Public Health

Follow on IG @thisispublichealth to learn about public health issues like social determinants of health, hear from public health graduate students, etc.

OneHealthLessons.com was founded by veterinarian Dr. Deborah Thomson, DVM to teach children and adults about the connection between human health, the health of animals, and the environment. It has lessons, webinars, interviews, podcasts, parent and teacher feedback, a blog and more. Today, the site has seven age-appropriate COVID-19 lessons that are now being translated into over 75 languages and taught internationally. Get involved by becoming a lesson translator or certified lesson leader, and look out for intern applications in April 2021 (reference previous positions here)

Public health addresses the systemic factors that impact an individual’s health – leading to improvements in health for people in communities around the world. Public health professionals focus on preventing disease and injury by promoting healthy lifestyles. They implement educational programs, develop policies, administer services, conduct research, and regulate health systems to achieve these goals. Click here to learn more about public health

Here's what they're doing to address pressing health problems:

  • improving global health

  • advancing environmental health

  • creating healthier communities

  • reducing the impact of natural disasters and global epidemics

  • addressing health disparities


#WhyPublicHealthMatters: How are public health professionals combatting the COVID-19 pandemic?

Careers in Public Health

Learn more about careers and specialties within the public health field:

Public Health Programs

The following resources are from the Association of a Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) site:

Some local programs include:

  • Temple University's Center for Urban Bioethics (CUB) is part of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. Located in North Philadelphia, they are committed to defining and addressing the ethical challenges of urban health care, public health status, and policy.

  • Thomas Jefferson University's College of Population Health (JCPH) is training the next generation of agile public health practitioners, leaders, and scholars. The faculty and students at JCPH are doing important work in the community and healthcare systems and are conducting innovative public health research that will inform efforts to improve health for years to come. This may be for you as a "gap" year or if you're interested in public health research or practice. Students can complete the degree in less than 1 year (accelerated pathway), in 18 months (full-time pathway), or part-time while they work.

Timeline for Applying to Public Health Programs

While the dates below are the 2020-2021 Application Cycle Dates, please keep in mind that individual program deadlines may differ. If you're interested in pursuing a health profession, check if the schools you're applying to have dual degree programs for you (e.g. MD/MPH) and has a different application process.

Be sure to check the official websites of the MPH programs you plan to apply to and see if they require the GRE. Click the link above for resources to help you prepare.