The characteristics and career aspirations of undergraduate population health students in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

Introduction/background: As demonstrated throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the public health workforce plays a crucial role in the operation of a high functioning health system. Yet, this workforce is largely unstudied, and little is known about the characteristics and career aspirations of undergraduate students studying public health. Aim/objectives: To understand the characteristics and career aspirations of undergraduate population health students in New Zealand. Methods: Since 2006, the Health Career Pathways Project (HCPP) has tracked University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences students’ career intentions over time. This longitudinal prospective cohort study uses Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) student data from the HCPP for the 2006 - 2016 period to describe the characteristics of BHSc students, their career aspirations and explores changes over time that may exist in these aspirations Results: The majority of BHSc students (>65%) were female, with an average age at entry to the degree of 20 years. Over two-thirds identified as Asian in ethnicity, 11% as Māori and 11% as Pacific. Half of the cohort were born in New Zealand. The dominant career aspirations for BHSc students at the beginning of their programmes are clinical careers, particularly medicine. By the end of the degree, interest in clinical careers has decreased in favour of postgraduate study and non-clinical roles within the wider health system including health management, health promotion and community outreach careers. Discussion: Undergraduate population health degrees provide an important pathway into non-clinical health roles, and understanding the career aspirations of these students can aid in health workforce and health system planning.