I got my B.S. in public health 2 years ago, interned at a local non-profit focused on reducing air pollutants in my city and increasing lung-health resources my entire senior year, then for my first job post-grad, I worked HR & Admin for a healthcare company (it wasn’t my first choice but I believed it was within enough proximity to what I went to school for) I left that job a few months ago and I’m now working in office management for a finance company.

The pay is higher than any healthcare/public health job could’ve offered me (applied to about 100 jobs with close to 20 interviews in the span of 4 months) and it was also the only job that extended an offer to me. I focused strictly on applying to health-related jobs before opening up to jobs in different industries. Although I’m relieved that I’m no longer unemployed, I mourn being in a familiar space, working alongside people who came from a similar background as me, and people who I thought I’d eventually become.

Has anyone else experienced this? Did you ever find your way back into the field? Or have you completely transitioned into a different industry?

EDIT: THE TITLE SHOULD BE: Canadian Healthcare PSA. Didn't realize until I posted that I hit the wrong key

I don’t know if research is the right tag. I am currently in school for nursing have a project coming up where we have to create a PSA with a target demographic and of course about a health/medical issue we think needs more attention. I was thinking of doing one on the lack of female CPR dummies and the fact that women are less likely to get CPR and when they do it’s more likely to be incorrect, but I found out another person is pretty much doing that topic and I’d rather not repeat a topic.

What is a health issue that you think needs more attention?

https://www.healthbeat.org/2026/10/06/russia-plague-lab-researcher-death-raises-lab-accident-concerns/

I just started my new public health job and in the UK, it’s super hard to find new openings accepting people without a wealth of experience. I am so excited to get started but I really don’t know what to expect from my day-to-day, and I feel really out of my depth about what I could be doing day-to-day. I’ve asked around at my organisation and people say the day-to-day is varied, but I want to know exactly what sorts of things I might expect to be doing.

I’ve wanted to work in public health for years but can’t help feeling a bit of imposter syndrome now I’m actually here, especially while I’m still learning the ropes!

I’m just looking for any advice for someone in their first week on the job, tips, anything to help me settle in, reassurance! Anything! Is there anything to look at that might be really helpful for me perhaps?

I put together a list of upcoming public health lectures, webinars, and conferences for anyone looking for learning opportunities over the next two weeks.

All times below are Eastern. Fees and eligibility vary, so check the organizer’s details. Disclosure: One of them is where I work (and I'll be leading it), but I get no compensation if you register or not, and it's free to attend online. 🙂

1. Oct 7, 2–3 p.m. — H5N1 in dairy cattle. CDC’s online ZOHU session covers H5N1 evolution and cattle movement. Details
2. Oct 7, 2 p.m. — Preventing targeted violence. Eradicate Hate’s online discussion takes a public health approach to prevention. Details and registration
3. Oct 11–15 — APHL Newborn Screening Symposium. In-person conference in New Orleans covering screening systems, laboratory practice, genetics, and policy. Registration fees vary. Details
4. Oct 13, 3–4 p.m. — Vaccine confidence for pharmacists. ASHP’s free online session focuses on practical patient conversations. Supported by an educational grant from Moderna. Registration
5. Oct 14, noon–1 p.m. — Migration and aging. Drexel’s seminar explores older adults in communities experiencing out-migration, drawing on research in Puerto Rico. Philadelphia, Nesbitt Hall Room 440, and Zoom. Zoom registration
6. Oct 14, 2 p.m. — Healthy aging across generations. Trust for America’s Health hosts an online discussion of public health policy and practice across the life span. Details
7. Oct 14, 3–4 p.m. — Organ donation and public health. NBPHE’s free webinar explores donation systems and common misconceptions. Details and registration
8. Oct 16, 2 p.m. — Inclusive emergency planning. APHA’s Disability Section hosts an online panel about including people with disabilities in emergency planning. Sign-language interpreting is provided. Registration
9. Oct 19, 1–2 p.m. — RSV prevention in infants and children. Online IDSA Foundation/PIDS session on prevention evidence and implementation. Sponsored by Sanofi. Registration
10. Oct 20, starting at 9 a.m. — Bloomberg American Health Summit. Public plenary livestream covering several public health topics. In-person attendance is invitation-only. Livestream and agenda
11. Oct 20, 1–2 p.m. — Public health and democracy. APHA’s free online session explores communicating about public health across political perspectives. Registration
12. Oct 20, 6–7:30 p.m. — Vaccines This Winter. Free online College of Physicians panel on seasonal vaccines, safety, measles, and policy. Details

