Clinical Health or Public Health?
As prospective health professionals, the first thing that might come to mind when you imagine yourself working in the health sector is sitting in your own office, seated across from your patient, and performing your routine doctorly duties as the experienced practitioner that you have become. This vivid image of a clinical environment is commonly embedded in our minds as the most basic representation of what it looks like to work in healthcare, which can also blind us from other compelling fields that may pique an interest.
Public health is one example of the many possibilities that students may not be too familiar with when considering a healthcare career. So, we wanted to share a glimpse into how public health differs from the clinical practice that we so often envision, which could also introduce you to a side of healthcare that you have not considered before.
As we might have seen or experienced at doctor’s appointments or hospital visits, clinical health is the practice of care that involves direct patient interactions and an individualized approach to identify specific patient needs. By addressing cases on an individual basis, clinical health professionals work to determine a diagnosis, offer prognosis, and prescribe treatment options for their patients’ health conditions. The professions include physicians, physician assistants, nurses, surgeons, and many more. In addition, the required education emphasizes the knowledge and skills that make someone a competent clinical healthcare provider, such as anatomy, physiology, and other courses pertaining to the health sciences.
In contrast, public health is a field that we are not usually aware of but plays a significant role in how the health of a population is protected and improved. The scope of care takes a much broader perspective, looking at whole populations compared to a single individual. Instead of the actual practice of medicine, public health professionals focus on applied research, disease prevention, health program/policy development, advocacy and education of healthy living, and health information dissemination to the general public. Here are just a few public health professions that exist: epidemiologist, biostatistician, disease ecologist, microbiologist, etc. As for the educational focus, one can expect to delve deeper into global health topics like epidemiology and biostatistics, along with solidifying a foundation in the medical sciences.
Ultimately, the two pathways are intertwined with the same goal of improving the health and well-being of the community, just at different levels of care. The cross-talk between both sectors is crucial in many aspects, including infectious control practices, public health recommendations (e.g., vaccines), and regulations in clinical facilities. Whichever route that you choose to take, you will undeniably be met with rewarding challenges and results that will make an impactful difference in people’s lives.
Your Healthcare Prospectives Team
