What you wish you knew before starting your MPH program...

[ReproHlthPlz]

I know I can't be the only person wondering this, so I decided to start a thread. I know only one person doing public health currently and do not have many people in my social circle who are in grad school. All in all, I am not really sure what to expect during my transition from undergrad to grad. What sort of expectations should I have? Any major surprises that you wish you were forewarned about? Thanks for your responses.

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[anthrovagabond]

great thread. can't wait for the responses

 

[behealthy]

Depends on your background... get good at reading journal articles super quickly. I don't mean reading every line at speed, but rather being able to read an abstract, and discussion, and know everything you need to know.

 

[parapluie]

Depends on your background... get good at reading journal articles super quickly. I don't mean reading every line at speed, but rather being able to read an abstract, and discussion, and know everything you need to know.

Just to confirm, this is more specifically pertaining to epidemiology/biostat?

 

[JMM051]

You will be amazed at the amount of journal articles you read. In all concentrations. I can't read articles online so I have a small forest littering the bottom of my desk floor.

 

[behealthy]

Nope, all disciplines. I can't speak for Biostats actually, but assume they are the same. I wonder how many I read last year... 100? most classes had at least 3/week....

 

[nietzsche754]

This is less academic and more cultural but coming from volunteering in a community based non profit I was kind of taken aback by how many of my peers were pursuing a MPH because they thought they were going to make lots of money. They are in for a rude awakening I'm afraid.

 

[swaffles]

This is less academic and more cultural but coming from volunteering in a community based non profit I was kind of taken aback by how many of my peers were pursuing a MPH because they thought they were going to make lots of money. They are in for a rude awakening I'm afraid.

Hahaha. I wonder who is going around telling them those rumors.

 

[nietzsche754]

The same little birdies who told me as an undergrad I could be a rich and famous history professor like David McCullough if I got a degree in that field. LOL

 

[Stories]

This is less academic and more cultural but coming from volunteering in a community based non profit I was kind of taken aback by how many of my peers were pursuing a MPH because they thought they were going to make lots of money. They are in for a rude awakening I'm afraid.

I think you might be surprised at some salaries...

 

[parapluie]

This is less academic and more cultural but coming from volunteering in a community based non profit I was kind of taken aback by how many of my peers were pursuing a MPH because they thought they were going to make lots of money. They are in for a rude awakening I'm afraid.

Maybe not immediately post-graduation, but I'd like to think that an MPH is something that can take you a long way, career-wise. It all depends on how you make use of your credentials, so in that sense it could bring an abundance of riches. Or so I'd like to believe if I'm going to pay $50 000+ in tuition alone for the two years of study. If I'm wrong, please grant me my rude awakening when it's still not too late!

 

[swaffles]

To see for myself, I went to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' website to find the mean and median annual wages for certain departments in 2009:

Epidemiology Mean: $64,950 Median: $61,700
Medical and Health Services Manager Mean: $90,970 Median: $81,850
Statistician (couldn't find biostat specifically)Mean: $75,220 Median: $72,820
Health Education Mean: $49,060 Median: $44,340
Nutrition Mean: $53,230 Median: $52,150
Environmental Scientists (including Health) Mean: $67,360 Median: $61,010
Occupational Health Technician Mean: $47,280 Median: $44,830

Source: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes191041.htm for Epi, you can find the rest from there.

International Health didn't really have anything specific show up on the BLS site but according to another site, 'the most recent nationwide survey of graduates conducted by ASPH' showed the salary range being $31,500 - $86,625 (http://www.whatispublichealth.org/faqs/index.html )

Disclaimer: Obviously, these aren't the only jobs you can get with a Public Health and there is an entire spectrum of salaries that you can earn for any job depending on experience, qualifications, LOCATION, and demand.

Not shabby salaries at all but not really money making machines either, as nietzsche754 pointed out.

 

[nietzsche754]

To see for myself, I went to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' website to find the mean and median annual wages for certain departments in 2009:

Epidemiology Mean: $64,950 Median: $61,700
Medical and Health Services Manager Mean: $90,970 Median: $81,850
Statistician (couldn't find biostat specifically)Mean: $75,220 Median: $72,820
Health Education Mean: $49,060 Median: $44,340
Nutrition Mean: $53,230 Median: $52,150
Environmental Scientists (including Health) Mean: $67,360 Median: $61,010
Occupational Health Technician Mean: $47,280 Median: $44,830

Source: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes191041.htm for Epi, you can find the rest from there.

