How competitive is BU Public Health?

[imagerie]

Hello all,

I apologise if this question has already been posed and answered. I have recently become interested in pursuing an MPH with a specialisation in global health. It seems that the top programs (Harvard, Columbia, Emory, etc.) expect a good deal of work experience prior to beginning. What about BU?

(I will be applying with a 3.7 GPA from a top Canadian school and a 36 MCAT.)

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[BlueAngel78]

Hello all,

I apologise if this question has already been posed and answered. I have recently become interested in pursuing an MPH with a specialisation in global health. It seems that the top programs (Harvard, Columbia, Emory, etc.) expect a good deal of work experience prior to beginning. What about BU?

(I will be applying with a 3.7 GPA from a top Canadian school and a 36 MCAT.)

I would not recommend going to BUSPH for a global health concentration as this is an area of BUSPH that is particularly weak. Schools like University of Washington, UAB, Emory, Tulane, . . . and many more offer a better education and have a real commitment to international health which doesn't receive real support at BU's public health school.

You have great grades and you should be expected to get into some of the more competitive and nicer public health schools, I don't think BU's MPH program is worth it for the price tag and poor educational curriculum. It is non-competitive for a reason.

 

[LanaJade]

Got my MPH from BU, but not in international health. I feel that my friends in IH have either really good or mediocre experiences, it depends on how proactive they are. You have good grades, search elsewhere. I'd like to say that BU has its strengths but definitely not in IH.

 

[MX health]

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[LanaJade]

Another very important thing to consider is what are your plans for the future in public health. I will be doing my MPH in biostats in BU and I am really excited about it regardless of the word out there. I have heard from a lot of professors and people I respect a lot that BU has a strong program and the advantage to be in Boston where there are several world class hospitals and physicians. Another advantage is that they are supportive in case you want to pursue a double concentration and it is possible to do it within the required credits and timeline for a single concentration.

I would definetly look into HSPH or BUSPH, if you are going into public health with another degree (eg. MD), where your cretentials do not depend on a name tag. Following on prior posts, may be consider another concentration.

Yes, great part about BU is their flexibility. Biostats professors at BU are also great =)

 

[UndeadHeart]

. . . and the advantage to be in Boston where there are several world class hospitals and physicians.

The problem is that BU public health's school and BU's medical school are not affiliated with any of the excellent hospitals such as MGH, BWH, or the BI which are associated with Harvard. I would even rank Tufts and some community hospitals in Boston higher than BU's affiliates.

Although in the same town as Harvard it doesn't mean that you will have meaningful interactions with their faculty. In addition, I would say that BU's faculty is not as student friendly as many other schools around town.

 

[MX health]

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[UndeadHeart]

I agree with that. You will not get meaningful interaction trough BUSPH. I believe that doing some networking even by e mail with staff at the place where you want to be you can get something out. It will mean some extra work on your part but worth every minute if you make the right move. By sending several e mails and scheduling a few meetings I got several offers to do research work from people I had no conections with before.

I tried to get opportunities outside of BU's school when I was there because I found the faculty to be generally very unsupportive which I attributed to:

1. A rude attitude among people living in Boston??? I don't know maybe the freezing cold weather makes people angry.
2. Just no incentive for the school to be student friendly?
3. A lack of faculty interested in teaching?

As a BU student it was very difficult to get any help at other institutions outside of BU just being a BU student. On the whole, it is better to go to a school that is more pro-student and has more to offer its student in the first place then to go to BU just to be in Boston.

In the end there are a couple substandard schools in Boston which live of the reputation of the city, BU is certainly one of them.

 

[healthpro1896]

@imagerie: While BUSPH is not the very top echelon of the Schools of Public Health, it is still a highly competitive school with very good programs in health policy/mgmt, biostatistics and epidemiology.

I've just recently gone through the orientation days there as I'm starting there this fall, and I know the kind of applicants the school attracts - a very good mix of recent grads, working law and health professionals, as well as pre-med grads and established doctors working towards a change in career path.

You can safely ignore ignorant statements about how BUSPH and BUSM are "unfriendly" or how Bostonians are angry people or how BU generally "sucks". BU is a world-renowned research institution across all its graduate schools, has fantastic faculty for the greater part (which university doesnt have its share of ego-centric professors?), and Boston and its people are one of the best towns and group of residents I've ever lived amongst - and I personally have lived, studied and worked in several countries across the world.

Programs such as Harvard have 1 year MPH programs (40 credits) which are geared towards established medical professionals and doctoral candidates, hence require more working experience, as it is a shorter program tailored for mid-career people. They also have an 80-credit (2 year) Master of Science program, which can be done in most concentrations of public health, i.e. epidemiology, biostats, health policy etc, and this does not require that kind of working experience.

You will find similar requirements in any 1 year MPH program.

 

[johnnyquest2009]

I am a IH student at BU school of Public Health. The IH program has over 70 professors (full time & part time) It is a little bit baseless to say that all of them suck when many of them taught at other Schools of Public Health also, the same ones that you say are so much better. Yes some of the faculty may not be the best, (only there to do research, but forced to teach also) So far I have been able to meet with several faculty members, actually had lunch with one to discuss HIV/AIDS prevalance in South East Asia.

You need to pick the program that is best for you. Just because several people on this site dont like the program doesnt mean it is a bad program, it means it wasnt right for that person. Your life, your goals are different and so decide on that instead.

 

[MaldenJay]

I agree with Johnnyquest. You have to take some of what people say on here with a grain of salt. The folks that are putting down BU or other schools may not have even gone to BU. How can they talk about professors or the curriculum accurately if they never took classes there? Every school has its ups and downs. Some professors will be great, some will be so-so, and others you will dread having to sit through a lecture, but that you get anywhere. No school is a continuous ray of sunshine. It really comes down to picking the right school for you. Instead of saying that "this or that is bad" at a certain school, how about using constructive criticism? Some of the schools you're dumping on might be some else's first choice.

