I'm in my first semester of my MPH program and I've been facing some inner struggles. Right now, I'm exploring different options, one of which is switching from a full-time program to a part-time program. Would that be frowned upon by future employers?
Switching from Full-Time to Part-Time Public Health Program?
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Probably wouldn't be counted against you by most employers, might give you an advantage if you now have the time to work on a multi-year project. I'd ask faculty at your school about this as doubtlessly they've had students that have had to change their planned course of study.
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I definitely don't think that employers would look down on you switching from a full-time to a part-time program. If it means that you will succeed in your program, go for it. Switching to a part-time program will also give you time to maybe get some extra experience if you use your time well and, as Bolingbroke said, it would allow you to work on a multi-year project.
UPDATE: I'm seriously contemplating either seeing if there's an online option or applying for transfer to GW's MPH. I guess I underestimated the fit of the city when making my decision, and was more concerned with the quality of the program and reputation.
Before moving to New Orleans, I was living and working in the Washington DC Metro Area. I knew that New Orleans was not going to be a permanent stay for me, though I thought that it would be best option out of all the schools that I was accepted to for my MPH. The academics are fine, pretty easy if I'm being completely honest. It's really hard for me to adjust to the city and school.
Any thoughts?
Before moving to New Orleans, I was living and working in the Washington DC Metro Area. I knew that New Orleans was not going to be a permanent stay for me, though I thought that it would be best option out of all the schools that I was accepted to for my MPH. The academics are fine, pretty easy if I'm being completely honest. It's really hard for me to adjust to the city and school.
Any thoughts?
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If you're not happy in the city and you know there is no way you want to end up there long term, I don't see the harm in transferring. The city is actually the main reason I decided not to apply to Tulane. I really liked the program, but I know I don't want to end up in New Orleans. You're in a professional program, which means you should be in a city that you're happy in. It's where most of your networking is going to happen.
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I think most schools will honor at least some of the credits you've received from Tulane--I would contact the admission department ASAP so you can see how soon this switch might be able to happen. My personal experience was that Yale allowed some of my BU classes to be counted towards requirements.
@IntriguedStudent ,
Yes, I only came to Tulane because of it's global recognition for maternal and child health, and international health. I knew that New Orleans was not a permanent stay for me, though I know that Tulane has strong relationships with many international health organizations, and many alumni have gone on to pursue their careers in global health in other locations, i.e. Washington DC and New York City. Many of the networking opportunities are for internships, fellowships, and jobs outside of New Orleans. We recently had the Founder and CEO of John Snow, Inc. present a seminar on "Building A Career in Global Health", and JSI has recruited a bunch of Tulane graduates in the past.
Before moving to New Orleans, I was living and working in Washington, DC. Due to the lack of MPH programs, I wasn't happy with GW's offerings and their reputation across the board, I did not have many options. Though, I respect your decision not applying to Tulane. Where are you at now?
Yes, I only came to Tulane because of it's global recognition for maternal and child health, and international health. I knew that New Orleans was not a permanent stay for me, though I know that Tulane has strong relationships with many international health organizations, and many alumni have gone on to pursue their careers in global health in other locations, i.e. Washington DC and New York City. Many of the networking opportunities are for internships, fellowships, and jobs outside of New Orleans. We recently had the Founder and CEO of John Snow, Inc. present a seminar on "Building A Career in Global Health", and JSI has recruited a bunch of Tulane graduates in the past.
Before moving to New Orleans, I was living and working in Washington, DC. Due to the lack of MPH programs, I wasn't happy with GW's offerings and their reputation across the board, I did not have many options. Though, I respect your decision not applying to Tulane. Where are you at now?
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My above comment should probably be taken with a grain of salt. I'm still in the application process, but location was a big factor for me in deciding where to apply. I wanted to be in a location that would provide me with good local networking ability, as it will be unlikely that I'll want to immediately relocate following the completion of my MPH. My wife is in the process of establishing her career as well, so by the time I finish she will likely be semi-established somewhere and it just wouldn't make sense for us to relocate.
I think you just need to evaluate whether you're going to be able to get what you need out of your current program. If the networking isn't the issue, would transferring to a different program be advantageous, or would it make no difference in your professional goals?
That's a good philosophy and criteria, @IntriguedStudent . It seems that you're in a different boat than me, from a social and life-stage standpoint. I can definitely reap the benefits of this program, which include building invaluable relationships with professors and other faculty members connected to public health professionals on a global scale, as well as take advantage of the many opportunities that come in form of "hands-on" instruction within Tulane's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, neighboring health and community development organizations in the New Orleans vicinity, and other entities that Tulane's name is connected to.
