Public Health is the science of protecting and improving the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and research for disease and injury prevention. Public health professionals analyze the effect on health of genetics, personal choice and the environment in order to develop programs that protect the health of your family and community.

The field of public health is highly varied and encompasses many academic disciplines. However, public health is mainly composed of the following core areas:
# Environmental Health
# Biostatistics
# Behavioral Science/Health Education
# Epidemiology
# Health Services Administration/Management
# Maternal and Child Health
# Nutrition
# International/Global Health
# Public Health Laboratory Practice
# Public Health Policy
# Public Health Practice

Careers in Public Health
Distinctions Between Public Health and Clinical Health Professions
Public Health :what!: Clinical Health
Population :goodboy: Individual
Health :goodboy: Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion :goodboy: Diagnosis and Treatment

Public health careers offer something for everyone. Epidemiology and biostatistics involve mathematics and modeling. Environmental health includes a wide range of science skills. Health administration incorporates business and management skills. Health education involves skills required to develop community-wide prevention programs. Health policy includes an understanding of law-making processes.

Perhaps never has there been a more exciting time to pursue a career in public health. Why? Because....

* Most experts agree that major advances in improvement of health over the next decades will not come from new medical findings or cures, but rather the broader development and application of population-based prevention programs.
* Health services delivery systems are undergoing rapid change. Greater emphasis is being placed on health promotion and disease prevention as a means to reduce the costs of care by improving the health of our populations. These changes have created a broad array of new opportunities for professionals with advanced training in public health.
* As the public has become better informed about the effects of toxic wastes and pollutants on their health, greater emphasis is being placed on assuring the safety of our communities as well as worker health and safety. As a result, there is growing demand for experts in environmental health and industrial hygiene.
* Public health research is focusing more on women's health, and child and substance abuse, and an increased emphasis is being placed on behavioral change to prevent the risk of STDs, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and unplanned pregnancies. Greater emphasis is also being placed on school health and the health of minority and disadvantaged populations.