choosing masters public health program

[mika444]

Hey everyone- I have applied to the following schools:
-Tulane (accepted)
-Boston University (accepted)
-Colorado State University (accepted)
-Oregon State University (accepted)
-UC Berk
-UNC Chapel Hill
-Harvard

I am from the Northeast, now living in Boston. I am going to have a big decision to make in terms of choosing an MPH program. Part of me wants to stay in Boston (and go to BU or Harvard (if accepted)) because I have my network here, job, friends, close to home, etc. and Boston is an incredible hub for public health. On the other hand, I really am attracted to the idea of going out to Oregon because of geography, trying something new, etc. Just wondering- anyone who has gone through your MPH program (if at any of these places, thats a bonus!), could you give me some insight as to how important it is to go to a "ranked" program? What are your opinions on staying vs. leaving? Pros/cons?

Thanks in advance!

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[MazKanata]

Hey everyone- I have applied to the following schools:
-Tulane (accepted)
-Boston University (accepted)
-Colorado State University (accepted)
-Oregon State University (accepted)
-UC Berk
-UNC Chapel Hill
-Harvard

I am from the Northeast, now living in Boston. I am going to have a big decision to make in terms of choosing an MPH program. Part of me wants to stay in Boston (and go to BU or Harvard (if accepted)) because I have my network here, job, friends, close to home, etc. and Boston is an incredible hub for public health. On the other hand, I really am attracted to the idea of going out to Oregon because of geography, trying something new, etc. Just wondering- anyone who has gone through your MPH program (if at any of these places, thats a bonus!), could you give me some insight as to how important it is to go to a "ranked" program? What are your opinions on staying vs. leaving? Pros/cons?

Thanks in advance!

One thing that recruiters look at is the hard skills you get from whatever your concentration/program is with the MPH, so if you applied for different programs, you could be comparing apples and oranges. Straight up global health programs may mean difficulty finding a job down the line, there was a poster who said that the global health students at JHU were kind of bummed about their job prospects. I dunno, there is a 'public health hell' where people don't find the job they like after many years.

Generally people recommend getting the MPH in the region where you want to live. If you also want to explore a different part of the country, get a different public health perspective, then maybe consider going somewhere else.

Boston is supposed to be oversaturated in terms of certain MPH jobs, at least that was the case a year ago, and there seemed to be some problem with getting externships or something at BU in addition to most of their admissions staff quitting and other stuff.

I don't think that getting an MPH is the same as going to a high priced business school and using connections to work your way up the corporate ladder, there isn't such an incentive in public health, one recruiter here said that the school doesn't matter much. Many applicants get into a broad range of schools, so going to what you perceive as a name brand school might not mean as much to somebody else, many people choose the cheaper option.

I think that going to the school that you interests you most, and has a reasonable tuition/scholarship makes the most sense, getting an MPH might not be your terminal degree, you might find you need more skills or want to do something else too.