We know a great deal about health and wellness these days, and public health administrators are aware that there is a great deal of good that comes out of a healthier populace. If you are interested in your own health, it is possible to get helpful hints for improving your health, as well as keep track of your progress, using popular mobile devices. One of the most interesting devices that has the potential to impact individual and public health is the iPad.

Apple’s iPad is quite popular, and it provides numerous tools that can help you maintain a healthier lifestyle. Apps are generally inexpensive, and they can provide you with ideas for workouts, information on the food that you eat, and even help you monitor your health outcomes. If you are interested in living a better lifestyle, here are 20 of the top iPad apps that can help keep you healthy and fit:

Exercise

Physical fitness is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. There are iPad apps that provide you with helpful hints for exercise programs, how to burn calories, and even for tracking the distance you run on your morning jog.

1. Virtual Trainer: Get help from your virtual trainer when it comes to getting fit. Helps you formulate a plan based on the muscle groups you plan to work, and helps you track your progress. You can also choose from more than 120 pre-set programs to provide you with workouts ranging from six to 60 minutes. Cost: Free
2. Fitness Plan: Create a fitness plan to help you get into shape. Track your exercise, and view your progress. This iPad app can help you keep track of your fitness activities, and help you plan for the future. Cost: $0.99
3. Pocket Yoga HD: If you are interested in seeing how yoga can be used in everyday fitness, this is the iPad app for you. Pocket Yoga takes you through different routines, helping you start with different poses. Get out your yoga mat and get to work! Cost: $3.99
4. iFitness: Keep up with your fitness goals, and find how effective different exercises are. Set fitness goals and track your progress, plus see images showing you proper position for various exercises. Cost: $1.99
5. Nike + GPS: This app helps you keep track of your run. Helps you see your pace, duration and even calories burned. Compare to other runs, and see your route with the help of a GPS mapping system. Cost: $1.99
6. Running Trainer Lite: Get help with your training routine for running. Includes lessons, GPS mapping, and progress reports. Cost: Free
7. ExerciseTV: A new workout routine of between 10 and 45 minutes is sent to your iPad each day when you have this app. A great way to change it up a bit, and to fit exercise into your daily schedule. Cost: Free

Nutrition

Healthy eating habits are essential for better living. If you are interested in a healthy lifestyle, it is vital that you get the proper nutrition. The iPad is compatible with apps that can help you learn about better eating, as well as get access to the latest nutrition data.

8. Food & Nutrition: Get healthy when you make better decisions based on the information you receive from this iPad app. Includes information on different nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Cost: Free
9. Lost It!: This is a great food diary and calorie counter. Includes the calorie counts and other nutrition data (including protein and fiber) in hundreds of foods, and helps you keep track of your eating habits. You can also keep track of the calories you burn. Cost: Free
10. GoMealsHD: Get great, helpful information on a number of food choices. See your meals laid out for you, and set goals for calories, keeping track of how close you are to your limit. Includes a restaurant locator.
11. Calorie Counter: FatSecret offers a helpful iPad app designed to help you keep track of your caloric intact. Includes a way for you to enter the barcodes from food packaging, as well as menu items from restaurants. Cost: Free
12. Restaurant Nutrition: Find different restaurants, and learn more about what is on the menu, with the help of this iPad app.  A helpful way to eat healthy on the go.
13. Healthy Gourmet Recipes: Interested in making good food? This iPad app helps you create delicious meals that are good for you. Cost: €1.59
14. Nutrition Menu: A great way to keep track of your calories, exercise, and more. Eat better and live healthier with this iPad app. Cost: $2.99

Mind/Emotion

How you feel in general can be a part of your health. A healthy mind and emotions that are in balance can be an important part of healthy living. This includes reducing stress, as well as engaging in activities that can help you keep your mind sharp.

15. Mindfulness Meditation: Improve your meditation, and relax, with help from this iPad app. Includes a checklist, and a guide to meditation. Then, choose the length of time you want to meditate, and get started. Cost: $2.99
16. iThoughtsHD: This is a helpful mind mapping app that can provide you with the ability to organize your thoughts and your projects. A great way to get organized, and to help reduce stress by keeping you up with what is happening. Cost: $7.99
17. Magic Window: This app can help you relax with the help of beautiful pictures from around the world. See amazing vistas, helping you calm yourself and regain focus, and ease mental fatigue. Cost: $1.99
18. Zen Timer: This iPad app can help you with your meditation using a timer. Choose the type of sounds you want to indicate your beginning and end. Includes lovely sounds from the Tibetan singing bowl. Preset different meditations to go along with your practice. Can be used in conjunction with yoga to enhance your mind/body connection during exercise. Cost: $2.99
19. Stay Happy: A great app devoted to helping you increase your happiness in life, including information on forgiveness, being in the present and gratitude. Includes thought exercises that can help you improve your happiness and emotional health. Cost: $2.99
20. Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock: You can learn more about your sleep cycle, and helps wake you in a more natural manner. A good way to improve your sleep habits — and your mental health. Cost: $0.99

Anyone who works in the public health sector may know that public health concerns local, regional, national and international health concerns. This list of 50 excellent public health Web sites are worth bookmarking if you need sources that offer assistance, news and information at all levels and in all topics from the flu to how the environment and animals contribute to public health issues.

