Columbia Healthcare management vs Emory BSHE

[chibipan]

Hi. I'd appreciate if anyone could give me some advice.

I'm so far in the 2 MPH programs stated above (Health Edu. for Emory). I love both of these schools as I feel both of them have good locations for internships & job opportunities. The nature of the two is very different however. I'll graduate soon & will go to grad school right away (therefore w/o too much full time experience). I have a social science/health background, but am always interested in health management too. I want to work internationally in the future. I feel like I'm leaning toward Columbia's program due to my interest (as I don't have as much experience in management) and the school's reputation.

Does anyone know anything about Columbia's management program? (like if the school's really well connected w/ other organizations compared to Emory)
How about living around the area (upstate)?
Is there a big difference between the two schools in terms of competitiveness for admission?
Anything else I should consider when choosing between the two?

Sorry for posting multiple questions. Hope someone will be able to give some advice. Thanks a lot!!

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[swemory2007]

I think your questions should be more focused not around the schools but the programs themselves. Do you see yourself evaluating the current status of a population, studying the behavioral patterns of individuals, researching cultures and certain practices, designing intervention programs, designing and distributing education materials, and implementing interventions or HIV/AIDS prevention in south Africa? Maybe you were meant to do Health Education. Do you prefer to conduct needs assessments, program design and implementation, program monitoring and evaluation, writing grants and proposals and lobbying for money, and perhaps influencing health policy? Perhaps Health Management and Policy is the route for you. I think that you need to evaluate what your career goals are and then see which program might best fit with that, regardless of the school. Not to influence your decision any, but my impression is that Health Policy and Management may be slightly more marketable. However, with that said, it is most important to follow what you are interested in. This is your time and money that you are investing, and you need to be sure it is going to get you where you want to be. Good luck with the decision!

 

[AgentSik007]

I was actually at Columbia today discussing the Health Policy and Management program with the academic director. Columbia is extremely applied especially for the policy and management field. They basically gear you for the working environment from the first semester. There is even a full time person employed specifically to help their students find internships and jobs.

As far as the location, well I think you mean upper Manhattan, not upstate ( that's a tad bit further north). The area is quiet as it can be for Manhattan and its accessible to the rest of the city fairly easily via the subway and buses. I would say go with Columbia if you really want to work in the health administration field, the school and its program is highly recognized nationally. I don't know how much you'll gain from health education unless you plan on working in advocacy (domestic or international), in which case a health policy program would suit you better.

 

[neu_psy_phy]

Do you know which schools are highly reputable for MPH in Health Management? Which grad programs help students get with good networking and job compensation? I heard Michigan is the best, but now sure about the rest (sounds like Columbia is good). Hopkins has MHS in Health Management, too, and I wonder how different that is going to be from MPH in Health Management.

 

[AndrewJ42]

my understanding is that an MHSA or MHA is more so a business degree rather than a "public health" degree. therefore, while you would have some basis in biostatistics and epi, you'd mostly be taking finance and economics courses.

 

[chibipan]

Thanks for the advices!
I've sent my deposit to Columbia already! I'm really excited about starting school there in the fall.

Regarding MPH & MHS (master of health science), my feeling is that MPH, as all the schools call it, is a "professional degree". It might therefore focus more on applications versus a MHS might focus on general health sciences to expose you to a bigger picture (research, applications...etc), also teach you more scientific skills. I feel that MHS might be a degree for those who arn't exactly sure whether they see themselves more interested in application/research. But correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[AwaPremed]

I am also thinking about going to the Health Management and Policy MPH at Columbia. Just wondering------how is it like to attend Columbia. I haven't ever spoken to grads and was really hoping to get some opinions if anyone has toured campus or spoken to people in the program.