Master Of Public Health, MPH After Physiotherapy

Have you ever wondered about leaving patient care and transitioning into a nonclinical role? You probably thought about pursuing a management degree but you don’t know where to start. There are multiple courses right from an MBA, Master in health administration, MHA to a Master of public health, MPH after physiotherapy. 

When I graduated, I briefly thought about pursuing a management degree. However, I had no idea about any of the courses and no one to guide me with my questions. Hence I left that thought. I am writing this article so that you can make an informed decision for yourself. In this article, we will explore a Master’s in public health, MPH for physiotherapists. Here are a few of the things we will discuss: 

• What is MPH 
• Colleges that offer MPH in India
• Admission criteria 
• What will you learn 
• Roles 
• Payscale

What is MPH? 

MPH stands for master’s in public health. Public health is the science of protecting and improving the health of a population. It involves understanding current health and wellness trends. It also involves learning and implementing scientific methods and best practices to change the health behavior of the population. 

How is MPH different from MHA? 

MHA is masters in health administration. MHA graduates work to handle the business side of the healthcare organization. They often work with a team of healthcare professionals to expand the operations and reach of the organization. 

Whereas, MPH graduates often work with government, and non-profit organizations to evaluate and implement public health policies. MPH graduates also work with multinational companies to design and implement health programs and health benefits for company employees. We will explore this in more detail later on in this article.

In short, MPH graduates work to improve the health of a population or a specific segment of a population. 

What are some of the colleges in India that offer MPH programs? 

Here is a list of some of the colleges in India that offer MPH courses. 

• Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
• Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jodhpur
• Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) Puducherry
• Dr. D Y Patil Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (DYPMC), Pune

Can I pursue MPH after physiotherapy? 

(Eligibility requirements)

You can pursue MPH after physiotherapy. Almost all MPH courses require you to have a degree in health sciences. However, admission criteria for each college differ slightly. Some take into consideration your final year scores while many other colleges have their own entrance exam. Usually, the entrance exam is followed by an interview round. 

What will I study in MPH Course? 

Typically MPH is a 2-year course.  Most MPH programs involve 1 or 2 internships along with a dissertation at the end of the course. You will study subjects including but not limited to epidemiology, biostatistics, Healthcare policy, health economics, public health management, community health, healthcare ethics, and legislation.

Biostatistics: 

It is the science of collecting health data and analyzing it using statistical methods. You may have used some of the biostatistical tests at the time of your dissertation to analyze the data you collected. You will be diving deeper into that during MPH. 

Epidemiology: 

It is the method to find out the causes of health trends and diseases in the population. We as PTs use clinical reasoning every day to figure out the cause of the patient’s symptoms. At that time we are looking at just a single patient, Epidemiology involves zooming out from one patient and looking at the entire population. If cases of a certain disease are increasing in a community, epidemiology teaches us to find the causes. 

Healthcare policy: 

The term “healthcare policy” refers to the decisions that determine how healthcare is administered and accessed. An example of healthcare policy would be a certain hospital making covid vaccination mandatory for its employees.

As an MPH student, you will learn how to evaluate and implement healthcare policies to protect and improve the health of a given population. In the previous example, the hospital is protecting the health of its employees and patients through a mandatory vaccination policy. 

Health economics: 

As science students, we bid goodbye to economics back in 10th standard. Yet, as a student of the MPH course, you will be re-introduced to it. Health economics involves applying economic principles to healthcare. You will study in-depth the production and consumption of healthcare services. You will learn how to solve problems related to the efficiency of healthcare plans and policies. 

Public health management:

Public health management is the administrative and managerial part of public health. It deals with how healthcare services are delivered. You will gain knowledge about how organizations are structured and the financial aspects of creating efficient, effective, and equitable health services. 

Community health: 

We learned about community-based rehabilitation in our final year. In the MPH course, you will learn in detail about creating solutions to address health problems in the community. It involves improving access to health care, creating awareness of health risks in a community, and running public health campaigns. 

Healthcare ethics and legislation: 

Ethical guidelines and healthcare laws are important to protect individuals from mistakes, fraud, and abuse of the healthcare system. You will gain knowledge of ethical principles and laws that guide healthcare. This will help you evaluate and implement various public health programs and policies.  

What types of jobs will I be doing following MPH after physiotherapy 

With your MPH degree you can work in any of the following sectors: 

Public: MPH graduates can find jobs in local, state, or national government. These jobs often involve studying health trends in communities, designing and implementing public health policies, evaluating various public health programs, and making healthcare accessible. 

Non-profit: Many non-profit organizations cater to a specific segment of the population. For example Parkinson’s patients, the diabetic population, differently abled adults, etc. When working with non-profit organizations, you will be involved in making important healthcare decisions related to the various health programs run by that organization. 

Education: In this sector, MPH graduates find opportunities ranging from conducting health research to developing a public health awareness campaign. Additionally, the education sector is not just limited to public education, you can also join colleges and universities to become a professor. 

Private: Many MPH graduates find work in insurance or pharmaceutical companies to serve as a consultant. Many multinational companies in the tech and finance industry hire MPH graduates to design health benefits and health programs for their employees. Moreover, many private healthcare institutes recruit MPH graduates to develop health policies for their organizations. 

With an MPH degree, you can look for job titles such as: 

• Population health manager
• Biostatistician 
• Epidemiologist 
• Environmental health professional 
• Public health officer
• Clinical research coordinator
• Healthcare consultant 
• Infection control officer

What is the starting salary?

The average starting salary for an MPH graduate in India can be around 10 LPA. Starting package can change depending on your educational background and the job you are applying for. Most careers offer structured growth paths and corporate work setups. 

Pros of pursuing MPH after physiotherapy 

Non-clinical career: 

Pursuing MPH after physiotherapy will open doors to multiple non-clinical opportunities for you. If you are sure that you do not want to pursue any of the clinical career options after physiotherapy then I recommend considering MPH. 

Higher average starting salary: 

We know that if you continue to work as a physiotherapist in somebody else’s clinic, you are likely not going to make a lot of money. As a PT you will need to be proactive in managing your finances and building a passive income. Often times MPH graduates fetch higher starting packages. However, it also depends on your educational background and the job you are applying for. 

Career growth:

We know that we as a PT need to take responsibility for our own professional development. As an MPH graduate, you will be working in a corporate environment. That means most of the careers after MPH will offer structured growth within an organization.

Cons of pursuing MPH after physiotherapy: 

You may not be able to leverage your physiotherapy background:

It is less than likely that you will ever be using biomechanics and manual therapy in your career as an MPH graduate. Although basic knowledge of anatomy, pathology, and medicine will be required for your roles, you may not be able to leverage everything you learned in physiotherapy college.

Confusion around MPH roles:

MPH is an interdisciplinary degree by nature and there are multiple career paths you can take after MPH. Sometimes job responsibilities can overlap and graduates from other fields such as MHA, and MBA in hospital management can occupy similar roles. Which leads to role confusion and what your job description should be. 

MPH course subjects may not appeal to you:

I know for a fact that many of you were happy to leave maths behind 12th standard. Some physiotherapy students find studying community health and biostatistics monotonous and dull. If that is your case, I want you to seriously give MPH a second thought. Because you will be studying these subjects in detail when pursuing MPH. Besides, you may be using that knowledge in your work after graduating with an MPH. 

In conclusion, I would like to say that MPH after physiotherapy might not be an option for everyone. It depends on your interests and your vision for yourself. If you are ready to take on a non-clinical role, MPH is something you should consider since it opens multiple non-clinical opportunities for you!