Politics and Top Schools?

[HampshireGirl]

. . .

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[beeboops]

I'm gonna be honest with you - I don't think you'll find many people here sympathetic to your stance that an "MPH degree is an expensive way to shore up your liberal credentials". If you truly believe that that's what it's for, then I wouldn't bother pursuing an MPH or a career in public health, for that matter. Not trying to pick a fight with you over politics, it's just that that came off as very condescending.

Now, in answer to your question, I think the perceived politics of the school shouldn't be a concern. What you should be looking for is whether they have a program you're interested in, whether it provides ample opportunity for practical experiences, and what the job placement is like following graduation. At whatever school you end up at, you'll be able to find people who share your personal stances on politics, I'm sure. If you're concerned that a school is "super liberal", find a way to reach out to current students and suss out the atmosphere from conversations with them, keeping in mind that an individual's personal politics does not have any real bearing on an institution's politics.

 

[wwmmkk]

I'm coming into public health from education, which is another field where people express an impossible-to-fulfill desire to be apolitical. Politics are intrinsically wrapped up into public health, and I think even if you choose the most science-y career in biostatistics or epi or whatever, you're still going to have to base some, if not all, of the decisions you make on your political beliefs. I came through an extremely political program for my M.Ed, and while I didn't agree with ~50% of the politics my fellow students and professors espoused, I benefitted immensely from the challenge of determining and analyzing how my own political views informed my practice in the field. I think that searching for a politically neutral or apolitical environment may actually be a detriment to your education and that learning how to live your "personal politics" in a way people don't have to "divinate" will make you a better public health practitioner.

That said, I would take @beeboops advice if you are set on earning an MPH while being in the most comfortable political environment for yourself. While this isn't something I've asked or researched explicitly myself, from the ~vibes~ I've gotten, Harvard may be a place for you too look and Brown may be a place for you to avoid. Also, in general, I think public schools are less politically charged than private, but that's a generalization that may not apply to public health programs.

 

[HampshireGirl]

. . .

 

[mypoopcanfly]

First thing first, I think you really need to research the field of public health. Based on your concerns about schools and public health, it appears that you do not understand what public health does.

What do you mean by "hard skills side of the coin"? Are you looking into the biology/ science aspect of public health? If so, they too involve some connection to politics. Public health is a multidisciplinary field that also incorporates policy issues, and politics will be a discussion in most of your classes. Keep in mind that cultural humility, while a different topic, but still relevant, is crucial to public health. You have to be open to other people's point of view, and understand that your way of thinking isn't the only way. You will definitely encounter individuals that will have different politics than you regardless where you are at. Similar to the advice from the two posters above, if you are interested in public health, find a program that best fit your needs, and contact the students and faculty to have their perspectives on the school's environment.

 

[amm13d]

Hello all, longtime lurker but thinking about taking the plunge and applying for an MPH, wondering about the connection between public health and politics. I'd like to go to a good school, and was considering Columbia, but read that the atmosphere is kind of political, while I vote democrat, kinda hesitant about mixing politics into an educational environment and don't feel always feel comfortable around people whose politics is their identity. I'm worried that the MPH degree is an expensive way to shore up your liberal credentials and less about science at some places?

Just read that faculty at Columbia compared Pro-lifers to taliban, students complained, and while I'm definitely pro-choice, have had weird experiences being around people who constantly slam the "other side". Also I think I look like a conservative though I'm not! More of a I'll defend your right to say what you want even if I don't agree with it sort of person.

What are the super-liberal schools I should avoid? Or maybe this isn't such of an issue? I don't like it when people try to divinate my personal politics for whatever reason.

I didn't mean to offend, just that I read that Columbia's program had a political angle and that a student there can work during the first semester because some of the courses are easy. Was wondering if there are a lot of policy/political discussion classes that don't require homework, I guess I'm more interested the hard skills side of the coin. I would think that the MPH degree helps a ton for people who want to work for a liberal leaning policy think tank or one of the multitude of organizations that work on public health issues? Not my cup of tea, but that's what I was thinking.

