A powerpoint of my future career

1. Health Education
BY: EMMY WILLIAMS

2. INTRODUCTION
 Ever sinceI wasyoung, I havebeen extremely interested in themedical
field. My mother and grandmother arenurses, my father isasocial worker,
and my other grandmother isadrug and alcohol counselor. You could say
that working in themedical field isin my blood. I also believethisiswhere
my passion for helping othersand wanting to improvepeople’slivescomes
from. I wanted to beanurseat first but then wanted to work with
preventativemethodsand fix problemsbeforethey started instead of
waiting until problemspresented themselves. Thusmy decision to pursue
Health Education wasformed.

3. WHAT ISHEALTH EDUCATION AND
PROMOTION?
 Thehealth promotion concentration areapreparesgraduatesto assesshealth problemsand
develop, implement and evaluatehealth promotion and behavior programsthat address
thoseproblems.
 Thehealth education profession hasestablished standardsfor approval and accreditation of
professional preparation programs.
 Theoccupation of “health educator” hasbeen included in therevisionsto thepublic health
occupation categoriesby theDepartment of Labor and theDepartment of Commerce.
 Professionalsin thisoccupation design, organize, implement, communicate, provide
adviceon and evaluatetheeffect of educational programs. They also think of strategies
designed to support and modify health-related behaviorsof individuals, families,
organizationsand communities.

4. WHY I CHOSE HEALTH EDUCATION
 I chosehealth education becauseI haveapassion to promotehealthy
behaviorsand educatethepublic about thebenefitsof having ahealthy
lifestyle. I also enjoy keeping healthy habitsat theforefront of everyone’s
mindsby using fun and creativetechniques.
 Ultimately I wish to work with underprivileged communitiesthat may not
havebeen exposed to healthy behaviorsby educating them on making
healthy lifestylechoicesand implementing health promotion programs.
 America’sobesity, especially childhood obesity, isat thehighest level its
ever been and I hopeto oneday help thisratedecreaseby making a
differenceat thecommunity level.

5. THE HISTORY OF HEALTH
EDUCATION
 Although thehistory of health education datesback to the19th century, it wasnot
until the1940sthat thefield began evolving asadistinct discipline.
 Over time, health education’stheory and practicebasehavebroadened from
focusing on one-to-oneand massmediabehavioral interventionsto encompass
responsibility for policies, systems, and environmentsthat affect population
health.
 In theearly 21st century, theterms health education and health promotion are
often used interchangeably in theUnited States, whileinternationally health
promotion isused asan overarching concept that includeshealth education.

6. WHERE DO HEALTH EDUCATORS
PRACTICE?
 Worksite: Plan and implement programsto keep employeeshealthy and to maintain safework environments.
Examplesof worksitesettingsincludelargecorporations, providersfor organized groupsof smaller
industries, and other businessand industrial firms.
 Schools: Design programsand teach health education in thepublic and privateschools
 Medical Services: Develop and implement preventiveand rehabilitativehealth education programsin
hospitals, H.M.O.s, acutecareclinics, and long term carefacilities. Examplesincludeconsumer workshopson
theuseof medical services, pre-natal and childbirth classes, cardiac rehabilitation and life-adjustment groups,
and screening for health conditions.
 Communities: Assessneed for health education programsat varioussitesin thecommunity. Examples
includevoluntary health agenciesand government-based serviceprogramssuch astheAmerican Heart
Association, American Lung Association, Planned Parenthood, adult day carecenters, AIDS/HIV programs,
American Red Cross, County Health Departments, wellnessand health promotion institutes, international
programs, fitnesscentersand many others.

7. ALTERNATE JOB TITLES
 Patient Educator
 Family Planning Counselor
 CorporateFitnessProgram Coordinator
 Drug Rehabilitation Director
 Grant Writer
 Volunteer ServicesCoordinator
 Environmental Educator
 Safety Educator
 Cardiac Rehabilitation Worker
 Tobacco Education Specialist
 Human ServiceWorker

8. GROWTH POTENTIAL
 Employment of health educatorsand community health workersisprojected to grow
21 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than theaveragefor all occupations.
 Growth will bedriven by effortsto improvehealth outcomesand to reduce
healthcarecostsby teaching peopleabout healthy habitsand behaviorsand
utilization of availablehealth careservices.

