A state medical officer is a government official who is a physician and works with the state health department. A state medical officer advises other government officials, elected representatives, health professionals and the public about public health.

Q. How and why did you choose this career?

A. After medical school and training in preventive medicine I worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for several years as a medical epidemiologist. The work was fun and very interesting, so interesting I made it a career. In 2005 I was given the opportunity to be the state medical officer in Montana. This job allowed me to continue practicing medical epidemiology as well as work with a wide variety of public health policy and organizational issues.

Q. What does a typical day in your work life look like?

A. This question makes me think about the past as well as the present. For many years my work mostly involved working with people face-to-face and by telephone. In recent years, however, I spend more and more time working with a computer and other electronic devices in order to communicate with people and stay up-to-date with medical and public health information. Most work days also include meetings with groups of people, including workers in the state health department and other government agencies as well as health professionals. The range of topics is broad and very interesting. Topics include communicable diseases, chronic diseases, injuries, and prevention issues important to all Montanans. I also write and edit publications including the monthly "Montana Public Health-Prevention Opportunities under the Big Sky." Publications like this are an important way to communicate public health information in Montana.

[Feel free to read this monthly publication at http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/preventionopportunities/index.shtml]
  

Q. What are your working conditions like?

A. I work with a terrific team at the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. For most issues there is time to analyze information and talk with others involved with a topic before decisions need to be made. So, stress is not a major issue. I travel throughout the state which is a special bonus because Montana has so many beautiful places to see. The work environment consists mostly of an office, computer, telephone, and meeting rooms. A state medical officer works more than 9am to 5pm and more than Monday through Friday.

Q. What educational requirements are needed for your career?

A. IA medical degree is required and additional training in public health is highly desirable. I think training and experience in epidemiology is essential to work with contemporary public health challenges. While I encourage interested students to pursue medical education, I realize only a few will go to medical school. For those who do attend medical school, I hope they consider a public health career. Whether or not students pursue medical education many can pursue careers in public health. Everyone who works in public health can enhance their effectiveness and their careers by getting training in epidemiology.

Q. What skills and abilities are necessary in your profession?

A. When it gets down to it, besides having an extensive educational background for a State Medical Officer or Medical Epidemiologist role, I think the essential skill and ability is to pay attention to detail and listen carefully to what people are saying. In these roles knowledge of statistics and use of 21st Century technology are also essential.

Q. Any final thoughts?

A. I might emphasize further that many opportunities exist to work in public health settings and particularly in epidemiology. There is a great need for well trained epidemiologists. I hope individuals training in the health professions, medical or non-medical, give some thought to epidemiology. It is a very useful way to work with health issues, and it is a fun career!

(ASTHO) Association of State and Territiorial Health Officials. Public health workforce: Key findings on state health agency workforce from the 2010 profile of state public health [PowerPoint slides, pg. 12].

Helgerson, S. (2014, June 13). Telephone interview.