Department of Public Health and Recreation, San José State University, San Jose, CA 95192, USA.
DrPH Coalition, 93 Longwood Ave., Brookline, MA 02446, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 15;19(8):4836. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19084836.
(1) Background: As gaps in the public health workforce grow in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, graduates of the schools of public health, especially Doctors of Public Health (DrPH), are poised to offer relief. While there are some known recruitment issues, student debt and debt impact on career choices are understudied. (2) Methods: In the present study, we perform a descriptive analysis of the potential impact of student debt on career choices among DrPH students and alumni in the United States using a cross-sectional national online survey. A total of 203 participants (66: alumni and 137: current students) completed the survey. Descriptive statistics, a chi-squared test of independence, and content analysis were used to analyze the funding situation and its impact on career choices. (3) Results: We found that (1) 72% of current DrPH students have zero funding support for their degree, (2) scholarship opportunities for a DrPH degree are limited, especially when compared to PhD programs, and (3) student debt impacts 59% of DrPH students' and 29% of DrPH graduates' career choices (about 49% of all respondents). (4) Conclusions: Student debt and a misunderstanding of DrPH are likely impediments to DrPH graduates participating in the public health workforce.
(1) 背景：随着 COVID-19 大流行后公共卫生劳动力的缺口不断扩大，公共卫生学校的毕业生，尤其是公共卫生博士（DrPH），有望提供缓解。虽然存在一些已知的招聘问题，但学生债务及其对职业选择的影响仍研究不足。(2) 方法：在本研究中，我们使用横断面全国在线调查，对美国 DrPH 学生和校友的学生债务对职业选择的潜在影响进行描述性分析。共有 203 名参与者（66 名：校友和 137 名：在校学生）完成了调查。使用描述性统计、独立性卡方检验和内容分析来分析资金状况及其对职业选择的影响。(3) 结果：我们发现，（1）72%的在校 DrPH 学生没有任何资金支持来攻读学位，（2）DrPH 学位的奖学金机会有限，尤其是与博士课程相比，（3）学生债务影响了 59%的 DrPH 学生和 29%的 DrPH 毕业生的职业选择（约占所有受访者的 49%）。(4) 结论：学生债务和对 DrPH 的误解可能是阻碍 DrPH 毕业生参与公共卫生劳动力的因素。