International Health didn't really have anything specific show up on the BLS site but according to another site, 'the most recent nationwide survey of graduates conducted by ASPH' showed the salary range being $31,500 - $86,625 (http://www.whatispublichealth.org/faqs/index.html )

Disclaimer: Obviously, these aren't the only jobs you can get with a Public Health and there is an entire spectrum of salaries that you can earn for any job depending on experience, qualifications, LOCATION, and demand.

Not shabby salaries at all but not really money making machines either, as nietzsche754 pointed out.

And I might add I'm in a health education program as well. It doesn't bother me that much though I went into this field with salary very far down my list of expected benefits for me it was more of a personal calling.

 

[parapluie]

And I might add I'm in a health education program as well. It doesn't bother me that much though I went into this field with salary very far down my list of expected benefits for me it was more of a personal calling.

It's the same for me. I've explored a lot of other career options in undergrad that would eventually yield good pay, but I was just miserable doing the work. Plus I live in Canada and the taxes we have to pay is ridiculous--so it doesn't make THAT much of a difference how much you make once your annual salary goes past $80 000 lol.

 

[awkwardturtles]

I found this from the whatispublichealth website:

While there are dozens of specialties in public health, most career opportunities are found in the following fields. The salary ranges, as follows, are the actual salaries earned (adjusted for inflation using the national CPI - Bureau of Labor Statistics) within one year of graduation as reported by the most recent nationwide survey of graduates conducted by ASPH:

• Health Services Administration
  $37,050 - $161,400
• Biostatistics
  $33,000 - $63,000
• Epidemiology
  $38,175 - $136,237
• Health Education/Behavioral Science
  $33,000 - $86,625
• Environmental Health
  $44,550 - $143,700
• International Health
  $31,500 - $86,625
• Nutrition
  $31,500 - $70,875
• Public Health Practice/Program Management
  $41,175 - $102,000
• Biomedical Laboratory
  $31,500 - $78,750

http://www.whatispublichealth.org/faqs/index.html

 

[swaffles]

I was lookin' at that, too, awkwardturtles!

But i felt like range data tends to be misleading since there might only be one person out of everyone earning $44,550 for environmental health and only one person earning $143,700 in the same field.

 

[nietzsche754]

I was lookin' at that, too, awkwardturtles!

But i felt like range data tends to be misleading since there might only be one person out of everyone earning $44,550 for environmental health and only one person earning $143,700 in the same field.

I believe those numbers also combine MPH and PhD grads.

 

[awkwardturtles]

I was lookin' at that, too, awkwardturtles!

But i felt like range data tends to be misleading since there might only be one person out of everyone earning $44,550 for environmental health and only one person earning $143,700 in the same field.

I agree, Swaffles! I also agree with Nietzsche754 that it includes PhD grads as well.

However, the BLS didn't seem to categorize certain careers into the specific public health fields (i.e. environmental science is different from environmental health science), so I wanted to see what the public health orgs are listing the salary ranges as.

 

[FlyingDisc]

I agree, Swaffles! I also agree with Nietzsche754 that it includes PhD grads as well.

However, the BLS didn't seem to categorize certain careers into the specific public health fields (i.e. environmental science is different from environmental health science), so I wanted to see what the public health orgs are listing the salary ranges as.

Don't forget some public health workers also have their MD, MBA, or other professional degrees.
The higher salary generally applies to those with higher professional degree on top of MPH.

 

[ReproHlthPlz]

Thanks for responses thus far! Okay, so getting away from pay... let's talk about the actual graduate student experience:

What were you experiences trying to find field practicum sites?
What are the best ways to network with faculty?
What are some resources that you wish you had taken better advantage of as a student?

 

[parapluie]

One more from me:

What do you recommend for students who are considering doing a PhD after their MPH? Is it recommended that one gains field experience first, between their MPH and PhD application? Or do students tend to go directly from MPH to PhD?

Thanks a bunch!

 

[Lawgiver]

get your hands dirty and go MD.

 

[alm14]

I know I can't be the only person wondering this, so I decided to start a thread. I know only one person doing public health currently and do not have many people in my social circle who are in grad school. All in all, I am not really sure what to expect during my transition from undergrad to grad. What sort of expectations should I have? Any major surprises that you wish you were forewarned about? Thanks for your responses.

Wherever you go for your program, legwork is key. Pursue all the networking opportunities you can: go to lectures on campus, and email professors or organizations you're interested in working with, and play the student card a lot for shadowing or interviews. I usually aim to have 1 or 2 informational interviews a month. You have opportunities to learn from people that you never will again, simply because you're a student and you want to learn.

