Masters of Public Health (MPH)- is it truly necessary for being a public health professional or not? This is a common query that is asked frequently by the new public health enthusiasts. For this question my answer is ‘yes’. An MPH is definitely important to improve someone’s potential towards the ultimate goal of becoming a public health professional. MPH might be a degree for some people and for others it’s a lifetime Journey. So, I would like to highlight a few points from my experiences regarding the basic information that you need to know before getting admitted for MPH.

• MPH is not a degree which involves memorizing rather it’s all about developing our inventory capacity. MPH teaches us how we can save a whole population from a specific problem in scientific ways rather than treating each patient individually. 
• For being a public health professional, there are some important skills that we all must possess within ourselves. Those important skills include: communication, leadership, interpersonal skill, technical aptitude, critical thinking, evidence-based writing, finance management, decision making and finally the understanding of social justice or equity. MPH can help you to develop these necessary skills.
• Besides having an MPH, all public health professionals need to be hard working, dedicated, get involved with a lot of reading and research etc.

But if someone is truly passionate about serving the greater community, having this journey may nurture his/her potential significantly.

• In Bangladesh, there are many universities who offer an MPH course. For studying in a government institution, one can target either National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM) or BSSMU. For private universities, there are so many options such as BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, North South University (NSU), AIUB, IUB etc. For NIPSOM, BSMMU and BRAC, this is a full time study course (9AM-5 PM) whereas, for NSU and others, you can study and work simultaneously (part time study course). The tuition fees for the private universities may vary. So, it is better to set up priorities and choose university accordingly. We would highly recommend doing some extensive research before selecting the most suitable one for you. I am doing my MPH in AIUB currently as I found it suitable from every aspect for me. 

To be honest, it totally depends on a student’s purpose and perspective on how they want to be benefited from MPH. However, if someone truly loves public health and wants to make a difference, this MPH can help them to bloom.

Dr. Nafis Rahman Purna
Associate, Women Support Initiative Forum
& Bangladesh Society of Women in Public Health

Edited by : Dr. Sabrina Chowdhury and Dr. Mir Nabila Ashraf