Harvard DrPH

[644579]

Hi,

I am part of the inaugural DrPH cohort. I encourage all of you to have a look at the website:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/drph/

I am happy to answer any questions that you may have .

Thank you

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[2015iscoming]

how many students do you have in the first cohort? What are their background (if you can share)? Thank you so much for doing this.

 

[644579]

15.

Re our background, everyone is different! The background ranges from working in NGO, hospital and government (public sector) to management consultancy, pharma and health insurance (private sector). We have physicians, consultants, entrepreneurs, health economists, and program managers in our class.
My classmates are incredibly smart but very down to earth and fun

I believe the school wants to have a diverse class for next year's intake too (my personal opinion!)

 

[servermrad]

Hi,

I am highly interested in a DrPh at Harvard and I was wondering what you think I should do.

undergrad gpa: 2.76
Grad gpa: 3.89 (M.A. Health Advocacy) not MPH but it is a public health related degree and is very similar.

GRE: taking it in november. All practice tests are yielding around 160-162 on both sections for a total of about 320.

I have one year's experience practicum at a NGO for maternal and prenatal health.
I am involved in city committees that focus on prenatal health and infant mortality.
I am doing a 2 semester research on prenatal health.

Hoping to score well on my gre, do you think i have a chance at acceptance? I know they focus heavily on experience, but i do believe i am ready for the program and I do believe i am not a pre-experienced individual.

Should i apply by this December or wait for next years application cycle for the fall?

Thank you for your time.

 

[644579]

Hi Servermrad,

Tough question! Since the DrPH is a new program, my guess is that the applicant pool will vary every year. So your chances depend not just on how good you are but also on fellow applicants! Work experience is important as the program targets the next generation of public health leaders.

Did you have an amazing 1 year practicum and you made a significant impact on the organization you worked for?
Have you done amazing work outside school/work such as start an NGO/company/venture that has made a big impact?

If you answer No to both questions, then it will be best to wait for a year.

Impact is key. Another key attribute is uniqueness.

Hi,

I am highly interested in a DrPh at Harvard and I was wondering what you think I should do.

undergrad gpa: 2.76
Grad gpa: 3.89 (M.A. Health Advocacy) not MPH but it is a public health related degree and is very similar.

GRE: taking it in november. All practice tests are yielding around 160-162 on both sections for a total of about 320.

I have one year's experience practicum at a NGO for maternal and prenatal health.
I am involved in city committees that focus on prenatal health and infant mortality.
I am doing a 2 semester research on prenatal health.

Hoping to score well on my gre, do you think i have a chance at acceptance? I know they focus heavily on experience, but i do believe i am ready for the program and I do believe i am not a pre-experienced individual.

Should i apply by this December or wait for next years application cycle for the fall?

Thank you for your time.

 

[IntriguedStudent]

Hi,

I am part of the inaugural DrPH cohort. I encourage all of you to have a look at the website:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/drph/

I am happy to answer any questions that you may have .

Thank you

I'm only just now working towards my MPH, but I am considering going for my DrPH in the future.
1) How are you liking the program so far?
2) What are your career goals and do you feel that your DrPH will significantly help you to achieve those goals?
3) Why did you choose Harvard's program, specifically, over other programs?
4) And finally, what was your deciding factor to choose a DrPH over a PhD (this kind of going along with question 2 I guess)?

 

[644579]

1) How are you liking the program so far?
It has been great! My classmates are amazing- very smart and motivated. Since we are the first cohort, we are frequently asked to provide feedback on courses. So the DrPH will become better with time (it is great already!). We are also getting a lot of attention from the school. For example, Dean Frenk taught us a course in the summer. There have been great networking opportunities for us too. This winter we will have field projects- many of us will go to India and Brazil for 3 weeks (all paid for!)

2) What are your career goals and do you feel that your DrPH will significantly help you to achieve those goals?
All of us want to become leaders in public health. The class is a great mix. The age range is 25- 38! So there are already leaders in my cohort.
I am most interested in leading health systems strengthening, especially in developing countries. The DrPH will help me achieve my goals in a number of ways a) Through course work I hope to develop strong grounding in public health theory, management and leadership. I will add that we are required to take courses in policy at the Kennedy school and management courses at HBS alongside public health courses at HSPH b) Opportunity to work with brilliant faculty, who have great experience both in academia and in professional settings (World Bank, governments, Gates Foundation etc.) c) People outside Harvard take you very seriously and reply to you! d) Very strong alumni network
3) Why did you choose Harvard's program, specifically, over other programs? 4) And finally, what was your deciding factor to choose a DrPH over a PhD (this kind of going along with question 2 I guess)
For background I have an MPH. I considered an MBA and a PhD too. I felt an MBA was too general and a PhD too research focused. I love application of research and not the research process itself. I want to be a practitioner and make change happen. I feel that an MBA does not provide the technical grounding required for leadership roles in public health. A PhD is too long and too specialized for me.

