PATHWAYS TO A CAREER IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORY

Are you looking for a great career, one that offers a wide variety of experiences and also fulfills your desire to help others? If you have an interest in biology, chemistry, microbiology or any of the life sciences, the public health laboratory may be just the place for you. In our interactive game, “Did You See That?,” public health lab scientists talk about their jobs and the various educational tracks that can lead you to a similar career.

THE GAME:

“Did You See That?” combines video clips of these scientists with colorful graphics and intriguing questions and blends them together into an exciting board game. Both the DVD contents and the game board can be accessed from this page. Whether played by a few people or in teams, “Did You See That?” provides players with fun and information in a game that can easily be completed during a typical classroom session. It is the perfect accompaniment for any discussion or informational seminar about science careers, and can easily be utilized by teachers, guidance counselors, public health trainers and others.

THE LAB:

Each state operates a public health laboratory to conduct specialized testing that’s not always available in local labs. This includes testing for infectious agents such as tuberculosis, influenza and HIV; tracking disease outbreaks; and, many times, monitoring the air, water and soil for environmental contaminants. Scientists in these labs also respond to public health emergencies and serve as a link between local organizations and national agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By 2010, it is predicted there will be more than 250,000 job vacancies in the public health sector. Many of these will be in public health laboratories. Is there a public health laboratory career in your future? Play “Did You See That? Pathways to a Career in the Public Health Laboratory.” It could lead to your next great adventure.

The “Did You See That?” game and the public health laboratory videos were created with the support of the APHL and Cooperative Agreement Number #U60/CD303019 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC. “Did You See That?” was created through a collaboration between the University Hygienic Laboratory and the University of Iowa Upper Midwest Public Health Training Center.