Government Public Health

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The CDC is the government’s go-to site for all topics related to public health.
2. Department of Health and Human Services: A wide range of public health services exists under the HHS roof.
3. Flu.gov: HHS is the managing sponsor for this site, which concentrates solely on various flu pandemics and information.
4. Food and Drug Administration: The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of food, drugs and products.
5. Healthy People: Healthy People 2010 challenges individuals, communities and professionals to take specific steps to ensure that good health, as well as long life, are enjoyed by all.
6. National Institutes of Health: NIH is an agency of the HHS and is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research.
7. National Library of Medicine: The NLM is an umbrella educational organization that contains databases and resources that range from PubMed to MedlinePlus and more.
8. National Network of Libraries of Medicine: NN/LM advances the progress of medicine and improving the public health through access to health information.

Public Health Associations and Organizations

9. American Public Health Association: APHA is the oldest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world.
10. American Public Human Services Association: APHSA, founded in 1930, is a nonprofit, bipartisan organization of state and local human service agencies and individuals.
11. American Social Health Associations: ASHA is America’s authority for sexually transmitted infection information.
12. Association of Schools of Public Health: ASPH promotes the efforts of schools of public health to improve the health of every person through education, research, and policy.
13. Association of State and Territorial Health Officials: ASTHO is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies and their employees of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia.
14. Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach: CPHEO promotes lifelong learning and provides educational programs, online courses, and managing training outreach.
15. National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems: NAPHSIS is a national association of state vital records and public health statistics offices.
16. National Association of County & City Health Officials: NACCHO is the national organization representing local health departments.
17. National Association of Local Boards of Health: NALBOH is dedicated to strengthening and empowering boards of health through education and training.
18. National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems: NAPH represents America’s safety net hospitals and health systems.
19. National Environmental Health Association: NEHA’s mission, is “to advance the environmental health and protection professional for the purpose of providing a healthful environment for all.”
20. National Public Health Information Coalition: NPHIC is an independent organization of professionals sought after to improve America’s health through public health communications.
21. Public Health Foundation: PHF is dedicated to achieving healthy communities through research, training, and technical assistance.
22. Public Health Institute: PHI is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world.
23. Public Health Institutes of the World: IANPHI is a global initiative that aims to develop stronger and more coordinated public health systems through the development and support of national public health institutes, or NPHIs.
24. The Task Force for Global Health: This group encompasses a network of programs focused on both international and domestic health and human development.

Public Health Policy and Law

25. Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy: CIDRAP conducts epidemiologic research and the rapid translation of scientific information into real-world practical applications and solutions.
26. Centers for Law and the Public’s Health: This is a collaborative at Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities.
27. Kaiser Family Foundation: This organization serves as a non-partisan source of facts, information, and analysis for policymakers, the media, the health care community, and the public.
28. National Association of Public Health Policy: NAPHP, founded in 1979, aims to improve the health of the people of the United States by helping to develop health policy and supporting measures to strengthen the public health services.
29. National Health Policy Forum: This group’s mission is to cultivate a learning community among key senior staff in Congress, its support agencies and the executive branch of the federal government.
30. Public Health Law & Policy: An independent non-profit (as of July 2010), PHLP partners with government staff, advocates, and other community leaders to provide practical solutions to a wide range of public health problems.
31. Public Health Law Association: PHLA promotes healthy people and healthy communities through dialogue, partnerships, education, and research in public health law and policy.
32. Public Health Law Center: Formerly the Tobacco Law Center, this center is working collaboratively to bolster the growing field of public health law.
33. Public Health Law Research: This is a national initiative to promote effective regulatory, legal and policy solutions to improve public health.
34. Public Health Policy: This Web site offers key sources of information on public health policy in Canada and in the international sphere.