 

[FutureKDEpi]

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[Jilly22]

I would also like to hear about any opinions of BU's epi department. I'm considering the DSc program there. Thanks!

 

[swim2006]

Just a question regarding BU again...how would you rate their epi program? I'm debating between BU and Pitt for my MPH with a focus in epi.

Thanks!!

I would also like to hear about any opinions of BU's epi department. I'm considering the DSc program there. Thanks!

I did one of my concentrations in epi at BU...but I don't know anything about pitt's program. I would say that the program is respected but because I didn't continue my education in epi I'm not sure exactly where it ranks. We do have some very respected individuals in the epi world like Ken Rothman as well as some epi textbook authors. I guess it really depends on what area of epi you are interested in (PM me if you want to discuss it further). I do know that the competitiveness of the DSc varies by year.

 

[Stories]

I did one of my concentrations in epi at BU...but I don't know anything about pitt's program. I would say that the program is respected but because I didn't continue my education in epi I'm not sure exactly where it ranks. We do have some very respected individuals in the epi world like Ken Rothman as well as some epi textbook authors. I guess it really depends on what area of epi you are interested in (PM me if you want to discuss it further). I do know that the competitiveness of the DSc varies by year.

Honestly, I've never thought of any MPH programs to be competitive, but I always thought that was more a function of the always growing need for more public health people in the world

Anyway, I've had an absolutely wonderful experience with the epi department at BU. I loved the classes, the faculty (very personable, in my opinion), and the city. I'm a very outgoing person so seeking out professors has never been an issue for me.

I made out okay from the BU program, as I've been accepted to plenty of doctoral programs in epi, and have accepted Yale's offer in their program (+ a fellowship). Also, a close friend of mine also from BU's epi program got into UWash's epi program with a fellowship, as well.

 

[Snake Doctor]

what type of ECs does a school like BU look for in applicants, generally speaking?
I've taken some public health and policy courses although I am a science major.
I know BU offers a joint JD/MPH but I don't think I'm interested in pursuing a law degree at the moment.

 

[Stories]

what type of ECs does a school like BU look for in applicants, generally speaking?
I've taken some public health and policy courses although I am a science major.
I know BU offers a joint JD/MPH but I don't think I'm interested in pursuing a law degree at the moment.

Honestly, I wouldn't know. What I do know is that academic record isn't the de facto standard at BU. You can have okay grades and still be accepted as long as you show dedication to public health and the advancement of social-based programs (eg. you ran a volunteering programing dealing with elder health). I didn't have stellar grades coming out of undergrad (2.9 GPA), but I did have a decent quantitative GRE score (730), and I was a natural science major (Biology). I did fine once I got in (3.5 GPA) and I was accepted to doctoral programs across the country (3 so far, had 2 interviews at others).

Just goes to show that as long as you work at your skills and are proactive, you've got a legitimate shot of succeeding wherever you end up.

 

[Snake Doctor]

Honestly, I wouldn't know. What I do know is that academic record isn't the de facto standard at BU. You can have okay grades and still be accepted as long as you show dedication to public health and the advancement of social-based programs (eg. you ran a volunteering programing dealing with elder health). I didn't have stellar grades coming out of undergrad (2.9 GPA), but I did have a decent quantitative GRE score (730), and I was a natural science major (Biology). I did fine once I got in (3.5 GPA) and I was accepted to doctoral programs across the country (3 so far, had 2 interviews at others).

Just goes to show that as long as you work at your skills and are proactive, you've got a legitimate shot of succeeding wherever you end up.

Thank you for your response! I'm not sure how else to show my interest in say Epi or Biostats through ECs. For Global Health, I can see volunteering abroad is not only a great EC but also solidifies one's interest in that route. The same can be said with health policy. For Epi or Biostats, I'm a bit confused as to what to do beyond taking those courses.

 

[Stories]

Thank you for your response! I'm not sure how else to show my interest in say Epi or Biostats through ECs. For Global Health, I can see volunteering abroad is not only a great EC but also solidifies one's interest in that route. The same can be said with health policy. For Epi or Biostats, I'm a bit confused as to what to do beyond taking those courses.

I think that might be enough to push you over the edge. All I can say is good luck at this point and hope for the best.

 

[mniemierko]

Thank you for your response! I'm not sure how else to show my interest in say Epi or Biostats through ECs. For Global Health, I can see volunteering abroad is not only a great EC but also solidifies one's interest in that route. The same can be said with health policy. For Epi or Biostats, I'm a bit confused as to what to do beyond taking those courses.

I'm currently in BU's International Health program and I have to say that the most important thing is probably showing a desire for hands-on/field experience. All these people criticize BU and although I can point out flaws, as well, I will say that for me it came down to Harvard and BU. I went to meet faculty at each and the faculty at Harvard were rude, not interested in me, and talked about how I could join THEIR research. The faculty at BU were extremely helpful and interested in what I wanted to do and how they'd be able to help me work on my research.

I've since met people who go to Harvard and maybe for a program like Epi or Biostats where you'll be doing number crunching, a place like Harvard is a better fit. They're very quanititatively-focused with almost no qualitative research. For me, I want to be out in the field and doing things myself, not just taking the data that someone else collected. I can honestly say that of the 5 classes I've taken so far (I'm part-time because I work) all of them have taugh me many things that I can not only apply to research in the future but also to my work right now. I leave most classes feeling like I really learned something new and that's not an easy feat. I've also genuinely enjoyed all of my classes and professors except for one.