After thinking it over, I'm kind of thinking that while New Orleans isn't my ideal location, the social component will not be much better at another university. The social nature of public health sector tends to attract a wider female audience, which can be attributed to a series of factors, though it's definitely representative in the composition of gender distribution within MPH programs. Of course the more hard science areas of public health, i.e. biostatistics and epidemiology, tend to have a little more equal playing field in terms of gender divide.
With that said, there's no use in transferring, especially for a program of this duration. While graduate school should incorporate a balance of academic, professional and social growth, once you begin to weigh the most salient factors in why you're here, you'll realize that it's not supposed to be like undergrad. People are in different stages of their lives, and everyone is here to get their degree and move on. I'm going to stick it out and make the best of the situation.
After thinking it over, I'm kind of thinking that while New Orleans isn't my ideal location, the social component will not be much better at another university. The social nature of public health sector tends to attract a wider female audience, which can be attributed to a series of factors, though it's definitely representative in the composition of gender distribution within MPH programs. Of course the more hard science areas of public health, i.e. biostatistics and epidemiology, tend to have a little more equal playing field in terms of gender divide.
With that said, there's no use in transferring, especially for a program of this duration. While graduate school should incorporate a balance of academic, professional and social growth, once you begin to weigh the most salient factors in why you're here, you'll realize that it's not supposed to be like undergrad. People are in different stages of their lives, and everyone is here to get their degree and move on. I'm going to stick it out and make the best of the situation.
So we're in the middle of finals and I'm here struggling. The social component of the program, and not adjusting to New Orleans has had a huge strain on my emotional and psychological health. I'm on track to graduate in one and a half years, so exactly a year from now, however I'm not sure if I can take being in New Orleans that much longer.
When selecting a program, I really underestimated the geographic location of the program and student body composition. My grades are very strong at Tulane, however my social situation has been distracting me from studying for finals. There's not many other programs that offer a strong global MCH program that suit my preferences. Are there options to do study abroad in graduate school, not the practicum. An option where I can take courses at a sister university overseas, or is that unheard of in graduate school? I was looking into spring transfer, though no programs I'm interested in offer that option.
Any thoughts?
When selecting a program, I really underestimated the geographic location of the program and student body composition. My grades are very strong at Tulane, however my social situation has been distracting me from studying for finals. There's not many other programs that offer a strong global MCH program that suit my preferences. Are there options to do study abroad in graduate school, not the practicum. An option where I can take courses at a sister university overseas, or is that unheard of in graduate school? I was looking into spring transfer, though no programs I'm interested in offer that option.
Any thoughts?
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It sucks that you're having such a rough time with it all. Do you mind if I ask what exactly about the situation is making it so difficult for you?
I don't know if studying abroad is very common in graduate school, especially in a program that is only a year and a half. You could definitely talk to your adviser about it though to see if there is anything like that available to students at Tulane. Do you think doing a practicum abroad would at least give you the break you need to persevere through the rest of your time there?
I'm doing my practicum in the summer, because Tulane offers most of the electives I want to take for my public health interests, MCH, in the spring only.
It's a complex issue; everything from the student body composition to New Orleans in general. It takes a certain person to fall in love with New Orleans, and I realize that I was much better fit in Boston or DC, where there's a higher intellectually diverse culture. I'm one of three guys in my particular concentration, and men are the minority in the program. The students tend to be a lot younger, mostly Class of 2014'ers, so they tend to lack maturity and real-world experience which makes it hard for me to relate to them. New Orleans is a great city, but it definitely is a city of issues... which makes it unique and what drew me to it. Having the chance to work in the community with the at-risk populations, however living in these conditions can be hard. There's lot of crime, huge "drinking culture", and a lack of intellectual stimulation.
It's a complex issue; everything from the student body composition to New Orleans in general. It takes a certain person to fall in love with New Orleans, and I realize that I was much better fit in Boston or DC, where there's a higher intellectually diverse culture. I'm one of three guys in my particular concentration, and men are the minority in the program. The students tend to be a lot younger, mostly Class of 2014'ers, so they tend to lack maturity and real-world experience which makes it hard for me to relate to them. New Orleans is a great city, but it definitely is a city of issues... which makes it unique and what drew me to it. Having the chance to work in the community with the at-risk populations, however living in these conditions can be hard. There's lot of crime, huge "drinking culture", and a lack of intellectual stimulation.
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Yeah, that makes sense. I'm not a huge fan of New Orleans. It has a lot of culture, so I think it'd be an interesting place to visit. I just don't think it would be a place I would enjoy living either. Tulane is a great school though. Hopefully that will make it all worth it for you!
