Question: I am a Registered Medical Graduate doing my Residency in Hospital Administration in a reputable institution in India. It is my dream to come to Los Angeles for further training in this field. I have heard about the Masters in Public Health Course and also about the Masters in Health Planning and Education. What are the job opportunities available to graduates of these courses in Los Angeles and what are the long-term prospects?
— Dr. Naveen P.

Response: Following up with the educational and professional association resources mentioned below will provide you with more detailed information.

In general, public health educators plan, organize and direct health education programs for the individual, groups and the community. The educators conduct surveys to determine needs, work with other health specialists and community groups, prepare educational materials, write grants, and determine the availability of health services.

Public health educators may work with volunteer agencies and other civic professional agencies to provide services. In a hospital setting, the educators may specialize in patient health education. Others may specialize and teach health care professionals.

Employers include county and state government health, social and educational agencies; educational institutions; large health care institutions; hospitals; community health clinics and agencies; nonprofit health care agencies and health associations.

Health Service administrators coordinate hospitals and other care facilities including college health services and their staff to assure adequate patient care.

Duties may include designing and coordinating programs, planning and coordinating department activities in personnel and staffing, purchasing, public relations, such as making speeches before community organizations, fund raising, accounting, and program evaluation. They also develop and implement budgets and analyze finances. They work closely with physicians and the governing body of an institution (board) and must maintain hospital operations in compliance with regulatory agency requirements.

Employers include: hospitals, clinics, Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), Independent Practice Organizations (PPOs), long-term care, ambulatory care, mental health facilities, home health agencies, rehabilitation centers, prisons, and schools.

Employment Outlook:
This occupation is one of the fastest growing occupations, 1998-2008 but competition for jobs is keen.

Salary Range:
According to Salary.com, a typical Medical Director working in the Los Angeles area is expected to earn a median base salary of $147,312. Half of the people in this job are expected to earn between $116,704 and $190,651 (i.e., between the 25th and 75th percentiles). These numbers are based on national averages adjusted by geographic salary differentials.

California pay for health educators is similar to Social Program Planners and depends on the type of employer, on government budgets, on the availability of grant monies, and on voluntary contributions to health associations or foundations.

• Entry pay ranges from $1,418 to $4,250 per month.
• Experienced pay ranges from $2,200 to $6,500 per month.
• Top pay ranges to over $7,900 per month.

HEALTH EDUCATOR
projected 2002 annual salaries in the Los Angeles area:
YEARS EXPERIENCE 10th PERCENTILE TIME SERIES MEDIAN 90th PERCENTILE
10 $ 50,531 $ 58,082 $ 70,163
5 $ 43,393 $ 49,877 $ 60,251
1 $ 35,212 $ 40,474  

Training Options and Costs
University of California, Los Angeles
UCLA School of Public Health
Box 951772
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772
(310) 825-5140
Fax (310) 825-8440
www.ucla.edu
There are two master's programs in public health and the GRE is a prerequisite required for both programs:
• MPH for Health Professionals Program
  in Community Health Sciences;
• the MPH for Health Professionals Program.
MPH for Health Professionals Program
in Community Health Sciences
This program responds to the needs of health professionals who aspire to leadership positions and wish to expand their career options in health by completing a Master of Public Health degree, while maintaining a full-time career.

Executive-style format with once-a-month, Friday through Sunday class sessions. Targeted to full-time working health professionals.

Twenty-one month program, which includes a summer session, held between the first and second year. Emphasis is on Community Health Sciences, Health Promotion and Health Education.

The annual tuition and fees: $16,000. Tuition covers the cost of registration, intent and tuition fees, preparatory materials, books, course readers, and parking.

The MPH/HP Program is self-supporting, and as such, receives no financial support from the State. This means tuition fees must cover all costs of the program. Consequently, the tuition is higher than the regular MPH program that is supported by State funds. At the same time, UCLA tuition is lower than several executive-style MPH programs offered by comparable universities.

Prerequisites: Must be employed in a public health or health-related field and have a minimum of 3 years experience. Meet the university requirement of a bachelor's degree with a 3.0 or higher grade point average and a minimum of 3.5 GPA in any graduate study. Perform satisfactorily on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), taken within the past 5 years.