Public Health Web Sites and Libraries

35. Indiana Public Health Digital Library: The stated purpose of this project is to locate, digitize, organize and make publicly available Indiana public health publications and documents (both historical and current).
36. Medical Library Association: MLA is a nonprofit, educational organization with more than 4,000 health sciences information professional members and partners worldwide.
37. Partners: This is an educational collaboration among U.S. government agencies, public health organizations and health sciences libraries.
38. Public Health Digital Library: Seattle & King County’s gateway to online public health resources, open to the public.
39. Society for Public Health Education: SOPHE is an independent, international professional association made up of a diverse membership of health education professionals and students.
40. Tennessee Health Public Health Digital Library: This library was created by the Annette and Irwin Eskind Biomedical Library, Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
41. What is Public Health? This Web site helps readers gain a better understanding of the various roles public health professionals play each day to ensure a healthy American public.

Journals

42. American Journal of Public Health: This journal was voted one of the 100 most influential journals in biology and medicine over the last century.
43. BMC Public Health: This is an open access journal publishing original peer-reviewed research articles in the epidemiology of disease and the understanding of all aspects of public health.
44. Directory of Open Access Journals: This link leads to the Public Health category, where you can gain access to a variety of journals that are free and open to the public.
45. Global Public Health: This journal is a peer-reviewed journal that energetically engages with key public health issues that have come to the fore in the global environment.
46. International Journal of Public Health: This journal publishes original quantitative and qualitative scientific work on public health.
47. Journal of Public Health: The Journal of Public Health invites submission of papers on any aspect of public health research and practice.
48. Journal of Public Health Policy: This journal is committed to providing an accessible source of scholarly articles on the epidemiologic and social foundations of public health policy, rigorously edited and progressive.
49. Public Health: Public Health is an international, multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal that reports on all aspects of the science, philosophy, and practice of public health.
50. Zoonoses and Public Health: This journal brings together veterinary and human health researchers and policy-makers.

According to MobiHealthNews, the BlackBerry is tops for healthcare because of its ability to provide security and privacy management. As a public healthcare professional, this feature might impress you. Further, this list of the top 25 BlackBerry Apps for public health professionals can make your life even easier.

The following apps are categorized by health and safety, communications and productivity. Each app was chosen with the public health professional in mind, both in the office and on the road. Each app also was chosen to complete as many tasks as possible without loading your BlackBerry up with unnecessary applications.

Health and Safety Apps

1. Advanced First Responder application contains a complete audio/video first aid training course demonstrated by certified Red Cross trainers. Fifty-five video demonstrations are included, encompassing all the material from a standard certified course, plus advanced techniques.
2. Emergency Info allows you to store your most important personal information in your BlackBerry. Add as many emergency contacts as you want, and they all are associated with a Call button for emergency staff to call your contacts directly and immediately.
3. Emergency Information is another emergency contact app that enables you to list medical information as well as personal data and contacts in a wallpaper-featured database.
4. EU Travel Help Essential and Emergency Help is a great tool for your BlackBerry if you ever travel overseas for work or pleasure. This app can provide useful information to make your trip abroad easier, safer and more productive.
5. iWitness offers a powerful suite of GPS-enabled emergency alert and reporting tools to help in situations from getting lost to an urgent SOS. You also can create a group of up to 16 individuals for an iWitness group.
6. Lexi-Comp can keep you updated with Lexi-Comp’s trusted clinical knowledge. This application includes 30 days free access to all databases Lexi-Comp offers for BlackBerry, plus hundreds of images, charts, and tables, available with a cell or wifi connection.
7. MSDS for BlackBerry is a Material Safety Data Sheet that contains information on the potential hazards of any chemical product.
8. My911 can monitor whether you’ve been in an accident or not, and help you log the accident into your online portal data. Get auto assistance, nurse line and an online location-based solution for any auto emergency.
9. Relief Central includes the World Factbook from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Field Operations Guide from USAID, MEDLINE Journals, and Relief News from the CDC, Red Cross, FEMA, ReliefWeb, and more. This free resource delivers up-to-date information to assist those sent to disaster sites.

Communication Apps

10. Call Time Tracker provides you with an Excel sheet of your mobile categorized by client and project. Use that report to bill your time, expense part of your bill, generate a timesheet or to make sense of your bill.
11. Contacts Cleaner finds and merges duplicate contacts in your address book with a single click.
12. Dexknows Yellow Pages is a business and people finder that provides intuitive search features and the most relevant and comprehensive local business information quickly.
13. e-Mobile Family Locator is more than a family-oriented safety device. You can use this app for emergency situations, with the ability to locate anyone by simply sending a text message or email.
14. Nimbuzz is the only free to use multi-community instant messenger available ‘natively’ on Blackberry allowing you to chat for free with all your online friends on Skype, Facebook, MSN, Yahoo!, Google Talk, Gadu-Gadu, Hyves and many more.
15. Snaptu turns your favorite Web sites into ultra-fast mobile apps that work on your phone. Keep all your mobile essentials, such as Twitter, Facebook, Picasa and news from all major providers in one place.
16. WordPress for BlackBerry can help you update your Web site with posts, photos, videos and content management. Both WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress 2.7+ sites supported.

