Career Aspirations of Students Introduced to the field of Public Health Informatics

• In Event: 30821 - Open Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 11

Abstract

Public Health Informatics (PHI) is an emerging and rapidly evolving field that integrates information science, technology, and public health to improve health outcomes through data-driven decision-making. In fact, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational outlook shows a growth much faster than average for the field of health information technologist / medical registrars, as well as a faster than average growth rate for Public Health Education workers, with an incredibly high growth rate for Data Scientists and Computer and Information Research Scientists (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025).
Yet, despite the increasing demand for PHI professionals, racial and ethnic minority studies remain significantly underrepresented in public health professions, particularly in informatics roles (Williams et al., 2020). However, understanding the career aspirations of minority students in PHI is essential for developing policies and interventions that promote diversity (McClain et al., 2019). Therefore, this study aims to explore the aspirations, motivations, and obstacles minority students face in pursuing careers in PHI.
This study describes the experience of minority students who were trained in special PHI research boot camps, to understand the impact of their exposure to this professional field. We followed their experiences ranging from those who did no further study in the field, to those who followed up their training to work in a professional internship, as well as those who changed their field of study and altered their career aspirations. We examine factors that influenced their interest in PHI, the barriers of entry into the field, and assess our attempted solutions to increase diversity in the field.

Authors

• John C. Kilburn, Texas A & M International University

• Jenna Arsuaga, Independent Consultant

• Rebecca Elizabeth Flores, Texas A&M International University

• Stephano Flores, Texas A&M International University

• Jose Rayo, Texas A&M International University

• Chris Aguilar