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What is it like working/studying public health?

I'm thinking about majoring in something like epidemiology, and would like input on the pros and cons!

career fall25 public-health publichealth epidemiology
Thank you comment icon Hello Cora! You inquire has gone through my weekly mail. You are my ideal mentor, but my advice will be shallow - as the song of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper ;-) because my expertise is in Finance. Although I have some experience as a cashier in a hospital in my home country which is Albania (near Mediterranean - Balkans). Universities often ask for high grades because they want students who can handle the academic challenges. But remember, grades aren’t the only thing that matters — motivation, extracurriculars, and personal growth also play a big role in your future success. The work in hospital is very dynamic and needs for sure a lot of empathy for others. Blessing! Isida Mici
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Yasmin’s Answer

Working or studying public health, especially fields like epidemiology can be very rewarding but also challenging
Here’s a realistic overview:

Pros:

You get to impact whole communities not just individual patients, which is very fulfilling.

The field is growing... there are lots of opportunities in research, policy, hospitals, NGOs, and government agencies.

You develop strong analytical, research, and communication skills.

Cons:

Work can sometimes be data-heavy and detail-oriented, which might feel repetitive if you prefer hands-on patient care.

Some roles require advanced degrees (like a Master’s in Public Health or PhD) to move up.

Public health projects often involve long-term outcomes, so results aren’t always immediate or visible.

Overall, if you enjoy research, problem-solving, and making a broad impact public health can be a great fit... Try to get internships or volunteer opportunities in public health now you’ll see the day-to-day work and know if it’s right for you.
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Praneetha’s Answer

I loved studying public health because it can give you exposure to the breadth of the healthcare landscape - great for the indecisive or unsure. Then you can figure out what you want to drill in - epidemiology is one, but also health economics, health policy, global/ local research, health education, lab sciences. It can allow you a career entry into so many industries - hospitals, health insurance, pharma, education, policy/ law, academic research, etc.

For epidemiology specifically - its more data/ analytics/ statistics intensive than some of the other subspecialties. A mix of lab work and field work. Some of the epi use cases ive learned felt like an episode of a detective show - very cool! Will be very useful as more epidemics/ pandemics like covid become common.
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