Emory vs. UNC (Connections and Opportunities)

[Etude]

As part of my decision-making process, I've been doing informational interviews with MPH graduates from various schools (Columbia, Emory, UCLA). My interest is global reproductive health, specifically contraception and family planning. I was previously leaning toward UNC, and thought that, while Gillings may not be well-known to the general public, it carries a lot of weight within health circles. But all of these people have expressed reservations about UNC's non-urban location (a "definite downside") and connections.

At the same time, they have all been very positive about Emory's Global Health Department, saying that it is "really well-known", that "if you go there, you're set", that "the link to the CDC is very, very important", that "you have so many connections", and that "it's really prestigious". One person pointed out that Emory GH's core classes would all be focused on global health, whereas UNC's would not be. Another, who is based on the West Coast, said that her coworkers all seemed to come from Harvard, Columbia, Emory, and Berkeley.

So I thought I would pose the question to SDN: In spite of UNC's opportunities through RTP, FHI, Ipas, and MEASURE Evaluation, does Emory really provide that much of an edge?

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[startofthedream]

It's good that you've been talking to alumni from different schools, but at the end of the day it's your choice, so you need to think about what's best for you. Looking at rankings, Emory is ranked #6 while UNC is ranked #2, which isn't that much of a difference, so they're both "up there" in the health world.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I'm trying to be honest. A lot of the things you listed are subjective. Do YOU want to live in an urban place? Do YOU want to work at the CDC during your program? Do YOU want to focus more on global health or do you want to focus more on MCH/reproductive health? I'd say you should think about professors you'd like to work with, if you want to approach MCH from a global health prospective (Emory) or global health from an MCH prospective (UNC), the curriculum of both programs, and most of all, where you can picture yourself being happiest and doing well at the same time. Since both schools are highly regarded, I think it's more of a personal decision. Hope this helps.

 

[Etude]

Thank you for your response, startofthedream. I know that "Where should I go?" is very personal, and wasn't intending this to be exactly that kind of thread. Rather, I was hoping to solicit some opinions/impressions from people who might be better informed than I am (e.g., current and former public health students) on whether there is really that much of a difference between Emory's and UNC's connections and professional opportunities. I am inclined to agree with you that there is not—that they are both fine schools that produce successful public health practitioners, and that, in any case, most of our success at this level is determined by our personal qualities rather than our schools. I was just surprised by the fact that my public health contacts seemed to have slightly different opinions on the matter, and I wanted to be sure I wasn't missing anything.

 

[Stories]

Even for someone such as myself who has been in academic public health for over 6 years, I only know the presence of various schools in my own sector (cancer epidemiology) and what the representation at conferences from each of these schools.

From my own run-ins this past week (AACR was this week), I would have guessed that University of Hawaii, Washington/Hutchinson, Minnesota/Mayo, and UCLA were the biggest schools with strongest PH programs because they had the most representatives at AACR (from what I could tell). Outside of that, more research institutes were represented than universities (like NIH-NCI).

 

[RH2011]

Both UNC and Emory are great schools.. either would do wonders for a future career in public health. In my opinion its most important to find and connect with professors that are doing what you want to do.. bc ultimately they are the ones who are going to get you in the CDC (in the case of Emory) or IPAS/etc. (for UNC).. You have a tough decision ahead of you! Good luck!