HPH NOW, May 14, 2004, Alumni Describe Thriving and Varied Careers as Public Health Professionals


	JoAnn Manson

With less than two months to Commencement, HSPH students were given a taste of the opportunities they may face as they launch their public health careers. Four alumni discussed "Careers in Public Health: Myths and Realities" on April 22 in Snyder Auditorium. The event was sponsored by the Office of Alumni Programs, HSPH Alumni Council, Office of Career Services, and Pfizer, Inc.

Moderated by Myron Allukian, DDS, MPH ‘67, the seminar featured Hugh Tilson, MD, MPH ‘69, DPH ‘73; Fernando Guerra, MD, MPH ‘83; J. Martin Shanahan, JD, MPH ‘02; and JoAnn Manson, MD, MPH ‘84, DPH ‘87. A career in public health offers the knowledge that the accompanying work can truly make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities, noted the speakers.


Myron Allukian

Allukian, current director of oral health for the Boston Public Health Commission, said his 34-year career in public health has brought him "a richness in life and work experience" he is confident that he never would have found in private practice.

"One day I am helping someone with HIV who can’t get dental care, and the next day I am working with Senator Kennedy" on health care issues, he said.

Attendees were given free copies of Advancing Health Populations: The Pfizer Guide to Careers in Public Health, published by Pfizer and edited by Tilson and HSPH alumna Barbara DeBuono, MPH ‘84. Tilson, whose career has taken him from local and state health offices to the pharmaceutical industry and academia, currently is clinical professor of epidemiology and health policy at the University of North Carolina.

Focusing on 25 careers, Tilson and DeBuono’s book contains biographies, photos, and statistics from the field. Background information on specialty areas and extensive interviews with public health professionals give the reader an inside look at careers as varied as those of pharmacoepidemiologist, mental health researcher, corporate medical officer, and health journalist. Allukian, Guerra, Manson and Tilson are among those profiled.

Tilson advised future public health practitioners to keep in touch with friends they have made at HSPH. Good networking skills are valuable in building a successful career, he said.

The Office of Alumni Programs will be giving a free copy of Advancing Health Populations to every graduating HSPH student as a gift from the HSPH Alumni Association. The book is also available for purchase on Amazon.com.


	Fernando Guerra

Guerra was a pediatrician in private practice in San Antonio when he was tapped for the post of city health commissioner, just before a Papal visit that promised to bring thousands of people to the area. He said that he found great satisfaction in his public health work, but has chosen to also stay involved in practice by spending time each day in the pediatrics clinic he helped found.

Guerra stressed the importance of public health professionals being good communicators. He said that he has developed necessary skills in explaining health risks to the public and in fielding questions from reporters.

Shanahan, a lawyer, is a senior federal investigator for the U.S. Department of Labor. He encouraged students and alumni to consider spending time in the public sector. He investigates nursing home fraud, health insurance scams, and other areas of benefits law for both civil and criminal prosecution by the regional office in Boston. He has been named Special Assistant Secretary of Labor, effective this September.


	Hugh Tilson

Shanahan advised audience members to keep alert to illegal activity related to health care practices and policies. "If you become aware of something going on, it behooves you to contact the government," he said. "These [frauds] are major problems, and they divert resources away from the people who need them."

Research epidemiologist Manson has followed an academic path in her career. The board-certified internist and endocrinologist divides her time between Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where she is chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine, and HMS and HSPH, where she is a professor.

Manson finds special satisfaction in the exchange of ideas she has among fellow researchers. She also enjoys mentoring junior faculty members, and collaborating with colleagues on projects, especially those regarding women’s health. Manson has participated as a co-investigator on the Nurses’ Health Study and is a lead investigator for the Women’s Health Initiative and several other clinical trials.


J. Martin Shanahan

She pointed out that there may be more flexibility for people working in public health or academia to juggle home and career than for full-time clinicians. "In epidemiology, you can sometimes work at home one day a week, or modify your schedule in some way and still be extremely productive," she said.

Whatever specific path HSPH graduates follow, they will find that working in "public health is tremendously challenging and gratifying," said Allukian.

The seminar was followed by break-out sessions conducted by the panelists. The day ended with a networking reception for alumni and students and a book signing of Advancing Health Populations.

--PHC

Harvard Public Health NOW is published biweekly by the
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