Yes, I did provide that information about Columbia, but at no time did I state that liberalism or extreme political statements are part of the curriculum. The courses at Columbia aren't of "less science" in comparison to other schools. You will still learn the tools to be an epidemiologist or whatever it is you want to do. The climate here at Columbia consists of students and sometimes faculty members who may be vocal about their beliefs, so if that makes you uncomfortable, consider applying elsewhere. Also, yes, I did say that the first semester is perhaps less difficult than advertised, but you must also take into account that during your first semester as a Columbia MPH student, you will be enrolled in 7 courses. I said that only half of them are actually time-consuming, but remember that half of the 7 classes you'll be in is about the normal course load anywhere else. Except, you'll still have the remainder of the 7 classes to worry about from time-to-time. Plus, I think that being able to work is of great benefit to a student because you won't have to rely on loans to pay for your monthly expenses?

 

[bd2010]

I actually looked into this thread because I'm aiming for the exact opposite of what you are looking. Politics are an important part of public health, whether it has to do with understanding how the sociopolitical environment impacts behaviors of populations, to funding for research. Unfortunately, much of politics revolve around public health topics have very few people who have training in public health making the decisions - I think you will find in your schooling that people on our end being apolitical is actually a disadvantage.

I don't think you should let the incendiary statements of individuals impact whether you go to a particular school or not, and you should delve deeper into what you can get from the school and how it will support you.

I also want to be very clear: Academia is not apolitical. Your institution, no matter what/where it is - is going to play an important political role locally and probably in the state and globally. Pay attention to the administration, what gets funded, who is on the board, who is invited to speak, etc. You will notice that all higher education institutions are political. They will engage or remain neutral depending on what suits them - this is a political move.

I personally believe that neutrality in response to oppression only serves the oppressor - as such, finding an institution that aligns with my beliefs about humanity as I pursue a degree in Epidemiology, is of utmost importance to me. This is coming from years of experience after an MPH where every position from government, academia, to the private sector (all analytic positions) have been impacted by local and federal politics.

 

[HampshireGirl]

.

 

[notinkansas]

Public heath in general skews to the far left side of the political spectrum. This is where you will find the highest percentage of doctors favoring total government control ("single payer"), for example. It has been my experience that left wing extremists are extremely intolerant of viewpoints different from their own. As I have been interviewing in Preventive Medicine Residency programs (which include the MPH degree), I have had the full rage of experiences: one school in which I attended a conference during which all the residents and faculty were openly stating how stupid Republicans are, several programs where the interviewees revealed their left wing politics in more subtle was, to programs where nobody said anything political during the interview, to one in which one person stated they are conservative but didn't say anything else.

I found it quite revealing that some programs had people that openly talked about politics during INTERVIEWS.

It seems what OP is looking for might be tolerance, not apoliticalness.

Any program in NYC is likely to be dominated by left wingers, and they are likely to be very intolerant of other viewpoints. That's the way NYC is in general. It was in NYC that I had the interview where everyone openly talked about how stupid Republicans are.

I wouldn't avoid schools in terms of applying. Apply broadly, go on interviews and assess what you see in the interviews.

 

[wwmmkk]

Related to what @notinkansas said, you should know that most MPH programs do not interview applicants. Most do have open house events, admitted student days, and encourage students to visit on their own, so take those routes if you want to meet with faculty. I feel like this is a really common misconception on this forum in general.

 

[Decicco]

Related to what @notinkansas said, you should know that most MPH programs do not interview applicants. Most do have open house events, admitted student days, and encourage students to visit on their own, so take those routes if you want to meet with faculty. I feel like this is a really common misconception on this forum in general.

He was interviewing for a medical residency that includes an MPH. All residency programs have interviews.

The ivory tower in general leans left. I don't think it is specific to public health programs.

 

[thefamousboat]

PH professionals definitely skew more to the left than, say, doctors, but at my school certain concentrations are more heavily political (policy, obviously, and community health) while others are basically apolitical (epi, my concentration, biostats, etc.). I have noticed that MPH students tend to be pretty young (<25) and predominantly female, which made our class discussions in the mandatory health policy intro course painfully one-sided at times. You could tell that there were times where the PA and med students in class were dying on the inside.

 

[moonwave89]

When I was researching schools, an Emory student said that although the institution as a whole is fairly liberal, students still found it difficult to openly talk about issues such as abortion and gun control on campus and in classes. Likewise, one of my current classmates previously attended and worked at a reproductive health center at GWU where they could not work on projects around abortion because the funder did not support it. This is just to reinforce bd2010's point that you'll face politics (left or right) regardless of the institution you attend.

 

[impervious0ne]

Hi moonwave, I went to Emory as an undergrad and I can attest to left leaning tendencies. It's a southern school for sure, but sizable portion of the student body are from left-leaning states or left-leaning locations of southern states. I don't think it made any difference in openness of discussion.