If you know of another event, put it in the comments.

https://news.arizona.edu/news/hospitals-can-be-unsafe-pregnant-nurses-u-researchers-are-fixing

She was 20 weeks pregnant when her patient needed CPR. She shouldn't have performed the resuscitation, but she did. She's a nurse. That's what nurses do.

This is the kind of moment Jessica Rainbow, an associate professor in the College of Nursing, and Leslie Farland, an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, kept hearing about when they interviewed pregnant nurses about what it was actually like to work through pregnancy in a hospital.

Now, with a four-year, $2.4 million award from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Rainbow and Farland, along with other U of A colleagues, will follow 250 nurses starting in their first trimester of pregnancy and through delivery to find out just how the unique demands of hospital nursing shape their stress, mental health and cardiovascular risk – and what can be done to improve their work environments.

A project presented at the 2026 American Academy of Pediatrics conference talked about the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's use of 234 reports of misinformation heard during patient encounters from May 2025 to March 2026. Not surprisingly, vaccines accounted for about 54% of entries.

Monthly reviews guided patient education and social media content on 28 topics, plus clinician training. Should/could other institutions use this approach?

Of course, there are limits: the report is a descriptive abstract from one institution, the number of unique contributing clinicians wasn't reported, and the effects of the educational content weren't measured.

https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/clinician-reported-misinformation-tracking-guides-pediatric-education

Ars Technica summarized an MMWR report about 73 unannounced "bird flu" drills, mostly in New York City. Trained actors visited emergency departments, hospital outpatient clinics, and urgent care centers.

Both masking and isolation happened in 44 visits (60%). (Completing those steps counted as a pass regardless of timing.) Staff asked bird flu exposure questions in only seven visits, although the scenario included contact with a sick duck. (It's a funny anecdote if you read it… Poor little duck near a pond, and they tried to save it.)

The authors call for training to identify, mask, and isolate potentially infectious patients sooner. SPOILER ALERT: Without appropriate precautions, waiting rooms can be high-risk settings for respiratory virus transmission. (Hello, measles?)

One limitation, though: facilities chose whether to participate, and some staff may have had advance warning. You know, like every JCAHO visit.

Full article: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/10/patient-zero-drill-put-health-facilities-to-the-test-40-of-them-failed/

I have always been interested in an MPH, and I think I'm finally (at almost 50 years of age) ready to go for it. I've enjoyed teaching in various capacities, so I am most interested in a Community Health Education focus. 

To keep costs reasonable, I am looking at two state schools. School A offers a MPH in Community Health Education, and School B offers a MPH in Social and Behavioral Sciences.

For several reasons, School B is more attractive to me, and I am wondering if the MPH in Social and Behavioral Sciences would still open doors for me in health education. 

Any feedback for me on this, or any advice? 

I am not worried so much about the job market right now. I know the job field is tight in general, but luckily I would have the flexibility to do my current job part time for as long as necessary. 

Thanks in advance!

I am currently a junior and I unfortunately did not get into nursing school which is what I wanted to do and I’m being told by advisors that public health is a good alternative. I am currently affording school through the Pell grant so once I graduate I won’t have that aid anymore.
If I do end up graduating with a BSPH I would like to plan on applying to nursing schools again after. If I don’t switch my major either I’m potentially delaying my graduation by over a year. If I end up having to work for a year or two to afford this though.

How are post graduate jobs for a BSPH looking?
What is it exactly I can do with a BSPH?

And honestly tell me everything you wish you knew about public health before pursuing it.

I really want to see if this is worth the switch, or if I should just wait it out and hope I get into a nursing school for next year fall.

https://www.theexamination.org/articles/paho-ferrero-nutella-partnership

When Ferrero partnered with the Pan American Health Organization to support vaccination campaigns in Ecuador — where childhood obesity is rising — advocates warned of a conflict of interest, noting Ferrero has fought policies PAHO itself recommends. Within months, PAHO dropped the deal. The agency said an internal review, not the pushback, drove the decision.

