Best Schools for Public Health, Health Disparities, Underserved Populations

[ashleyscandalous]

I'll be applying to medical school soon, and I'm interested in a career as an academic physician doing clinical work with underserved populations and conducting research on health disparities. I am also interested in getting an MPH sometime during medical school.

For the sake of this discussion, let's assume I have no geographic preferences and money is not a problem.

I'm mainly interested in everyone's thoughts on Harvard, Stanford, UCSF, and Hopkins. Of these schools, which would make the most sense for someone interested in a more public health-oriented career focused on medical care of the underserved and research on health disparities?

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[deleted480308]

I'll be applying to medical school soon, and I'm interested in a career as an academic physician doing clinical work with underserved populations and conducting research on health disparities. I am also interested in getting an MPH sometime during medical school.

For the sake of this discussion, let's assume I have no geographic preferences and money is not a problem.

I'm mainly interested in everyone's thoughts on Harvard, Stanford, UCSF, and Hopkins. Of these schools, which would make the most sense for someone interested in a more public health-oriented career focused on medical care of the underserved and research on health disparities?

Are you also a cartoon academic overachiever?

 

[ashleyscandalous]

Are you also a cartoon academic overachiever?

Let's assume so for this discussion

 

[Toutie]

For the sake of this discussion, let's assume I have no geographic preferences and money is not a problem.

Are we also supposed to assume that your overall application (GPA, MCAT, EC's) is also not a problem for these 4 schools ?

And exactly what makes you think these are the 4 best schools for someone interested in public health disparities and underserved populations?

 

[Levo]

University of California schools (inc. UCSF) have the PRIME program, which depending on the school is either a separate application or a check-box in their normal secondary app. The PRIME program is a 5 year track to better prepare students for underserved medicine. You get a master's degree in a chosen field along with your MD and priority over other students in getting electives related to underserved medicine.

 

[deleted480308]

And what do you currently do for the underserved?

 

[ashleyscandalous]

Are we also supposed to assume that your overall application (GPA, MCAT, EC's) is also not a problem for these 4 schools ?

And exactly what makes you think these are the 4 best schools for someone interested in public health disparities and underserved populations?

Yep, assume that please!

I'm interested in academic medicine on this subject at the highest possible level. These schools have the heaviest research focuses, most funding for research, and have reputations that propel students into top residencies and successful academic posts. For those reasons, I'm hoping to constrain our discussion to these schools.

University of California schools (inc. UCSF) have the PRIME program, which depending on the school is either a separate application or a check-box in their normal secondary app. The PRIME program is a 5 year track to better prepare students for underserved medicine. You get a master's degree in a chosen field along with your MD and priority over other students in getting electives related to underserved medicine.

I'm familiar with the PRIME program at UCSF and am hoping to probe a little more deeply into it. Since UCSF doesn't have a public health school, do most students do their MPH at Berkeley? And how would a Berkeley MPH stand in comparison to, for example, a Harvard or Hopkins one?

 

[cactusman]

Yep, assume that please!

I'm interested in academic medicine on this subject at the highest possible level. These schools have the heaviest research focuses, most funding for research, and have reputations that propel students into top residencies and successful academic posts. For those reasons, I'm hoping to constrain our discussion to these schools.

It sounds like you're planning on applying to all 4. Given that, I really don't understand the point of this discussion before you have even applied. It's very likely that you won't get into any of them, or you'll only get into one. If you only get into Stanford, what good would it do to know that HMS or Hopkins is 0.25 smidgeons better for public health? They still wouldn't be options.

 

[ashleyscandalous]

It sounds like you're planning on applying to all 4. Given that, I really don't understand the point of this discussion before you have even applied. It's very likely that you won't get into any of them, or you'll only get into one. If you only get into Stanford, what good would it do to know that HMS or Hopkins is 0.25 smidgeons better for public health? They still wouldn't be options.

Ouch lol.

In all seriousness, thank you for the input! But I'm still interested in exploring the strength of each program in case lightning strikes and I have a number of nice options to choose from.

 

[mcloaf]

Lord knows the mean streets and slums of Palo Alto could use your help.

 

[ashleyscandalous]

Lord knows the mean streets and slums of Palo Alto could use your help.

Haha, noted. I was just talking to someone about how Stanford is probably not a good place to do this kind of work.

 

[LizzyM]

Who is publishing papers on this topic? Where are they located? Those are the schools you should be considering.

 

[flapjack3d]

i'm in public health school. nothing compares to the prestige of hopkins. there's other great schools, but hopkins is by far the top in terms of network, especially for international work.

 

[sehnsuchtsermedico]

The Texas border region is underserved. There are two programs that work here. UT Health Science Center and Texas A&M.

 

[deleted480308]

Wait.....do you actually want to work with poor people or live in a wealthy area writing papers about poor people?

 

[ashleyscandalous]

Wait.....do you actually want to work with poor people or live in a wealthy area writing papers about poor people?