Productivity

17. Beat the Traffic Free provides live traffic maps and is the easiest way to enjoy a hassle-free commute. The full version provides detailed lists of accidents as well as traffic predictions.
18. Evernote lets you capture any experience, idea, or inspiration as it happens, wherever you find yourself. Evernote for BlackBerry also lets you search and find all the notes that you made using Evernote on your desktop, so that all of your memories are always at your fingertips.
19. Lister is a simple and easy-to-use application that allows you to create and manage multiple lists at once. You never need to enter the BlackBerry menu, and you can add optional due dates and reminders for any item.
20. Location Notes allows you to keep notes associated with GPS coordinates from your GPS-enabled BlackBerry phone. Notes that have been saved can be sent as e-mail, or exported to a BlackBerry memo.
21. Mileage Tracker Pro ensures accurate and timely records of your trips. Enter odometer readings and trip details and sync your reports securely.
22. Pocket Informant is designed to manage your life with a powerful calendar, task and management software. View agenda, day, week and month views alongside task and contact managers.
23. RepliGo Reader is the first native PDF reader made specifically for BlackBerry. RepliGo Reader opens and displays PDF files natively.
24. SmartBDocs enables users to create new Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents with one click. To use this app, you need Office packet for mobile phones.
25. Where is a local portal that can connect you with people, places and things around you everywhere you go, while also saving you time and money. Local information includes weather, news, restaurant reviews, a store locator for top brands of your choice, cheap gas, traffic updates and more.

Jobs in the public health sector are numerous, but you need to know where to look to find them. You can find jobs across the U.S. or on a global scale in positions that range from internships to directorships. You can find public health jobs through job search engines, through major employers in the public health field and through local to federal government positions. This is how we have categorized the following top 25 public health jobs sites worth using below.

If you are just graduating from a degree in public health, be sure to check with your college or university to see what type of help they can offer in your search. Sites such as JHSPHConnect, for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, offers a vast opportunity for graduates from that school. You also might use sites such as Health Workforce Information Center (HWIC), a place where health care professionals can continue training, find organizations and funding and other resources for work proficiency.

Public Health Jobs Sites

1. Jobs in Health Care: This link leads to the page where public health jobs are listed within this site. the jobs usually link to another job resource, but it is one way to learn more about what is offered nationwide without searching through other job sites that do not focus on health care.
2. PHP Partners Jobs and Careers: This collaboration of U.S. government agencies, public health organizations and health sciences libraries offers links to public health job opportunities and career-planning resources.
3. Public Health Employment Connection: This career “action center” provides job seekers with public health job opportunities from across the country. Includes jobs that range from internships to directors. Site is maintained by the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University.
4. Public Health Jobs Worldwide: This site is current, and you can subscribe to issues that include “Top Jobs” and apply for jobs after you subscribe.
5. PublicHealthJobs.net: This is the “preferred job search engine of the CEPH Accredited Schools of Public Health.” Create an account to save job searches and search parameters and have search results emailed to your inbox on a regular basis.
6. Saint Louis University School of Public Health Job Bank: Search for positions in public health and health management and policy on this list. This list is for informational purposes and the School of Public Health assumes no responsibility for any information contained in a position announcement.

Specific Public Health Career Employers

7. AcademyHealth’s Career Center: This is an important source for career advancement in the fields of health services research and health policy, offering access to professional training and job opportunities, fellowships, continuing education credits, and a place to advertise position openings.
8. American Public Health Association Public Health CareerMart: The APHA is the oldest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world and has been working to improve public health since 1872. Their career center offers employment opportunities as well as tips and advice on how to conduct a job search.
9. American Society for Healthcare Risk Management Career Center: Established in 1980, the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management is a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association with more than 5,400 members representing healthcare, insurance, law and other related professions. Use their career center to post a resume and to search for employment.
10. ASTHO Public Health Job Bank: The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials is the national non-profit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia, as well as the 120,000 public health professionals these agencies employ.
11. Family Health International Career Center: Improve health around the world and become part of a team of outstanding colleagues. FHI offers a search engine to find public health careers on an international basis with their organization.
12. Global Health Council Job Openings: Most of the jobs currently found on this site consist of internships in GHC’s two locations — DC or Vermont; but, for those who seek entry-level positions in public health, these opportunities might be what the doctor ordered.
13. iHEA Jobs: The International Health Economics Association seeks a variety of employees from senior directors to professors and epidemiologists for their international positions.
14. PHF Jobs & Internships: The Public Health Foundation is looking for the best and the brightest individuals to expand their capabilities and to become future leaders in the public health arena.
15. Public Health Institute Employment: PHI promotes health, well-being and quality of life for all people through research and evaluation, training and technical assistance, and by building community partnerships. They offer global positions for employment.
16. United Nations Development Programme: UNDP is at the forefront of today’s development dialogue in championing the poor and disadvantaged on a global basis. They list their jobs on this page and information on how to apply.
17. WHO Employment Site: The World Health Organization offers descriptions of their employment opportunities, as well as explanations about contracts, recruitment and more.