Contact: Kirstin Chickering, MPH Program Manager, Office of Public Health Practice Tel: 310-794-7028 e-mail: kirstin@ucla.edu Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772

The MPH for Health Professionals Program
— an Executive Program in Health Services Management
The two year curriculum of the MPH Program for Health Professionals is built around seven main themes, each of which can be described by a cluster of courses.
The major themes are:
• Health Services Content;
• Management Core Courses;
• Management Content Courses;
• Finance/Economics Content;
• Analytical Skills Content;
• Public Health/Understanding the Community Content;
• Personal Development and Career Planning.
Tuition and fees: $15,500. This amount covers the cost of registration, instruction, books, supplemental reading material, and parking. The UCLA Administration establishes annual tuition fees each year for the following year.

Contact: Judith B. Levin, Administrator / Lieu T. B. Dang, Program Coordinator - (310) 206-3435, FAX: (310) 206-4722. E-mail: mphhp@ucla.edu

Professional Associations
American Public Health Association (APHA)
800 I Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 777-2742
Fax (202) 777-2532
www.apha.org
This is an association of public healthcare professionals varying from teachers to administrators. AHPA provides a multitude of resources for its members including online career centers, receipt of publications on the healthcare industry, access to an online database where employer recruit for positions in health, continuing education programs, and networking opportunities at the APHA annual meeting. The annual membership dues are $150 for regular members and $50 for students.

Southern California Public Health Association
13200 Crossroads Parkway North, Suite 135
City of Industry, CA 91746
www.scpha.org
This is an affiliate of APHA. The benefits of membership include access to continuing education programs, receipt of an association newsletter with updates on programs and upcoming activities, networking opportunities and online job announcements. The annual dues for regular membership are $45 and for student membership $15.

Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE)
Southern California Chapter
Ryan Yamamoto, President
(213) 625-5795
www.socalsophe.org
E-mail: rdyama@pacbell.net or
ryamamoto@napafasa.org
SOPHE is an independent, international professional association made up of a diverse membership of health education professionals and students. With its primary focus on public health education, SOPHE provides leadership through a code of ethics, standard for professional preparation, research, and practice; professional development; and public outreach. SOPHE Offers its members access to continuing education conferences, professional development programs, and an online career center of job opportunities in the health profession and receipt of a quarterly newsletter with industry updates. The annual membership dues are $40 and $70 for a two-year membership.

American College of Health Care Administrators
California Chapter
Quality Reimbursement Services
23818 Kensington Court
West Hills, CA 91307
(818) 716-1644
Fax (818) 716-7226
www.achca.org
Contact: David L. Cohan, Senior Healthcare Consultant
This is a professional society of administrators in long-term health care. The benefits of membership include continuing education programs and networking opportunities at local and national seminars, meetings and workshops, and receipt of the publication, Balance, which provides information on the professional development of administrators. The annual membership dues range from $75 t0 $230, depending on the type of membership.

American Medical Association
515 N. State Street
Chicago, IL 60610
312-464-5000
312-464-5973 Fax
www.ama-assn.org/
The association website offers services for physicians, medical students, health professionals, and patients.

Los Angeles County Medical Association
523 West Sixth Street, 10th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90014-1220
(213) 683-9900
Mailing address: P.O. Box 513465
Los Angeles, CA 90051-1465
To join there is a one-time application fee of $50. The rate for first time members is a discounted rate of $351, with a payment plan available. The LACMA website has many resources available for its members such as, advocacy and legislation, pubic health information, membership information, educational programs, consulting services, and LACMA Physician Magazine.

Healthcare Association of Southern California
515 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1300
Los Angeles, CA 90071-3322
Phone: (213) 538-0700
Fax: (213) 629-4272
www.hasc.org
HASC has four distinct organizations such as a hospital council, the national health foundation, California association of physician organizations, and ALL Health. There are management resources, news, publications, and other products and services available online.

— • —  
Susan W. Miller, M.A., is a National Certified Career Counselor, a Certified Vocational Evaluation Specialist and holds diplomate status on the American Board of Vocational Experts. She heads California Career Services, a private practice career counseling firm in Los Angeles.

You may e-mail questions to swmcareer@aol.com.