to get better. You have diabetics who won't follow the "rules" and end up with toes and legs amputated. This last one really got me heated. I could not understand why these people wouldn't just do as they were told. Its very simple, don't cut your own toenails. One nick and you lose a toe due to infection (which, by the way is nasty and smelly and slow-healing).
I would just get so irate and irritated with these people. And I have no pity for people who bring things on themselves. I thought "If you know you aren't supposed to do it, then DON'T!" Then, a revelation. Not all of these people were getting the health education they needed. They didn't know not to cut their own toenails, or the correct foods to eat to keep their diabetes from getting worse. These were people who went to the doctor rarely, usually due to spotty medical insurance and lack of funds. They ate junk food and fast food all the time. Then I realized that I could help them!
I took a year off after undergrad, moved overseas with my spouse, before deciding what I wanted to do. I looked through many different health professions, from immunology to becoming a PA, and realized that public health just fit. Health communication is sadly lacking to many different communities and races in this country. Doctors sometimes only treat the immediate problems and ignore the underlying causes. Telling someone that they should lay off the junk food but not telling them what else to eat instead, while seemingly obvious to most of us, was not helpful to these people. Plus, with much of our population now spanish speaking in the US, we have to make our health programs culturally and linguistically appropriate. For example, studies have shown that Hispanic women are more likely to listen to doctors and health educators when it comes to their health while their counterparts, the Hispanic male, are more likely to listen to family and friends(1). So by helping the female, we can indirectly help the male.
Education and communication is the key to making our nation healthier. Without these, we are looking at a long and dreary road ahead.
1. Ortiz-Torres, B (2000). Subverting Culture: Promoting HIV/AIDS Prevention Among Puerto Rican and Domincan Women. American Journal of Community Psychology. 28. 859-881
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good for you choosing public health!
I went through nursing school, decided nursing wasn't for me, and then a year later realized it was--just in the public health field. it is, sadly, not stressed as much as the ER and ICU and OB. I know pretty certainly that i am the only one from my class of 60 who is going into community and public health. It is such an important factor but completely ignored so often because being in a hospital is just ever so much exciting.
Now I'm going back to school so I can focus specifically on Public Health.
Good luck to you! :-)
I completely agree with the fact that some people do not want to get better and milk the healthcare system for everything it's worth. It actually makes me mad that people who argue against universal healthcare use the argument that people are generally good and people who have healthcare are not freeloaders.
I think it's great you're choosing to go into health communications. I'm a communication studies major at my school and my concentration is health communications. It's a great field to go into because first, you'll always have a job, and second, there are so many flaws in the healthcare system in the US and the world. I believe people have a right to healthcare and more people should start thinking about the greater good, rather than just themselves.
I support your decision and I wish you success.
good luck man! i am going to the public health field too
I am an aide in a longterm/rehab facility right now. There is nothing more stressful than having someone there who needs your help and wants your help, but is not willing to put forth their own help to get healthy again. I know that it takes a very dedicated person to work in the health system and I commend you.
I really respect your opinion on PT. However, I know, or have heard, that exercises can put a person in terrible pain. My grandma has knee-replacement surgery and it hurt so much to do the exercises, it was easier for her to just not do them. Obviously, it's not helpful, but, I know a lot of people will just give up rather than endure the pain of recovery.