Government Public Health Jobs Sites

18. CDC Employment: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer a site for public health employment within this agency. They walk applicants through the job application process and new hires through the arrival process, too. You also can tap into the CDC’s Global Health employment opportunities.
19. EPA Careers and Internships: If your focus is on environmental public health, this may prove one of your best job resources. The Environmental Protection Agency provides answers to all your employment questions at this link.
20. HHS Careers: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is a broad agency that can provide you with a variety of job opportunities in public health. The Department is responsible for managing more than 300 programs that cover a wide spectrum of program areas.
21. Medical and Public Health Jobs in the Federal Government: To view the full range of federal jobs in the public health sector, you first must apply at USAJOBS, a government jobs Web site.
22. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services: Although this list does not imply that there are current openings for the listed classifications, applications are accepted on a continuous basis for maintaining registers of interested applicants.
23. NACCHO Careers: When local health departments (LHDs) want to make a career connection, they look to NACCHO’s Career Center, a place that links job seekers with LHDs so that the right match is made. And it’s not just for LHDs; other agencies can also take advantage of NACCHO’s Career Center to post jobs relevant to local public health officials and their staffs.
24. Jobs @ NIH: The National Institute of Health, otherwise known as the Nation’s Medical Research Agency, offers a job search for a variety of positions, including jobs for the public. Use this site, too, for Federal resume tips, tutorials and more to help you in your search for a government public health career.
25. San Francisco Department of Public Health: DPH has career opportunities you might expect, such as positions for nurses, pharmacists and social workers; but, they also offer entry level to senior management opportunities in a number of other diverse fields, such as finance, information technology, environmental health inspection and more.

With the recent attention on public health and the health care reform debate, it is little surprise that many are interested learning more about the subject of health policy. If you work in public health, or if you are just interested in learning more about this interesting field of study, you can use open courseware to help you get a handle on the subject. There are a number of excellent free open courseware classes to help you study public health:

Basics of Public Health

If you are interested in the basic principles and practices behind public health, these open courseware classes are a good place to start:

1. The History of Public Health: Johns Hopkins University takes you through the history of public health, and society organization so that health is a public matter.
2. Medicine and Public Health in American History: Get an overview of the development of public health from this Notre Dame class.
3. Ethical Issues in Public Health: Learn about the ethics that are a very real part of public health decisions and debates today.
4. Public Health Seminar: Get interesting insights on a number of different public health topics when you learn from this course at UC Irvine.
5. Public Health Preparedness & Emergency Response: UC Berkeley offers an insightful course aimed at help you understand emergency response and the part it plays in public health.
6. Health Across the Life Span: Frameworks, Contexts and Measurements: Another course from Johns Hopkins, this class looks at our health throughout the life cycle, and how it impacts the rest of the public.
7. Public Health Practice 101: This course is aimed specifically at helping public health workers learn basic terms and concepts. A great refresher course for professionals.
8. Population Change and Public Health: Addresses issues of population growth and subsequent impacts on public health.
9. Social and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health: Learn about the various aspects of public health that are involved in social settings and public health behavior.

Disease and Epidemiology

Public health includes the tracking of disease outbreaks and understanding the nature of epidemics. These open courseware classes can help you better understand disease in the context of public health.

10. Disease and Society in America: This MIT course looks at the development of disease as a public health issue.
11. Principles of Human Disease: Learn about the basics of human disease, and explore ways to combat diseases today.
12. Public Health Biology: Johns Hopkins University offers a look at biology from a public health perspective, allowing to explore disease at the molecular level.
13. Impact of Pandemic Influenza on Public Health: Looks at public health issues arising from different types of flu pandemics.
14. Coping with Mental Illness and Crafting Public Policy: UC Berkeley helps you understand the public health impacts of mental illness, and what can be done about it.
15. STI Prevention: Using Epidemiology to Inform Policy and Program: This course looks at sexually transmitted illnesses, and how they relate to public health problems.
16. Disease in the workplace: Connexions offers this fascinating look at disease in the workplace and health policies.
17. Global Tobacco Control: This is an interesting course about tobacco and public health. After all, tobacco is the cause of illness and disease.

