Advancing Healthy Populations: the Pfizer Guide to Careers in Public Health
A must-have guide that profiles the life and work of professionals in public health
Dear Student:
Welcome to the world of public health. We are pleased to present this guide to careers in public health and hope to bring to life the myriad roles and responsibilities this dynamic field offers. We aim to help you navigate the breadth of the possible career choices that await you.
Now more than ever the public health profession needs young people to enter the field. That's why my coeditor, Dr. Hugh Tilson, and I are pleased this guide, the first of its kind, has been written for you. As you read these pages, you will come to understand the passion and dedication felt by public health professionals every day. You will see that public health careers are disparate – some careers begin in medicine, others in local public health departments. No matter your own entry point, you will be captivated just like Dr. Tilson and I were when we chose our careers. Most of all, you will sense how every public health professional is committed to "making a difference".
I hope this guide sparks your curiosity and interest and connects you to a career in public health. At Pfizer, life is our life's work. Good luck in finding your life's work in public health. You will be delighted you did!
Sincerely,
Barbara A. DeBuono, MD, MPH
Barbara A. DeBuono, MD, MPH '84, is Senior Medical Director and Group Leader for Public Health at Pfizer, having joined the company in September 2000. She received her undergraduate degree (1976) and medical degree (1980) from the University of Rochester and subsequently received a master's degree in Public Health from Harvard University in 1984.
Dr. DeBuono completed her medical internship and residency at the New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston, and then served as a Fellow in Infectious Diseases at Brown University Medical School's Affiliated Hospitals Program in Providence, Rhode Island, from 1984 through 1986. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. Dr. DeBuono served as Commissioner of Health for the State of New York in Governor George E. Pataki's cabinet from January 1995 through November 1998. Prior to coming to New York, Dr. DeBuono served as Rhode Island Department of Health Epidemiologist from 1986 to 1991 and subsequently, Director of Health from 1991 to 1995.
Dr. DeBuono has held academic appointments at Harvard as Clinical Instructor of Medicine, at Brown University Medical School as Associate Professor of Medicine and at the University of Albany, State University of New York, as Professor of Health Policy. She currently holds the appointment of Clinical Professor of Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.