9. SALARY RANGE
 Theaveragesalary for health education and
health promotion expertsis$41,830 per year
according to theBureau of Labor Statistics.
 Job growth isexcellent, with thedemand for
thesespecialistsexpected to riseby 21 percent
over thenext ten years.
 Thismakesthecareer path oneof thefastest
growing in thenation.
 In South Carolina, theaveragesalary for a
Health Educator is$56,000.

10. GRADUATE SCHOOL POSSIBILITES
 GraduateSchool Cost at Clemson: $15,300/ semester
 GraduateSchool Cost at USC: $13,704/ semester
 GraduateSchool Cost at MUSC: $10,331/ semester
 Common graduateareasof study in theSchoolsof Public Health are:
 health education, epidemiology, environmental health, health servicesadministration,
biostatistics, occupational safety and health, maternal and child health, international health
and many more.
 Related areasof study in other graduateschoolsare:
 business, marketing, healthcareadministration, education and many more

11. HEALTH EDUCATION CREDENTIALING
 NCHEC's(National Commission for Health Education Credentialing) voluntary
professional certification program establishesanational standard for individual health
education practitioners
 How doesnational certification benefit practitionersand thepublic?
 Establishesanational standard of practicefor all health education specialists
 Atteststo theindividual health education specialists' knowledgeand skills
 Assistsemployersin identifying qualified health education practitioners
 Developsasenseof prideand accomplishment among certified health education specialists
 Promotescontinued professional development for health education specialists

12. WHY I AM A GOOD CANDIDATE
 I feel likeI am agood candidateto beaHealth Educator becauseI am very
outgoing, relatableand passionate. I also pridemyself on being aleader
who also can empathizevery well which I believeisavital skill in being an
educator.
 My Social scorewas34, my Enterprising scorewas27, and my Artistic
scorewasa14.
 TheSEA combination wasadirect match with Health Educator which
makesmevery confident that I chosetheright career path.

13. ACADEMICS
 Entry-level health educator positionsrequireabachelor'sdegreein health education or
health promotion. Most programsincludean internship.
 Somepositions, such asthosein thefederal government or in statepublic health
agencies, requireamaster'sor doctoral degree
 Education programsmay lead to a1-year certificateor a2-year associate'sdegreeand
cover topicssuch aswellness, ethics, and cultural awareness, among others.

14. SKILLS/QUALITIES
 Speaking - Talking to othersto convey information effectively.
 ActiveListening - Giving full attention to what other peoplearesaying, taking timeto
understand thepointsbeing made, asking questionsasappropriate, and not interrupting at
inappropriatetimes.
 Writing - Communicating effectively in writing asappropriatefor theneedsof theaudience.
 Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify thestrengthsand weaknessesof
alternativesolutions, conclusionsor approachesto problems.
 Social Perceptiveness- Being awareof others' reactionsand understanding why they react as
they do.
 TimeManagement - Managing one'sown timeand thetimeof others.

15. CONCLUSION
 I think that being aHealth Educator isacareer that I haveapassion for and
would excel in. It isagrowing field that istrying to tackleAmerica’s
obesity crisisand I am so excited to beapart of theHealth Education
movement. With grad school and acertification, I believeI will be
extremely marketableand hopefully get ajob with ease. I am looking
forward to graduating and going into theHealth field to pursuethejob of
my dreams.

16. REFERENCES
 "Becoming aHealth Educator." - Health and Co mmunity Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Aug. 2016.
 "BSHealth Promotion and Behavior." N.p., n.d. Web.
 "TheGraduateSchool - University of South Carolina." The Graduate Scho o l - University o f So uth
Caro lina. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Aug. 2016.
 "Health Educator Career." Health Educato r Skills and Kno wledge. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Aug. 2016.
 "Health Educators." MyFuture.co m. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Aug. 2016.
 "O*NET Interest Profiler." My Next Mo ve Interest Pro filer. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Aug. 16.
 "Scheduleof Academic Charges." Schedule o f Academic Charges. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Aug. 2016.
 "Welcometo TheGraduateSchool." Graduate Scho o l. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Aug. 2016.