Public Health Policy & Law

Public health policies are enacted in an effort to preserve the wider health of the population. And, of course, law is involved as well. Learn the parts policy and law play in public health.

18. The Politics of Health Care: An introduction, from Columbia University, about the politics that go into health policy.
19. Comparative Health Policy: MIT offers a look at public health policy in the U.S. and compares it with other countries.
20. Introduction to Health Policy: An overview of health policy and public health in the United States.
21. Introduction to Technical Communication: Perspectives on Medicine and Public Health: Learn about communication in the area of public health and policy.
22. Poverty, Public Policy and Controversy: Many consider poverty a public health concern. This MIT class looks at poverty and public health.
23. Measuring Health Disparities: The University of Michigan addresses health disparities, and how they are measured for public health policy reasons.
24. Legal Issues Affecting the Terminally Ill Patient: Overview of terminal illness, public health and law from Case Western Reserve University.
25. Law, Social Movements and Public Policy: Comparative and International Experience: Get a handle on how law and public policy are intertwined in the U.S. and other countries.

Environment and Health

Another big public policy issues is the environment. And the environment is related to health. These courses address public policy and environmental concerns.

26. Environmental Health: This enlightening course from Johns Hopkins University offers a basic overview of public health issues related to environmental concerns.
27. The Politics of Pollution: Columbia University offers a look at pollution over the years, and its impact on public health.
28. Biology of Water and Health: Tufts University offers this look at water quality and public health.
29. Watermanagement: Another course on water and public health, this offering from TU Delft offers some insight on ensuring clean water for the public.
30. Food Production, Public Health, and Environment: Explores the intersection between food, the environment and public health.
31. Medical Ecology: Environmental Disturbance and Disease: A look at how changes in the environment can contribute to disease.
32. Public Health Toxicology: Considers toxins in the environment, and addresses strategies for reducing them.
33. Tropical Environmental Health: This is a course that looks at public health and environment issues in countries other than the U.S.
34. Biological Agents of Water and Foodborne Bioterrorism: A look at how terrorists can use our environment against us, creating public health problems.

Pharmaceutical

The pharmaceutical industry is one of the main topics of conversation in public health. Learn more about pharma with these interesting free open courseware classes.

35. Principles of Drug Development: Learn basics of what goes into developing new drugs for the public.
36. Principles and Practice of Drug Development: Another look at drug development, this course looks at it from a practical standpoint.
37. Exploring Pharmacology: MIT looks at pharmacology and its role in our society.
38. Principles of Pharmacology: Study pharmacological agents, and learn more about treatment of disease.
39. Survey of Pharmacy: University of Utah looks at pharmacies, and their role in public health.
40. Computer-aided Drug Discovery for Infectious Diseases: Learn how computers can aid pharma in the search for ways to control disease.
41. Pharmaceuticals Management for Under-served Populations: Learn about public health issues related to limited access to drugs.
42. Lecture Thirteen: Science, Ethics, and the (Pharmaceutical) Industry: Notre Dame offers this interesting course that traces drugs as part of our public health legacy.

Managed Care

Part of public health is related to how we manage care, especially for the aging. These courses are on managing care, and on elder care.

43. Population Medicine: Tufts University offers this look at medicine for populations and the public.
44. Managed Care and Health Insurance: Johns Hopkins University offers this interesting look at public health, health insurance and managed care.
45. Introduction to Methods for Health Services Research and Evaluation: Public health officials can learn more about evaluating services.
46. Health Issues for Aging Populations: Consider the public health issues that come with a population that is aging.
47. Managing Long-Term Care Services for Aging Populations: Managed care and elderly populations.
48. Neurology, Neuropsychology, and Neurobiology of Aging: Learn what happens when we age, and learn how to address it from a public health standpoint.
49. Aging and disability: transitions into residential care: The Open University helps you understand how to effect transitions for different populations.
50. Living with death and dying: Another course from The Open University, this one focuses on public health responses to dying.

After the Haitian earthquake news coverage, you might have realized the issues in that situation that pertained to public health. Business, food and drugs, a natural disaster, weather and the environmental all affected the Haitian population’s health after that earthquake. We tackled those topics as categories as we built this top 50 public health blog list for you to stay on top of public health issues from a local to global basis.

