A qualitative analysis of reasons for satisfying professional career after completing higher education studies of public health

Introduction. Public health as an academic discipline is taught at different academical levels all around the world. In Poland, the first School of Public Health was launched in 1991 in the city of Krakow, becoming then a part of the Jagiellonian University Medical College. Through more than three decades, this educational entity (Institute of Public Health Jagiellonian University Medical College; IPH JU MC) has educated hundreds of graduates who work for various healthcare stakeholders. Aim. The goal of this study was to find the benefits resulting from studying public health, based on the experiences of IPH JU MC graduates, as well as to characterize the experiences gained and the skills developed during university studies of public health. Material and Methods. Based on 46 interviews conducted with public health graduates, a qualitative analysis was made using NVivo 12 software. Interviews’ content was analyzed with the use of eight codes related to issues mentioned by graduates: EPH (EuroPubHealth), EBM, data analysis, English, project, HTA, practical placement, and students’ scientific clubs. Results and Conclusions. In the interviews the graduates indicated the role of skills gained during education at IPH JU MC, e.g., drawing conclusions based on scientific research, taking part in many public health projects, better language skills thanks to English specialization path, working in the international environment. The results have shown that experiences gained during university studies of public health allow for career development in the healthcare sector. Keywords: professional career, public health, graduates, qualitative analysis, interviews, healthcare.