Epidemiology - is a PhD eventually necessary?

[PreMPHMan]

I am interested in some Epi programs but I am unsure as to what you can do with an MPH. I feel like epi is more research based (correct me if I'm wrong) and if it's anything like research in a lot of sciences, a masters degree won't get you that far in a career. I have however seen positions where MPH holders in Epi can work as part of a research team for consulting firms and other roles that are similar.

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[Stories]

If you want to be a lead researcher or a principal investigator, you absolutely need a PhD. But that's not any different than any other field. This is basically the only career where a PhD is absolutely mandatory (or a MD with formal epi training would work, too). However, just like every other scientific field, the vast majority of people who major in the field will never get a PhD in it (only a small subset of those continue on to get further education in the field).

If you are interested in working in a health department or conduct outbreak investigations, a MPH will certainly get you on that career path. Science writing is also a very common career for many who graduate with an epi degree. A PhD is definitely overkill in those kinds of situations.

 

[Bburgdorferi]

I am interested in some Epi programs but I am unsure as to what you can do with an MPH. I feel like epi is more research based (correct me if I'm wrong) and if it's anything like research in a lot of sciences, a masters degree won't get you that far in a career. I have however seen positions where MPH holders in Epi can work as part of a research team for consulting firms and other roles that are similar.

MPH is a professional and a (potentially) terminal degree by itself. MPH holders usually work in the field, and what constitutes a "field" can be different. A field can be the site of an outbreak investigation, an office in the state/local health department, a site of a clinical trial (research co-ordinators), etc. As the name suggests, its directly related to Public Health.

PhD is mostly associated with theoretical research. A typical PhD epidemiologist will work in an academic institution/government agency headquarters and conduct research - design studies, get grants, hire a bunch of data collectors, etc. He/she is the principal investigator and may not be directly involved with the field work.

In short, if you want to work a lot in the field, only MPH is enough. If you want to be a principal investigator, you should get a PhD. DrPH is for those who want a combination of both - managerial positions and field work. But it is highly overlapping. Pay scales for PhD/DrPH are also greater than MPH graduates.

 

[PreMPHMan]

So for epi vs policy, with an MPH, would the ceiling and possible options for a career be higher with a policy concentration if you choose to stick to only a masters level degree?

 

[Stories]

So for epi vs policy, with an MPH, would the ceiling and possible options for a career be higher with a policy concentration if you choose to stick to only a masters level degree?

They aren't really comparable degrees since the career trajectory of both is quite different. I don't know a lot about policy careers except that I know a lot of friends that went the consulting route with that concentration (and I'm assuming a PhD isn't necessary).

 

[124bbb]

If you want to be a lead researcher or a principal investigator, you absolutely need a PhD. But that's not any different than any other field. This is basically the only career where a PhD is absolutely mandatory (or a MD with formal epi training would work, too). However, just like every other scientific field, the vast majority of people who major in the field will never get a PhD in it (only a small subset of those continue on to get further education in the field).

If you are interested in working in a health department or conduct outbreak investigations, a MPH will certainly get you on that career path. Science writing is also a very common career for many who graduate with an epi degree. A PhD is definitely overkill in those kinds of situations.

👍 Well put, I agree with this.

 

[Porcupine]

It seems you guys are so much into Epidemiology. Even though I applied and was accepted to Epidemiology, I don't really like it. I much prefer quality methods, mixed methods, in-depth interviews, behavioral and social epidemiology. My career plan is to get an MPH and afterwards join a "Junior Training Program" by World Bank, WHO, UNICEF or perhaps consulting firms (which I know is extremely competitive). Thus, the reason I applied to Epi:
- I am strong at math and my background is in science. Thus, I am more likely to be accepted at Epi than other disciplines (and in fact I was accepted into Epi UMich but got rejected by Health Promotion UMich)
- A degree in Epi makes me more employable. So in case I cannot get in abovementioned programs, I am more likely to get a job.

I hope that I don't make mistake in my career plan 🙂

 

[Stories]

It seems you guys are so much into Epidemiology. Even though I applied and was accepted to Epidemiology, I don't really like it. I much prefer quality methods, mixed methods, in-depth interviews, behavioral and social epidemiology. My career plan is to get an MPH and afterwards join a "Junior Training Program" by World Bank, WHO, UNICEF or perhaps consulting firms (which I know is extremely competitive). Thus, the reason I applied to Epi:
- I am strong at math and my background is in science. Thus, I am more likely to be accepted at Epi than other disciplines (and in fact I was accepted into Epi UMich but got rejected by Health Promotion UMich)
- A degree in Epi makes me more employable. So in case I cannot get in abovementioned programs, I am more likely to get a job.

I hope that I don't make mistake in my career plan 🙂

😕 Why would you get training in a field that you have no interest in entering? Seems like a mistake to me. You should get training in a field that you want to work in. You'll be unprepared for your line of work and have a harder time finding a job in that field.