Public Health Business and Economics

1. Health Business Blog: David E. Williams focuses on business issues in health care.
2. Health Care Law Blog: Bob Coffield helps businesses and health care providers weave through a variety of state and federal health care regulations and business transactions.
3. Health Populi: Jane Sarasohn-Kahn focuses on the nexus of health care and technology applying the tools of scenario and strategic planning, qualitative market research, forecasting, and health policy analysis.
4. Healthcare Economist: Jason Shafrin’s research interests include all issues related to healthcare policy and economics, the health insurance market and Medicare research.
5. Pioneering Ideas: This blog tackles breakthrough ideas in health and health care, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
6. Running a Hospital: The President and CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston relays stories about daily hospital business.
7. The Health Care Blog: This long-running and popular blog broaches “everything you always wanted to know about the Health Care system,” but were afraid to ask.
8. The Health Economics Blog: A global look from the perspective of professionals in the field.
9. The International Medical Market Place: Gain insight into international trade and the medical business with this blog.
10. WSJ Health Blog: WSJ’s Health Blog offers news and analysis on health and the business of health.

Food and Pharmaceuticals

11. AngryToxicologist: This PhD scientist in the public health sector is angry about what you don’t know about toxicology.
12. Barfblog: The title says it all…learn more about safe food from farm to fork, without all the nasty stuff.
13. Civil Eats: The writers of this blog support the development of a dialog among local and national leaders about the American food system, and its effects abroad.
14. Food Law Prof Blog: Follow this blog to learn more about illegal foods, food practices and more.
15. Food Safety and Environmental Health Blog: This blog covers the food industry and food safety related businesses from the farm retail and restaurant operations.
16. Hooked: Ethics, Medicine, and Pharma: Get updates and commentary related to the book by the same name, by Howard Brody, MD, PhD.
17. In the Pipeline: Derek Lowe’s long-running and insightful blog focuses on drug discovery and the pharma industry in general.
18. PharmaGossip: This blog looks beyond the “spin of Big Pharma PR,” and encourages gossip from anyone who knows the scoop.
19. Pharmalot: Ed Silverman is a prize-winning journalist who has covered the pharmaceutical industry for the past 14 years.
20. U.S. Food Policy Blog: Parke Wilde teaches and writes about U.S. food policy at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

Global Health

21. Better Health for All: This blog, supported by the Faculty of Public Health in the UK, aims to promote and protect the public health.
22. Covering Health: The Association of Health Care Journalists provides information about health and health care issues for journalists who cover these stories.
23. Faster Cures: FasterCures aims to amplify the productivity of the considerable resources and expansive infrastructure dedicated to finding new medical solutions.
24. Gary Schwitzer’s HealthNewsReview Blog: The publisher of Health News Review provides information about public health.
25. Global Health Ideas: This blog provides an interactive format for public health advocates, teachers, engineers, computer scientists and business/technology experts.
26. Health 2.0: This blog is for the global Health2.0 Community to write and to comment about issues in Health 2.0.
27. Healthy Travel Blog: Staying healthy while traveling can prove to be challenging. Learn how to stay healthy with this blog.
28. Karen Grepin’s Global Health Blog: Karen Grepin, an Assistant Professor of Global Health Policy at NYU-Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, explores global health and public health issues.
29. The Lancet Global Health Network: The Lancet is an independent and authoritative voice in global medicine. The blog focuses on articles and forum discussion.
30. The Pump Handle: The Pump Handle is a place for people interested in public health and the environment to discuss issues that may not be covered in mainstream media.

Pandemics, Diseases and Disasters

31. AIDSTruth: This blog presents the scientific evidence that HIV is the cause of AIDS and that the benefits of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) outweigh the risks.
32. Diabetes Mine: Tap into five years’ worth of every imaginable aspect of living with diabetes — from food scales to pharma news and book reviews, to the exasperating things other people say.
33. Disaster Preparedness Blog: Keith Erwood has studied disasters, disaster response, severe weather, and emergency preparedness ever since he can remember — and he shares what he knows.
34. Flu News Blog: Get a daily update on flu news from around the world through this blog.
35. Get Ready Blog: Sponsored by the American Public Health Association, this site helps American prepare for all hazards, including pandemic flu, infectious diseases and other health emergencies.
36. H5N1: Learn about influenza, infectious diseases and public health at this blog.
37. Malaria Matters: Bill Brieger is currently a Professor in the Health Systems Program of the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins University as well as the Senior Malaria Adviser for JHPIEGO.
38. Public Health Matters: The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) share their public health passions and look forward to listening to readers for greater transparency and accountability.
39. Superbug: Read about research, strategies and stories from the front line against methicillin-resistant Staph aureus (MRSA).
40. SurvivalBlog: A former U.S. Army Intelligence officer and technical writer blogs about disaster preparedness, both natural and man-made.

