MPH What can I do to learn more about public health and make myself more competitive?

[WorldOfPug]

Hi everyone,

I recently graduated from college, and I am interested in going into public health. I interned at a harm reduction center during college and discovered that I could be great at running a center. I've always been interested in management/administration as well. My wish is to work as a health administrator in a hospital but running a health promotion/outreach center would be awesome too.

I looked into several programs such as MHA, MBA, MPH, etc., and MPH seems like the best option since an MPH will give me the flexibility to go into management as well as head towards another concentration if my interests change. Please let me know if I am misguided here.

I submitted my applications to MPH programs and selected the policy and management tracts. However, I know that I submitted my applications prematurely. (Working at the harm reduction center is the only experience I have). I am unsure if I will get into any programs.

If I do not get in, what can I do to strengthen my application? Of course, internships and work are great, but I don't know exactly what jobs I should be looking for. Do I do outreach stuff, try to work in the administrative departments in hospitals, etc? In other words, what can I do from now until the next cycle to make myself competitive? I'm stuck here.

Advice would be awesome!

Thank you.

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[IntriguedStudent]

Hi everyone,

I recently graduated from college, and I am interested in going into public health. I interned at a harm reduction center during college and discovered that I could be great at running a center. I've always been interested in management/administration as well. My wish is to work as a health administrator in a hospital but running a health promotion/outreach center would be awesome too.

I looked into several programs such as MHA, MBA, MPH, etc., and MPH seems like the best option since an MPH will give me the flexibility to go into management as well as head towards another concentration if my interests change. Please let me know if I am misguided here.

I submitted my applications to MPH programs and selected the policy and management tracts. However, I know that I submitted my applications prematurely. (Working at the harm reduction center is the only experience I have). I am unsure if I will get into any programs.

If I do not get in, what can I do to strengthen my application? Of course, internships and work are great, but I don't know exactly what jobs I should be looking for. Do I do outreach stuff, try to work in the administrative departments in hospitals, etc? In other words, what can I do from now until the next cycle to make myself competitive? I'm stuck here.

Advice would be awesome!

Thank you.

First off, definitely find a way to get more public health exposure. This is not a field you should enter unless you've had the experiences to know that it's something you would enjoy and have a passion for. Additionally, if you are interested in going the MPH health management and policy route, try to get exposure to that field as well. Although an MHA and an MPH HPM share similarities, they do tend to have a few differences. Depending on the program, it may not be very easy for you to change MPH concentrations if you decide you do not like HPM.

With all of that being said, MPH programs are not very competitive. If you have a decent GPA and GRE scores all you really need to be able to do is articulate why you want to enter the field. A strong SOP and good LORs will go a long way in MPH admissions. You seem like you're on the right path, so just keep looking for new opportunities to get exposed to the field and you'll be fine. Good luck!

 

[WorldOfPug]

First off, definitely find a way to get more public health exposure. This is not a field you should enter unless you've had the experiences to know that it's something you would enjoy and have a passion for. Additionally, if you are interested in going the MPH health management and policy route, try to get exposure to that field as well. Although an MHA and an MPH HPM share similarities, they do tend to have a few differences. Depending on the program, it may not be very easy for you to change MPH concentrations if you decide you do not like HPM.

With all of that being said, MPH programs are not very competitive. If you have a decent GPA and GRE scores all you really need to be able to do is articulate why you want to enter the field. A strong SOP and good LORs will go a long way in MPH admissions. You seem like you're on the right path, so just keep looking for new opportunities to get exposed to the field and you'll be fine. Good luck!

Hey,
Thank you for the advice. Since working in hospital management would be dreamy, do you recommend jobs that are more focused on outreach or jobs that have a more administrative role? I understand my experiences are lacking, so I would like to add onto them. I also want to apply as soon as possible, so getting the right and relevant job would be great. Is doing clerical stuff at a hospital or office considered a waste?

Also, why do you say this is a field that I shouldn't go into if I am not passionate about it? Of course, I would look elsewhere if I find that I do not like it. But, is there anything that you find not worthwhile going into this line of work?

 

[IntriguedStudent]

Hey,
Thank you for the advice. Since working in hospital management would be dreamy, do you recommend jobs that are more focused on outreach or jobs that have a more administrative role? I understand my experiences are lacking, so I would like to add onto them. I also want to apply as soon as possible, so getting the right and relevant job would be great. Is doing clerical stuff at a hospital or office considered a waste?

Also, why do you say this is a field that I shouldn't go into if I am not passionate about it? Of course, I would look elsewhere if I find that I do not like it. But, is there anything that you find not worthwhile going into this line of work?

This isn't my field, so much of what I have to say is speculation/what I've observed. I think the type of experience you should look for depends on if you're going the MHA/MBA or the MPH route. For MHA/MBA, you should definitely look at jobs that would give you an administrative role. They are going to look for managerial experience. Often, you may have to start in a clerical role to move up to this sort of position. If you're going MPH (HPM concentration), it would be good to get some outreach/public health experience along with some administrative experience.

If you are looking to go the public health direction, you really should have a passion for the field. Unless you go into some top management, policy, or consulting positions, the pay coming out of an MPH is generally low (not terrible, but you're not going to get rich). Getting an MPH won't prepare you for much outside of the public health field. If you were to find that it's not something you enjoy, you would need to find a way to apply the practical skills you obtain to something outside of the field. There are a lot of different aspects of public health that cater to a variety of personalities, but I believe it's important that you find the one that is the best fit for you before you commit to doing something like this.