If you find a position for a job or volunteering but it's not a perfect fit (the organization is smaller or larger than what you'd like, or not quite in line with your interests, or you wouldn't quite be doing the work you want to), consider what skills it would give you before you turn it down

 

[JewcyFruit]

The same little birdies who told me as an undergrad I could be a rich and famous history professor like David McCullough if I got a degree in that field. LOL

Ohhhh, me, too! My first MA is in history! I was asked by the history faculty to stay on at my thesis defense and I said yes out of happiness, but said no because I knew tenure doesn't exist. Though, history of science is a little better than war and society (MA concentration). Though, I wouldn't change a thing because my thesis was on WWII malaria protocols and it really brought me to my mph epi degree. I followed my childhood passion and I couldn't be happier to finally be here. I can't wait for school in September!

Nope, all disciplines. I can't speak for Biostats actually, but assume they are the same. I wonder how many I read last year... 100? most classes had at least 3/week....

I think this is true, generally, in grad school. In my grad. certificate program in women, gender, and sexuality studies it was 2 books per week per class, or 1 book and 3-5 articles. Same in history, though we usually got one monograph and several articles instead of two books.

get your hands dirty and go MD.

I want to very much, but I'd have to take a year of chem, a year of physics (which I love!), calc, and a bio class to get in. Also, my father, an internist, forbade it starting around 1993. Considering I'm 29 now, I'll be 31 when I graduate with an MPH, and 32 by the time I'd be able to start med school - I'd be 40 if I wimp out of an ID fellowship and just stick to IM. I'll be SO OLD. My eggs won't even work anymore.

 

[Lawgiver]

Hmmm, im 31 and still have two years before I apply. Age is nothing. You can always start a family in med school. Many have done it, why not you?

 

[JewcyFruit]

Hmmm, im 31 and still have two years before I apply. Age is nothing. You can always start a family in med school. Many have done it, why not you?

Unfortunately, it won't be so easy for me. While everyone is different, I don't know how I'll handle class and IVF shots.

 

[She-Hulk]

You will be amazed at the amount of journal articles you read. In all concentrations. I can't read articles online so I have a small forest littering the bottom of my desk floor.

What specific journals do public health people read? I guess for Epi it would be stuff related to that,

 

[BPW1088]

@She-Hulk , articles from The Lancet tend to be very popular among public health professionals. Many of the articles that I read for courses here at Tulane come from The Lancet.

What specific journals do public health people read? I guess for Epi it would be stuff related to that,

 

[Allan Chandy]

And I might add I'm in a health education program as well. It doesn't bother me that much though I went into this field with salary very far down my list of expected benefits for me it was more of a personal calling.

Hey bud, i'm in a health promotion/health education major called "health behavior science" here at the university of delaware. Since you seem like you are already working within a field like this? How is it like? I am majoring in this field because i wanted to get into a profession where i help people one on one, but i am not sure what kind of decent job i can get to support myself and save up for my master's degree as i do not want to shell out money and take on loans immediately after i graduate with my bachelor's just to immediately do my masters. Like honestly, what is out there? The only things that seem realistically useful so far that i have learned in my major is research methods and statistics and adapted physical education where this course teaches us everything about fitness planning, fitness prescription, introduces us to biometric screening principles, etc. Other than that...it's all behavior orientated courses where we seek to change behavior. The dean who teaches several courses within my major explains there are lots of opportunites out there and that people with these skillsets end up being market analysts? HOWEVER, for the time being though i am leaning more towards my minor (public health). I want to see if i can get into infection prevention despite not having a nursing degree, i need to know if i can pursue this path and get licensed and work as an infection preventionist or get a job in the public health field while having this kind of bachelor's degree so that i can support myself and save up for my masters. Ideally, infectious disease epidemiology is what i want to acquire in the end. However, i am also looking to do hospital epidemiology since infection prevention is more of within that arena. Cheers mate!

 

[Allan Chandy]

I think you might be surprised at some salaries...

Good day, Sir Stories

I'm a current junior undergraduate attending the university of Delaware majoring in something called Health Behavior Science (falls under health promotion/health education), and since late 2014, I've become interested in public health. During my winter, I took the time to research what kinds of jobs I can get with a bachelors in health behavior science, with a minor in public health, I'm also waiting to minor in business administration because I'm raising my GPA to enter the program. Anyway, I have read up on what the profession of infection prevention is all about, and I'm writing to ask you if it would be possible for someone like me to get involved in this field, without having a nursing degree...I was given the opportunity to shadow an infection preventionist at a hospital. I have yet to fulfill that opportunity, but first I want to understand if I will he able to get a job out of this in the end. Could I end up getting an internship, and research experience? I know I would really need to get a certification, but even then...would I be able to work as an infection preventionist? I am looking to work as one even if it is a temp job for a couple or few years that's if they allow me, before going for my masters in hospital epidemiology. Thank you!