Podcasts about public health are a good way to keep yourself informed while earning your degree or afterwards. You can learn about emerging or important public health topics that might inspire you to write a great paper or learn more about a class subject. Adding a few public health podcasts to your playlist is a smart move whether you’re:
- studying public health
- preparing for medical school
- already out in your career
This Week in Global Health
This podcast is one of the best for global public health students and followers. It covers diverse topics like:
- neglected tropical diseases
- food security
- water access
You can also get an idea on chronic illnesses in developing countries with episodes on:
- cancer
- global health systems
- maternal health
It’s run by Emory University Associate Professor Greg Martin, MD. It features guests with backgrounds in:
- research
- business
- public health
- medicine
If you’re considering a career in international health, This Week in Global Health will help you stay on top of trends, develop your professional knowledge and identity structural issues in health care delivery.
Related resource: Top 25 Master’s in Public Health Degree Programs With the Highest Acceptance Rates
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Podcasts
The CDC is a leading expert on American public health issues. They run a number of podcasting series that cover:
- women’s health
- emerging diseases in the U.S.
- kid-focused public health
- many other issues
Although they usually follow the talking head format of other informational shows, the CDC is starting to experiment with more exciting forms of podcasting. Their podcast archive is the perfect place to find expert commentary on specific:
- populations
- diseases
- health challenges
Medscape Public Health & Prevention
This podcast discusses health promotion, disease prevention and public health policy efforts in the United States. Recent episodes have covered:
- the science for and against essential oils
- health prenatal diets
- growing cancer rates around the world
It offers diverse topics and interviews with leading U.S. policymakers like:
- CDC Director Tom Friedan
- Baltimore city health commissioner Leana Wen
- Kaiser Permanente CEO Bernard Tyson
Researchers are also brought onto to discuss their latest findings. Recent interviews have covered Alzheimer’s prevention and video games as a mental health tool.
Conversations on Public Health
Harvard University is no longer producing this podcast, but it’s too valuable to leave off the list. Researchers and professors from the Harvard University School of Public Health discuss their work on the show. Episodes have covered:
- polio eradication
- HIV prevention
- government efforts to reduce obesity
If you want an academic podcast with serious credentials, give this a listen. It can be a bit dry, but it’s worth sitting through if you’re a public health student.
Public Health Minute
This NPR-produced podcast is different from the other top public health shows on this list. It lasts only one minute. Each episode interviews a health researcher on their latest findings and is intended to help public listeners learn about new research quickly. This is an easy and fun way to:
- learn about new directions in public health science
- find researchers whose work you want to explore
- keep informed
Best of all, you don’t have to invest much time into keeping current on public health news. There’s a slight focus on the New York City area, but the show contains plenty of information for national listeners.
No matter your interests, there are podcasts out there for you. Give some of the podcasts about public health on this list a try.