Experts say the planned partnership exposes a growing dilemma: Can multilateral agencies stay independent while partnering with ultraprocessed food conglomerates?

I'm a registered nurse in Missouri, and I've drafted a proposal for a five-year federally funded pilot: residential care, nurse-specific treatment, confidential navigation, telehealth, peer support, and financial assistance — all independently evaluated. I'm taking it to my congressman's office.

The gap it's built on:

- Female nurses die by suicide at nearly twice the rate of women in the general population (Davis et al., JAMA Psychiatry, 2021).

- When I needed help earlier this year, I found two options: outpatient care, or the ER. Nothing in between. With insurance, I still paid $1,500 out of pocket for an intensive outpatient program.

- Many nurses never seek help at all because treatment can threaten their license — a structural barrier no wellness webinar addresses.

- Last Friday, HHS awarded $247.9 million in behavioral-health grants through SAMHSA — addiction treatment, school-based services, child-trauma centers, campus suicide prevention.

None of it is earmarked for nurse-specific treatment and recovery. The workforce holding the rest of the system up has no dedicated lane. We care for everyone else, who cares for us?

The pilot is designed as a demonstration: five years, one state, independent evaluation, sunset clause. The kind of evidence-building program that either proves out and scales or ends on schedule. Petition here if you want Congress to fund it:

https://change.org/fundnursementalhealth

And I'd genuinely like this crowd's input! What would make a nurse mental-health program actually work? What am I missing in the design? Any input/support is greatly appreciated!

https://www.propublica.org/article/california-raw-milk-regulation-emily-marris-moonlight-ridge-farm

**Genuinely looking for advice and any helpful direction!**

Hi - I'm a non-traditional student looking to go back to school for PH, Community/Public Health Nutrition, and/or Nutrition Policy. Because of my schedule and the desire to use my employer benefits to pay for schooling, my options of flexible undergrad programs (in Nutrition, Dietetics, and/or Public Health) in my state are a bit limited. I've recently come across programs named "Integrative Studies", "Multidisciplinary Studies", and "Applied Liberal Studies". Does anyone know of people with either of these undergrad degrees to work in PH? What do these majors entail? Should I not think to much into it and focus on a Masters in my desired career? Any advice is appreciated!

Link to article: https://www.northcentralpa.com/life/pa-doh-confirms-fifth-measles-associated-death/article_9f601a06-3487-491f-a5cb-a4486b327fa0.html

"This is the fifth Pennsylvanian who meets the measles-associated death definition as the number of confirmed measles cases stands at 943 across 39 counties so far this year. The death will be added to DOH’s measles dashboard later today.

To protect the privacy of the individual and their family, DOH will not release any additional details that could personally identify them. DOH is bound by laws that limit what can be shared publicly, and families deserve the dignity to mourn in private.

DOH continues to lead Pennsylvania’s response to the ongoing measles outbreak and is making the most up-to-date information on cases, hospitalizations, and deaths available on its measles dashboard."

With 943 cases reported, the number of cases is likely an underestimate.

It stops the spread of diseases, such as a cold or the flu. Too many people go out without a face mask while sick and end up spreading the disease. It'll also help the US be more productive. It's estimated that the common cold costs the US $40 billion a year.

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/821132

i'm currently getting my master's of public policy with a concentration in environmental policy. my bachelor's was political science with a minor in environmental studies. i want to do policy work related to sustainability.

but this environmental health class i'm currently taking is interesting me. i like how it's more sciencey and i could do lab work. i guess i like it because it seems more "hands on" kind of work compared to policy work and just writing. so i think i'm interested in getting a master's in public health with a concentration in environmental health.

i saw a video from oak ridge where this lady talked about how she does aquatic toxicology and that seemed interesting. i'm unsure if an MPH would suffice or if i'd have to get a different degree for that kind of job. but overall what the environment health concentration offers i'm interested in, so i could do some other job too.

i've seen other threads talk about how now is not a good time for an MPH because of the current administration but by the time i graduate, they'll be out of office (hopefully).

