Exploring the World of Public Health

Public Health. It’s an area of healthcare that has been referenced frequently this past year. But what exactly is public health? Could it be the perfect career for you? Will there be a demand for public health practitioners after COVID ends?

In this episode, we’re joined by Joel Negin, Professor and Head of the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health. Originally from Toronto, Joel has travelled the globe working in public health, and has spent the last several years in Sydney training students to make a difference in their own way!

Here’s what we chatted about:

·      Joel’s background and how he ended up working in public health

·      What public health is and how it relates to social justice

·      How studying in Australia benefits Canadian public health students

·      What a typical day in public health looks like

·      What public health practitioners do

·      Upstream and downstream factors on public health

·      Why people go into public health

·      Interesting backgrounds that students bring into public health degrees

·      How a public health degree can benefit other areas of healthcare like medicine or dentistry

·      How students know if public health is the right program and career path for them

·      The importance of public health beyond COVID concerns

·      COVID’s effect on conversations about public health and society

·      Public health issues in Australia and Canada

·      The University of Sydney’s public health program in relation COVID

·      How interest in public health degrees has increased due to COVID

·      What COVID contact tracing reveals about human behaviour

·      Communicating data analysis to the public

·      Mental health awareness in public health initiatives

·      Successful public health projects

·      Joel’s public health project in Fiji

·      Joel’s advice to future public health students

Want to know more about our topic of discussion?

·      Apply now!

·      The University of Sydney Master of Public Health

·      Public health programs in Australia

·      Careers in public health

Featured in this episode:

·      University of Sydney, Professor and Head of the School of Public Health — Joel Negin

·      OzTREKK Marketing + Recruitment Coordinator — Blair Kerr

Want to know more about OzTREKK and studying in Australia?

·      OzTREKK website

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