London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine/ University of London Distance Learning acceptance

[tennisbeast]

My question is how hard is it to get into distance learning at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine? Entry requirements state on their website that you need a 3.0 or above (American degree) OR Experience/ Certification. I am extremely worried about getting in and want this badly due to how great this school is and how little it costs. I am applying for the MSc in Epidemiology.

I earned a 3.05 (3.25 Biology) GPA from a top liberal arts college. I first-authored two published papers on breast cancer apoptosis and epigenetics (review paper). I also TAed for a Evolutionary Biology lab. Now I am a manuscript reviewer for a journal called Public Health and interning at Vanderbilt for their Epidemiology division. What is interesting is that I could use data from the work at Vandy to do analysis for the compulsory final project at LSHTM and hopeful publish that too (if I got in). Does anyone have similar stats and got in or do you think have a good chance?

P.S. I know my GPA isn't great and that is mainly why I am here.

Thanks guys

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[Bananasocks]

Hi tennisbeast,

I'm currently a Msc. Epidemiology candidate at the LSHTM via distance learning. Here is a little background on my application. In college I was a triple major in Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Philosophy with a GPA of 3.12. I worked for two-years managing a neuroscience lab then I joined the Peace Corps where I served in Public Health in both Mali and in Kenya. I joined the program last year (~August). At that point, I had like...3 publications (all related to neuroscience shenanigans). So, GPA not so great but I had a lot of working experience and publications. Right now, I work as an analyst/medical scientist at UCSF General Hospital. Looking at your description, I think you should get it. Note that, you cannot get traditional student loans for the program because there is no official deadline for the distance learning program. So, you essentially need to pay the whole darn thing out-of-pocket. This is quite tough to do- at least for me. The program is rigorous. You have to be very self-disciplined to get through the computerized learning material. I am very happy with the program so far but it is stressful to i) be self-taught ii) work full-time while in school iii) save money while you are working/studying to pay for the next year. So just take those factors into consideration when applying. Let me know if you have any additional questions.

 

[tennisbeast]

Hello Bananasocks,

Thanks for replying! Wow you're quite the candidate! I actually got in about a month ago and couldn't be happier. To prepare, I am looking at a Stata book and some free online pdf textbooks on epidemiology and biostatistics before the modules start. I have a couple questions for you about the program.

How do you prepare for the tests and how much time do you spend on the work?
Do you plan on graduating after 2 years or are you taking more time?
What are your plans after graduating? I want to get a PhD in Epi.
Did you start on your Final Project? If so how much guidance is there for this?

As for the loans I applied for FAFSA student loans and the information was sent to the School. I assume they will let me know after I register in a couple of weeks whether or not this is okay to do.

Thanks.

 

[Adelanne]

Hi tennisbeast,

I'm currently a Msc. Epidemiology candidate at the LSHTM via distance learning. Here is a little background on my application. In college I was a triple major in Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Philosophy with a GPA of 3.12. I worked for two-years managing a neuroscience lab then I joined the Peace Corps where I served in Public Health in both Mali and in Kenya. I joined the program last year (~August). At that point, I had like...3 publications (all related to neuroscience shenanigans). So, GPA not so great but I had a lot of working experience and publications. Right now, I work as an analyst/medical scientist at UCSF General Hospital. Looking at your description, I think you should get it. Note that, you cannot get traditional student loans for the program because there is no official deadline for the distance learning program. So, you essentially need to pay the whole darn thing out-of-pocket. This is quite tough to do- at least for me. The program is rigorous. You have to be very self-disciplined to get through the computerized learning material. I am very happy with the program so far but it is stressful to i) be self-taught ii) work full-time while in school iii) save money while you are working/studying to pay for the next year. So just take those factors into consideration when applying. Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Hi Bananasocks! Were you happy with the program overall? Were you ever employed as an epidemiologist and did you feel well-prepared? Were you well-received by employers?