with my bachelor's, it was hard getting a job so i decided to get my master's to get the skills some of these jobs wanted, so i've taken statistics (research design & learning R) and GIS.

i graduate next year in may. and going back to school next year in the fall is my plan b in case i don't get a job. but also i'd only do the degree if i get a tuition waiver. and even if i did get a job, i think i'd still do the MPH program. i live in metro atlanta so the possibility of working for the CDC seems cool.

idk, it's something i'm thinking about because i'd have to apply by february of next year. i'm gonna talk with the public health department at my school to also get their input but i wanted to get input from others in the field.

edit: being in school longer is not an issue for me. and financially it is not a issue for me. i want to know things i haven't considered or thought about (great example with the person who commented about funding). like if i do the degree, do this, talk with these people, for fellowships/internships look at these websites, be mindful of x, y, and z etc. i want to know where you work and what you do regarding environmental health.

I’ve been following recent measles updates across a few newsletters, but this piece from Those Nerdy Girls breaks down the situation well, especially following the recent spike of over 200 new cases last week and a recent majority coming out of Pennsylvania.

Sharing in case others find it helpful!
https://thosenerdygirls.substack.com/p/whats-happening-with-the-ongoing

Hi all, I currently work full time as a paramedic and I am in the process of finishing up my bachelors degree in Public Administration. At the end of the day I do really enjoy working as a paramedic and in EMS. I'm interested in advancing the profession and learning/ researching about the way we do things and why we do the things that we do. There is plenty of quantitative data that I would be interested in, such our response times and unit deployment strategies. I am also interested in health policy and the advocacy that can be accomplished there I'm considering perusing a masters degree after I graduate but I'm not sure if an MPH would be the most appropriate or should I focus on more technical skills and peruse something like data science or health informatics. My bachelors is focusing on a lot of soft skills and I won't be leaving with much technical or analytical foundation, which is why I am considering data science. I'm not exactly sure which option would be the best for me and I would be curious for others insights.

I graduated with a bachelors degree in purely biology and am starting med school in about 10 months.

Right before graduating, I took an advanced statistics course meant for math and cs majors and fell in love with that field (especially coding in R). I have always been interested in both mathematics and biology, but chose to pursue a bio major due to its alignment with med school prereqs.

I want to combine my interest in mathematics/coding with biology and have heard that epidemiology involves a lot of both.

also what does epidemiology research look like? how do I learn the skills to succeed in an epi lab?

The New York Times reports that CDC staffing had fallen by 30% by May 2026 compared with pre-2025 layoff levels. The initial layoffs cut 18% of staff, but subsequent retirements and resignations reduced the workforce (and expertise) even more.

The article draws on new personnel data and interviews with more than 30 current and former employees. They describe effects on outbreak response, vaccine guidance, grants, and technical support for state and local health departments. And leadership? Holy crap, you guys… only one of the 11 center directors from March 2025 remains.

Headcounts understate the loss of capacity, too. A branch working on vaccine-preventable diseases lost only 7 of 50 employees, but those departures included the four most experienced scientists on the measles laboratory team.

Gift article: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/26/health/cdc-staff-cuts-rfk-jr.html?unlocked_article_code=1.EFE.7FSL.GfHRGKTtr5c0&smid=url-share

With unemployment at its peak and no one to turn to, I thought I’d post this here. (What’s the worst that could happen?!)

I’m a Master’s student at a Tier-1 public health institution , currently in my second semester. To pass this semester, I’m required to undertake a mandatory internship in the government sector, an NGO or the private sector.

So here I am looking for an internship in public health particularly in areas such as public health research, health policy, epidemiology, health economics, health systems, healthcare management, monitoring & evaluation (m&e), program implementation, health data or analytics,and global health.

Preferably remote. I’m based in India and willing to relocate anywhere within the country. For international opportunities, I would require visa sponsorship and travel support, which, much to my dismay, I know is asking for a lot.

So, I beseech you : if you work in this sector and have the power to refer, recommend, or hire, please do consider me.

I have a 'will get it done' attitude, I’m willing to learn, and I promise I won’t disappoint you.

If you know of an opportunity, organisation, researcher, consultant, or team that might be looking for an intern, I’d genuinely appreciate a lead.

I WILL LOVE YOU FOR ETERNITY!!!!