I think it's pretty obvious by my academic interests that I will be poor and will definitely not be living in a wealthy area. Lol.

I'm interested in both research and clinical care. So I'd like to work with "poor people" while living in a "poor area" and also writing papers about these "poor people."

 

[sehnsuchtsermedico]

I think it's pretty obvious by my academic interests that I will be poor and will definitely not be living in a wealthy area. Lol.

I'm interested in both research and clinical care. So I'd like to work with "poor people" while living in a "poor area" and also writing papers about these "poor people."

I'll throw Texas out again look up Texas colonias. These areas are super poor, pretty much 3rd world settings within the border.

Here is a video on a project down there to reduce diabetes.
http://www.univision.com/univision-...ni-doc-diabetes-plagues-the-rio-grande-valley
And this is an article about what there trying to reduce these disparities.
https://www.texasobserver.org/revolutionizing-care-for-the-valleys-diabetes-epidemic/

 

[GoljansRightBicep]

academic physician doing clinical work with underserved populations and conducting research on health disparities. I am also interested in getting an MPH sometime during medical school.

If you actually care about this part, you might consider UC Riverside. The Inland Empire is extremely underserved. Also, one of our Deans helped design the PRIME program. UCR doesn't have a PRIME program because literally the entire school is designed to be a PRIME program. You'd find many kindred spirits among the students and faculty. You'd have to take a gap year or get your MPH somewhere "prestigious" beforehand though.

 

[cactusman]

Academic medicine may not be as high-paying as other branches, but that does not mean it's obvious that you "will be poor and will definitely not be living in a wealthy area," unless we're looking at it with very skewed views of poverty and wealth.

 

[ashleyscandalous]

L

I'll throw Texas out again look up Texas colonias. These areas are super poor, pretty much 3rd world settings within the border.

If you actually care about this part, you might consider UC Riverside. The Inland Empire is extremely underserved. Also, one of our Deans helped design the PRIME program. UCR doesn't have a PRIME program because literally the entire school is designed to be a PRIME program. You'd find many kindred spirits among the students and faculty. You'd have to take a gap year or get your MPH somewhere "prestigious" beforehand though.

Just looked into both of these programs and regions! Sounds like amazing work is being done in these areas. Thank you so much for bringing them to my attention.

 

[sehnsuchtsermedico]

Just looked into both of these programs and regions! Sounds like amazing work is being done in these areas. Thank you so much for bringing them to my attention.

Just added videos and articles for you to look at.

 

[Levo]

Yep, assume that please!

I'm familiar with the PRIME program at UCSF and am hoping to probe a little more deeply into it. Since UCSF doesn't have a public health school, do most students do their MPH at Berkeley? And how would a Berkeley MPH stand in comparison to, for example, a Harvard or Hopkins one?

As a PRIME student, you're not bound to do your MPH anywhere in particular. You can go to Berkeley, Hopkins, Harvard, wherever you want provided they take you (can't imagine that would be a problem given how much more competitive med school is than public health school). I'm sure there are some people who prefer to stay close to the mothership for convenience's sake whereas others prefer to use that year as an opportunity to get out and explore another part of the country. It would be up to you. I am personally far from the public health world, but I feel like trying to rank two well-regarded public health schools against each other is a waste of time. I'm sure one will be stronger in one area and the other will be stronger in another area, so it would all come down to the entirely subjective question of which strengths matter more.

 

[scoutdog]

I would throw Tulane into the mix as well- they have a great combined MD/MPH program plus New Orleans itself has huge economic disparities and most of the population has very low health literacy. Their med school has more student-run clinics than any other school I interviewed at so far this year so plenty of opportunities to serve the underserved

 

[cactusman]

Emory has an MD/MPH program, and their public health program is excellent; CDC headquarters are just off-campus. Atlanta also has a significant portion of the population below the poverty line, although that's probably true of any major city.

 

[WhittyPsyche]

Just stop.

 

[ashleyscandalous]

Just stop.

Care to clarify why this topic is bothering you?

 

[WhittyPsyche]

Care to clarify why this topic is bothering you?

I think you know it's ridiculous to posture this before you've even filled out an application.


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[ashleyscandalous]

I think you know it's ridiculous to posture this before you've even filled out an application.


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I'm unsure why you're getting so hostile. Everything will be ok! I think you know that it's completely valid to be curious about the strength of different programs.

 

[Espressso]

I think you know it's ridiculous to posture this before you've even filled out an application.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I tend to agree with those on SDN who try to advise posters from not getting too ahead of themselves... especially with that one kid who was in UG but was asking questions about residencies in neurosurge, CT surg, and genetics, or something like that lol.

But I don't see what's wrong with an undergrad student who is curious about which top schools have a focus on underserved healthcare? Clearly s/he is passionate and clearly they have a ways to go, but I don't see any issues with this posture.

 

[ScreenName23]

I'm unsure why you're getting so hostile. Everything will be ok! I think you know that it's completely valid to be curious about the strength of different programs.