Environment and Health

41. Blistered Orb Climate Blog: A scathing view of the current view on effects of global warming, along with citations.
42. Cold Truth: Andrew Schneider’s blog exposes the secrets that corporations and governments don’t want you to know about.
43. Energy Tough Love Blog: It’s not often that a blog will approach environment, energy and public health all in the same breath, but you can find that combination here.
44. Enviroblog: Smart discussion about the latest science and news on toxins in your environment.
45. Environmental Health News: Learn more about environmental health issues from Environmental Health Sciences, a foundation-funded journalism organization.
46. Environmental Justice Blog: This blog addresses environmental justice issues for the State of Environmental Justice in America 2010 Conference.
47. Generation Green: The Center for Environmental Health offers a blog that focuses on your personal environments and the chemicals they contain.
48. Greenversation: This is the official blog of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
49. It’s Getting Hot In Here: This blog represents the voice of a growing movement filled with student and youth leaders of the global movement to stop global warming.
50. Scientists and Engineers for America: SEA’s mission is to promote evidence-based decision making in at all levels of our government.

The job and salary prospects for Master in Public health are very robust in coming future with salary wise as well job prospect wise. And those with graduate level education and with strong business management skills have all the guts to out date others in cutthroat competition of present age in the area of public health.   It is expected that by 2016, the job opportunities for medical and health service managers would be higher as the demand, quality and efficiency in health care would rise to append the accountability. Apart from the above said factors, reasons like computerization of patient records, new technology and changing regulations are also forcing need for professionals in health care industry especially with a Masters in Public Health. These MPA would be more required in practitioners’ offices and home heath care agencies. They would have more and better job opportunities with health care management companies that offer services to hospitals involving contract negotiations, information management systems and physician recruitment. So considering all these factors in health care industry, it is expected that Masters in Public health is an outsmarting job prospect offer for professionals with work experience and good management skills.

As for earning potential an MPA can fetch salary as much as between as $45,000 and $127,000. However many a time this salary can vary in range depending upon the location where a person is employed. Following is a basic idea of health setting, where a person can have varying salaries.

• General medicine and surgical centers: $78,660
• Outpatient care hospitals $67,920
• Offices of physicians: $67,540
• Nursing care facilities: $66,730
• Home health care services: $66,720

It is merely not location but size of health care agency also determines the salary range for a MPA professional. Salary while working with 6 or fewer number of physicians amounts around $72, 875, with 7-24 physicians it counts like $95,766 and practice with 26 and more physicians it accounts around $132, 955.

More, it is the specialization in the area which determines salary level and earning potential for an MPA professional. Following is the list of the departments and area that differs earning potential for an MPA Gastroenterology: $70,474, Dermatology: $70,599, Cardiology: $76,392, Ophthamology: $67,317, Obstetrics and gynecology: $67,222, Orthopedics: $77,621, Pediatrics: $62,125, Internal medicine: $66,853, Family practice: $60,040

Therefore the, salary expectation for those with a masters in health care can vary widely depending on important factors including the facility, size, specialization, and level of responsibility. The other factors include your area’s cost of living, your experience level, and the skills set that you have with you. However, you can expect for the salary outlook to remain strong in coming time too due to high demand of qualified professionals.

There are many challenges that come with public health of which professionals are now going through. Such challenges include the infectious diseases which are rampant and its spread is rapidly fast. Through a public health program, such challenges can be faced out globally. The online masters in public health has offered an opportunity to both men and women to advance their career options without having to experience the classroom set up. This means that they can continue in their various aspects of life such as career while getting education opportunities at their convenience.

The online masters of public health degree is wide with programs designed for health care professionals who can accommodate the demanding schedule. The curriculum is extensive and covers all public health competencies related to the public health study. This curriculum will involve studies such as biostatistics, community health, environmental health, social and behavioral sciences among others. The online masters in public health gives you a feel of the real world with adequate skills and knowledge that promotes community wellness, prevention of diseases and sound health. It is only through understanding of this knowledge that you will be able to impart the community positively hence making it a better place.

The masters in public health is internationally recognized and is appropriate for people who are working in primary care trusts, health and local authorities and service providers related to the health sector such as hospitals and clinics.  The duration of an ,online masters will at most time take up two years with a flexible option of extending it to a 5year term. This will however apply only to its residents.

The advantage of the online master of public health is that it saves a lot of time and energy. For the elderly learners, there is a sense of comfort that is enhanced since they do not have to share common lecture halls with a much younger group. The online masters in public health offers flexibility to its students as they can learn at their own convenient time. There is no strict timetable to be adhered to.

However, an online masters in public health has its own limitations. It requires some form of discipline from the individual. It will also require that you be a good time manager so that you can plan your time appropriately. Unlike in the class set up, online does not have the provision to be monitored. You are your own responsibility.