You might want to check if doing an MPH program will give you residency or if they will only consider you in the state for "educational purposes" and not a CA resident if you do it. I know you can get residency by living here a year, working, paying taxes, etc. To do that might put off your application by a year. But if you really want to go to a California school it might be the best way to go since it is very difficult to get in as a non-resident. Not that it is easy as a resident either, but you've got a better shot. There's also USC, Stanford and Loma Linda to consider regardless of your state of residency. Good luck and I posted something about establishing residency on the "UC applicants update" thread recently that you might find helpful.
