Public Health is Prevention: Public health is the practice of preventing disease and promoting good health within groups of people, from
small communities to entire countries.

Public Health is Policy Development and Population Health Surveillance: Public health professionals rely on policy and research strategies to understand issues such as infant mortality and chronic disease in particular populations.

Why It’s Important

Public Health Saves Money and Improves Quality of Life

A healthy public gets sick less frequently and spends less money on health care; this means better economic productivity and an
improved quality of life for everyone.

Improving Public Health Helps Children Thrive

Healthy children become healthy adults. Healthy kids attend school more often and perform better overall.1 Public health professionals
strive to ensure that all kids grow up in a healthy environment with adequate resources, including health care.

Public Health Prevention Reduces Human Suffering

Public health prevention not only educates people about the effects of lifestyle choices on their health, it also reduces the impact
of disasters by preparing people for the effects of catastrophes such as hurricanes, tornadoes and terrorist attacks.

Who Does It? Public Health as a Profession

Rather than being a single discipline, public health includes professionals from many fields with the common purpose of protecting the
health of a population.

• Emergency Responders
• Restaurant Inspectors
• Health Educators
• Public Policymakers
• Scientists and Researchers
• Public Health Physicians
• Public Health Nurses
• Occupational Health and Safety Professionals
• Social Workers
• Sanitarians
• Epidemiologists
• Nutritionists
• Community Planners
• Dental Health Practitioners

Examples of It

Public Health in Policy and Practice

Vaccination programs for school-age children and adults to prevent the spread of disease

Regulation of prescription drugs for safety and effectiveness

Safety standards and practices to protect worker health and safety

Ensuring access to clean water and air

Educational campaigns to reduce obesity among children

Measurement of the effect of air quality on emergency recovery workers

School nutrition programs to ensure kids have access to nutritious food.

Taken from American Public Health Association, available online: www.apha.org

Washington University School of Public Health – Public Health Ideas and Talking Public Health Seminar Series Recordings

Brown School Public Health Speaker’s Series Playlist – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGAFnbW51ADW3Uj1mJbc1uwSkbjkb9IA9

Washington University Institute for Public Health – learn about their mission, initiatives and events and sign up for their newsletter – https://publichealth.wustl.edu/

Washington University Global Health Center – learn about their resources, research projects and how to get involved – https://publichealth.wustl.edu/centers/global/

American Public Health Association – Check out the website to learn more about professional associations, the field and possibly become a student member – https://www.apha.org/

Public Health AmeriCorps (CDC & AmeriCorps Partnership): https://americorps.gov/serve/americorps/americorps-state-national/public-health-americorps

Public Health is a field dedicated to the promotion and protection of the health of individuals through policy, advocacy, and practice. Coursework includes research, natural sciences, social sciences, management, and other health coursework. Click below to see common career paths, areas of study/work, and strategies for entering the various public health fields. All information from What Can I Do With this Major?

See the flow chart below for various possibilities within public health, based on your interests.

To search for opportunities in Handshake:

• Navigate to JOBS
• Click on CAREER CENTER COLLECTIONS tab
• Select HEALTH CARE & SCIENCES COMMUNITY and GOVERNMENT, POLICY & SOCIAL IMPACT
• Filter as needed, i.e. location, on-site/remote, full-time, internship, etc…
• Use relevant key words such as public health, global health, community, coordinator, etc…

Be sure to complete and update your Handshake Profile to receive targeted opportunities from Handshake’s algorithms.

Joining a student group can be beneficial in many ways, including building your resume by demonstrating involvement outside the classroom, developing leadership skills, meeting new people, exploring your interests, serving your community, and creating a sense of belonging. Listed below are student groups that may help you explore your interests in public/global. Visit WashU’s Student Group website for more information on how to get involved.

• Embody
• Frontiers Magazine – Washington University Review of Health
• GlobeMed
• MedEd
• MEDLIFE
• MedQ
• MedX
• oSTEM/OUT in STEM
• Planned Parenthood Generation Action WashU
• Relay for Life
• Student Partners in Community Health
• The Hidden Opponent
• Uncle Joe’s Peer Counseling
• Washington University Chapter of UNICEF
• WashU Health Equity and Education Network (WHEN)
• WashU Kidney Disease Screening & Awareness Program
• WashU Red Cross

These templates are general guides for a public health resume and should be tailored to speak to your individual experiences, skills and strengths. For more information regarding resume preparation, please see our Resources page. As a WashU student, you also have access to VMock, a resume builder to assist you in creating a resume and getting feedback on optimizing and tailoring your resume to specific opportunities.

You may be applying for a summer program, internship or perhaps your first job. Whatever the opportunity, preparation is crucial and there are several things you can do to set yourself up for success and increase your chances for an offer.

Research, research, research – know the organization’s mission and values and be able to speak to how they align with yours.

Practice – with friends, family members, a Career Coach. Don’t write a script but have in your mind the points that you want to make. You don’t want to sound too rehearsed.

Be authentic. Don’t give answers you think they want to hear, be true to yourself. Think about your ‘brand’, what makes you unique – weave those qualities, skills and experiences in throughout your responses.

Share examples, provide anecdotes when possible. Telling stories creates a longer-lasting impression than describing something.

Show enthusiasm and passion. Being excited about the organization, the position, and how well what you bring aligns with what they’re looking for goes a long way.

If you get a challenging question, say “Great question, may I have a moment to think?”. Gather your thoughts, then respond.

Prepare questions for each interviewer in the room. Don’t ask anything you can find out on your own.

Remember, an interview is as much about you determining if the opportunity is right for you, as much as they’re evaluating whether you’re the right fit for them.

Dress professionally, be confident yet humble, demonstrate enthusiasm, have a firm handshake (if in person), and most importantly, have fun!

Some common questions to consider:

• Tell me about yourself.
• What inspires you to pursue a career in public/global health?
• Why are you interested in this position and/or organization?
• What makes you a good candidate for our program/position?
• What are your career goals and how do they align with this position?
• Which statistical software or tools are you proficient in? (if applicable)
• Tell me about your experience collecting and analyzing data. (if applicable)
• Tell me about a time when you…
  • Faced obstacles and challenges and how did you overcame them
  • Received criticism and how you handled it
  • Managed a conflict or disagreement
  • Took initiative
• What qualities do you look for in a supervisor?
• What is your ideal work environment?
• What questions do you have for me, the interviewer?

For more information on interview prep, see our Resources page.

Big Interview is a great online interview prep resource that allows you to:

· Practice on your own

· Record your answers to practice interview questions and review them on your own

· Evaluate your eye contact, body language and word choice via an AI feature

· Make up your own practice interview by choosing the questions you want to practice; enables you to practice those questions as many times as you’d like.

Click the Big Interview link, then click “Login via Washington University in St. Louis,” which is located on the upper right-hand side of the screen. Use your WUSTL Key to login, then choose Getting Started at the top of the screen to learn how to use the tool.

For interview questions specific to public health:

· Click the Assignment button at the top of the page Big Interview page.

· Enter in b08515 in the Assignment code box and click “Go”. This will take you to the Public Health Practicum Practice Interview.

· Follow the instructions and take the interview! You’ll be provided with AI feedback and you can do the assignment or individual questions as often as you’d like.