 

[radvet2016]

Hi, thank you so much for offering to answer questions!

Would you mind telling me how many classmates in your cohort came in with doctoral degrees (and in what fields?) Do they all have extensive work experience following their doctorates?

 

[Sudhamsu Koirala]

HI I m Dr sudhamsu Koirala MD pathology from Nepal. I am currently doing MPH in Jaipur India. This is a Johns Hopkins cooperative program and mainly deals with managerial aspects of Public health. I wish to do genetic epidemiology. Can anyone suggest where I can look into finding genetic epidemiology fellowships or training. I am specifically looking for genetic epidemiology of cancers.

 

[Sudhamsu Koirala]

Hi I am Dr.SUdhamsu Koirala. i am MD pathology. I am currently doing MPH in Jaipur. This program is a Johns Hopkins cooperative program which seems mainly t deal with managerial issues in public health. Can anyone tell me where I can look for training/fellowship for genetic epidemiology. I want to do cancer epidemiology in future. Does any MPH program have genetic epidemiology of cancer as a part of curiculum within the MPH degree or is cancer epidemiology a degree that can be done after getting general MPH degree. I have put my curriculum as an attachment. How is it different from any other MPH program around the world.

 

[644579]

Would you mind telling me how many classmates in your cohort came in with doctoral degrees (and in what fields?)
None have doctoral degrees. We have two physicians, and majority of my classmates have MPH/Masters. All my classmates have great work experience (range 4-15 years).
Do they all have extensive work experience following their doctorates?
Do you have a doctorate? In case you do, I would encourage you to apply as the school wants a diverse class and having a doctorate will help you stand out.

 

[roman_m1991]

Thank you for starting this thread! I've really learned a lot through the previous posts. I am a current MPA student with a bachelors of science in public health. My undergraduate GPA is not so stellar but I am top of my class in my graduate school. I currently work at a well known hospital in Manhattan managing a high volume medical oncology clinic. I am not sure of my exact professional path yet but I am very interested in the DrPH degree. I am graduating with my MPA at the end of this summer and am thinking of working until I reach my third year at the hospital and then applying to the DrPH program. I know all applicants are different but do you recommend any other experiences I should try to expose myself to in order to prepare myself for the program?

Thanks again!

 

[644579]

I am not sure of my exact professional path yet but I am very interested in the DrPH degree.
I know it is hard! Although I am happy I got into the Harvard DrPH, I never planned for it but I know the DrPH fits very well with my career path.

You need to make most out of your MPA. I would think beyond hospital. You have the ideal skills to make an impact at a more national/state/community level. For e.g. you can work with a Senator on health policy. Only when you hit the ceiling and know the MPA cannot help you further, you should look out for another degree.

 

[dduckgguck]

HI, I am just before submitting my application to Harvard DrPH degree.

Still some questions about my SOP. currently I plan to change my SOP more focus on my interesting area (NCD prevent and control program in LMICs) with academic backgrounds (reviewing articles and books). However you already mention the "IMPACT" on public health sectors. (I am currently team manager at an affiliation of the Ministry of Health and contributing health policies to Government)

a SOP on DrPH is also need to some focus on academic questions?
or as a high-end professional degree in public health, I'd better focus on my previous works and future plans ?

Waiting for your reply and hope that I can see you in Boston next year!

 

[644579]

For the Harvard DrPH, you have to answer three questions instead of an SOP.

NCD prevent and control program in LMICs.
Sounds interesting but you need to be more specific. Is this through better education/ increase in healthcare professionals / better nutrition. You should definitely review articles. However, you need to connect the health needs you identify with your work experience. And then talk about how the DrPH would be a natural progression towards filling those needs.

With any SOP you want to show that getting into grad school wasn't a random idea but that this experience would fit perfectly with future career goals.

You can drop me a message if you want to be more specific as its not best that you post your SOP ideas on forums.

 

[644579]

Hi Servermrad,

Tough question! Since the DrPH is a new program, my guess is that the applicant pool will vary every year. So your chances depend not just on how good you are but also on fellow applicants! Work experience is important as the program targets the next generation of public health leaders.

Did you have an amazing 1 year practicum and you made a significant impact on the organization you worked for?
Have you done amazing work outside school/work such as start an NGO/company/venture that has made a big impact?