It is totally valid to be curious about the strengths of different programs. I think some people might find the way you've narrowed the topic to only these schools off-putting.

This question would make more sense if you had acceptances to these schools and now wanted to know about people's experiences in the MD, MPH tracks to see which is a better fit for you. However if you had acceptances, you could probably get in touch with a student from each school in that program and then compare and contrast.
They're all great schools, nobody will tell you not to apply to UCSF because their MPH just isn't on par with Harvard's or something. Anybody would be totally set to do what you're talking about from any of those schools.

But of course, it's totally your perogative to ask for a comparison between these schools! Hopefully you get some good advice.

 

[Neuroplasticity]

Care to clarify why this topic is bothering you?

I think others are suggesting that the answer to your question will likely not impact any decision you make - what schools to apply to or what school to attend. Also, just listing those 4 schools can rub people the wrong way, may assume elitist attitude.

By just reading the title of your thread, I thought the discussion would not be as limited and would be more interesting.

 

[ashleyscandalous]

I think others are suggesting that the answer to your question will likely not impact any decision you make - what schools to apply to or what school to attend. Also, just listing those 4 schools can rub people the wrong way, may assume elitist attitude.

By just reading the title of your thread, I thought the discussion would not be as limited and would be more interesting.

Understandable! Hope I didn't annoy too many people with this question. Just wanted to figure out my absolute dream school, and doesn't everyone on here like to dream a little?

 

[Toutie]

Understandable! Hope I didn't annoy too many people with this question. Just wanted to figure out my absolute dream school, and doesn't everyone on here like to dream a little?

yep there are those that like to dreamadream.

 

[chibaddie]

Understandable! Hope I didn't annoy too many people with this question. Just wanted to figure out my absolute dream school, and doesn't everyone on here like to dream a little?

Nah, a lot of them are dead on the inside so you do you. Stop being so scandalous, gosh.

 

[Levo]

Understandable! Hope I didn't annoy too many people with this question. Just wanted to figure out my absolute dream school, and doesn't everyone on here like to dream a little?

Personally, I don't think that's a healthy attitude to have. Picking out a single dream school, dream specialty etc. causes you to stress unnecessarily while you're going through the process, and experience disappointment unnecessarily if (and given how competitive that process is, this is a very likely 'if') it doesn't work out. If, on the other hand, you go into the process with an open mind for all of the possibilities, you'll honestly be happier. Getting into medical school period is both an incredible achievement and an incredible experience (med school is an amazing time, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!) regardless of whether you're at a 'top 10' school or a 'top 100' school, so worry less about the "best" and enjoy the ride!

 

[cactusman]

I agree with @Levo - there's just not a real benefit to having a dream school, and it seems to do more harm than good. I think you would have gotten more positive and helpful responses if, instead of asking which of those 4 was the absolute best, you had asked what other schools to look at. You already know these 4 are good and personally ranking them in more detail won't help until you have been admitted to multiple.

 

[ashleyscandalous]

Thank you all for your helpful and motivating advice!

 

[Folia]

Just stop.

Why?

Many of my interviewees plan a similar career and I appreciate it when they have done their homework.

 

[ashleyscandalous]

Now that we're hopefully done bashing me, it would be helpful to get opinions on UCSF vs Hopkins, since they're super close in this thread's poll.

 

[Espressso]

Now that we're hopefully done bashing me, it would be helpful to get opinions on UCSF vs Hopkins, since they're super close in this thread's poll.

I think if you narrow your schools down to those two, you should focus on personal factors such as fit, location, cost of living, etc.

 

[Toutie]

Now that we're hopefully done bashing me, it would be helpful to get opinions on UCSF vs Hopkins, since they're super close in this thread's poll.

Obviously UCSF is better because they have 1 vote more than Hopkins.

 

[ashleyscandalous]

Obviously UCSF is better because they have 1 vote more than Hopkins.

Lol UCSF it is!

 

[Ampharos]

I have a slight bias toward UCSF. UCSF has better relations with the communities and more opportunities to serve the surrounding neighborhoods. JHU has a contentious relationship with east Baltimore. Both are equally difficult to get into -- all of the schools on your list are. Just go to the one that you get into and feel happiest at.

 

[ashleyscandalous]

I have a slight bias toward UCSF. UCSF has better relations with the communities and more opportunities to serve the surrounding neighborhoods. JHU has a contentious relationship with east Baltimore. Both are equally difficult to get into -- all of the schools on your list are. Just go to the one that you get into and feel happiest at.

Thanks for the input! I had no idea that was the case with JHU. Do you have any more info on this strained relationship between the university and East Baltimore?

 

[LizzyM]

Thanks for the input! I had no idea that was the case with JHU. Do you have any more info on this strained relationship between the university and East Baltimore?

Read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It will give you a good picture and historical perspective for the issues of the underserved black population in the mid-Atlantic coast including Baltimore.