Public health is at a crossroads. Communities face overlapping challenges, including chronic disease, infectious threats, climate change, and persistent health inequities. All while trust in public health institutions and science has declined significantly. These challenges require more than technical skill; they demand leaders who understand complex systems and can engage communities, build trust, and communicate science effectively. Doctors of Public Health are trained to do just that. As President and Vice President of the National Association for Doctors of Public Health (NADrPH), we begin this blog series by introducing the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree and explaining the role of NADrPH within the broader public health field.

What Is the Doctor of Public Health Degree?

The Doctor of Public Health, known as the DrPH, is a terminal professional degree focused on leadership in public health practice. It was developed to prepare professionals to lead complex systems and improve population health through action. The DrPH degree emerged in the early twentieth century alongside the formalization of public health as a field. In the beginning, its graduates were mostly clinicians like doctors, veterinarians, and dentists, who could further their training beyond the clinical scope and become public health practitioners. Over time, the degree has evolved into a distinct pathway, attracting students from a wide range of backgrounds, many of whom already hold a Master of Public Health (MPH) or related Master’s and have 5+ years in the field of public health, rather than solely clinical professionals. Public health required leaders who could translate scientific evidence into policy, programs, and systems that work in real communities. Unlike research-focused doctoral degrees, like the PhD, the DrPH training emphasizes applied leadership, practice-based problem solving, and systems thinking.  DrPH graduates are prepared to lead health departments, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies, cross-sector initiatives, and academic institutions. In simple terms, the DrPH prepares professionals to lead where public health happens every day.

The Purpose and Value of the DrPH

The core value of the DrPH lies in its focus on impact. DrPH professionals are trained to translate data into decisions and align values with action. They are equipped to lead teams, navigate complex political and organizational systems, and address public health challenges with both technical expertise and ethical responsibility. The DrPH does not replace research; rather, it complements it by translating findings into evidence-based practice that drives real-world change. DrPH leaders strengthen the public health system’s ability to respond effectively to community needs by bridging scholarship and practice.

What Is the National Association for Doctors of Public Health

The National Association for Doctors of Public Health, or NADrPH, serves as the professional home for DrPH-trained leaders and those pursuing the degree. The organization was created to address a long-standing gap in the public health landscape. While many organizations support public health broadly, few center on the unique training, leadership role, and professional identity of the DrPH. NADrPH was formed to fill that space.

NADrPH envisions a healthier, more equitable world. We believe that integrating DrPHers into the public health system as integral agents for social change is essential to accomplishing that goal. Our role is to cultivate a community of practitioners and leaders who are catalysts for social change and advancing health equity.

We foster connection, mentorship, and leadership development among DrPH students, graduates, professionals, and senior leaders across sectors, while advocating for the value of applied public health leadership. We also work to ensure that DrPH voices are present in the national conversations shaping the future of public health.

Why NADrPH Matters to Public Health

Strong public health systems depend on strong leadership. DrPH professionals are trained to lead across complexity. NADrPH supports this workforce by building leadership pipelines, strengthening professional networks, and increasing visibility of the DrPH degree. These efforts benefit not only individual professionals, but the public health field as a whole. By investing in applied leadership, NADrPH helps ensure that public health decisions are informed by evidence, grounded in community realities, and responsive to evolving challenge

Future Directions for NADrPH: A Call to the Field

Public health is facing unprecedented challenges, and strong, visionary leadership is needed now more than ever. NADrPH is dedicated to empowering DrPH professionals to turn evidence into action, build trust in communities, and drive health equity.

Our focus moving forward includes:

• Growing the next generation of leaders through mentorship, development, and meaningful networks.
• Amplifying DrPH voices in policy and decision-making at every level.
• Engaging communities to ensure public health strategies are inclusive, practical, and equity-driven.
• Driving real-world impact by translating research into action that improves lives.

We invite the public health community, students, practitioners, institutions, and organizations to join us. Together, we can ensure DrPH leaders are equipped, visible, and ready to shape a healthier, more equitable future for all.

Interested in learning more? Please visit us online at http://www.nadrph.org/or send an email to president@nadrph.org.

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Lauren Junge-Maughan, DrPH, MPH, PMP, is the President of the National Association for Doctors of Public Health (NADrPH)

Marissa Robinson, DrPH, MPH, RPCV, is the Vice President of the National Association for Doctors of Public Health (NADrPH)