If you answer No to both questions, then it will be best to wait for a year.

Impact is key. Another key attribute is uniqueness.

Based on questions I received, I have added a clarification on what I mean by impact

You can make an impact without having started an NGO/company/venture. For those who have some experience, some examples of impact:
1) Growing your firm e.g. recruiting and training colleagues
2) Winning grants
3) Trying to solve an important health issue e.g. you worked for an NGO in Ethiopia and treated patients with mental health issues.
4) Bringing a new medicine to market
5) Creating strategies for NGOs to improve their business.
6) Through research and communications, creating awareness of an important health issue.

 

[drphcandidate]

Hi,

I am part of the inaugural DrPH cohort. I encourage all of you to have a look at the website:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/drph/

I am happy to answer any questions that you may have .

Thank you

Hi - I'm applying to the DrPH program this year, and I loved your responses so far! I was wondering what your funding situation was? The website mentions that philanthropic contributions have provided financial assistance, but I was wondering if it was similar to a PhD situation (tuition+stipend) or something similar? Thanks!

 

[644579]

Everyone in the first cohort got funding but the funding did vary, from 50% on tuition fees to fully funded + stipend.

I should add that the funding for the DrPH is generally better than the Masters and MPH programs. I expect to be earning during the last year practicum.

 

[Questioning_DrPH]

Hi,

I am part of the inaugural DrPH cohort. I encourage all of you to have a look at the website:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/drph/

I am happy to answer any questions that you may have .

Thank you

I have been accepted to the cohort for 2015 and currently trying to make some decisions. We haven't been given that much information and haven't been given contact info for current students to ask questions directly (outside of virtual chats where faculty are present). Unfortunately I live abroad and cannot attend open house or take a personal trip to meet folks and ask questions. Would you be willing to share your email address privately so we could chat or connect to other current students?

 

[644579]

Yes, absolutely. I will email you the LinkedIn Harvard DrPH admitted students group that we (students) created last year. I will also send you my skype id.

 

[T.J.]

Yes, absolutely. I will email you the LinkedIn Harvard DrPH admitted students group that we (students) created last year. I will also send you my skype id.

I have also been accepted into the 2015 cohort. Can we connect as well? Unfortunately, I was not able to attend Open House but have a few questions about housing, cost of living, and campus life.

 

[MHA_consultant]

If you had an mph, how many classes do you need to repeat as part of the program? Also, what is the on campus requirement? Are you required to be on campus? I'm planning on applying but want to be clear on whether I can live in NY while doing it

 

[Salonegal]

Hi,

I am part of the inaugural DrPH cohort. I encourage all of you to have a look at the website:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/drph/

I am happy to answer any questions that you may have .

Thank you

Hi, I have applied to the Harvard DrPH for 2016. I only have an undergraduate degree though. I was wondering if anyone in your cohort did NOT have a masters degree. I know eligibility requirements say you only need a bachelors and two years of experience, but I was wondering how realistic it is to be able to get in with these requirements.

I'm hoping my work experience will make up for my lack of an advanced degree. I moved back home to Sierra Leone almost three years ago. I was actively involved in the Ebola response, especially disease surveillance. I was training contact tracers nationwide. Do you think I stand a chance based on this? I read what you wrote about doing work that has impact. I'm hoping this counts.

Thanks for answering our questions.

 

[coolianne]

Has anyone heard re admissions for 2016? I had my interview over 2 weeks ago, was told I would hear in "1-2 weeks", so I'm starting to get nervous! Also, for those who were accepted in the past, were you offered your funding package with admissions?

Cheers and good luck to all!

 

[DrPH2016]

Yes, absolutely. I will email you the LinkedIn Harvard DrPH admitted students group that we (students) created last year. I will also send you my skype id.

Can you tell me what the minimum GRE cut off is??

 

[mashutta]

Hello all.
I am thinking to apply for DrPH program at Harvard. However, I have few concerns on career opportunities after graduation. Can anyone help me in this?

 

[MHA_consultant]

Did anyone apply for 2017 admission, or hear back?

 

[DrPH2016]

Check out the new forum I just started. Trying to only include doctoral candidates on this below:

2017 Doctoral Public Health (PhD, DrPH, ScD) Admission Results

 

[thomp103]

Did anyone apply for 2017 admission, or hear back?

I applied, but I haven't heard anything yet. The folks at the admissions office told me that applicants could expect to hear as early as mid-February.

 

[Rubie_KG]

Anyone got the decision from Harvard DrPh Admission Office? Thx