international experience for Global MPH

[melmay]

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Hi,
It seems as though most of the Global MPH programs require international experience. I was wondering if successful candidates could give examples of where they applied/worked/interned/volunteered.
Thanks! 🙂

 

[MPHNut]

I got waitlisted for a program in Global health so I'm not a successful candidate (yet?! maybe? hopefully?) But I can tell you I did not have much in the ways of international experience in health. I did two quarter long study abroad programs (not related to Health. At all. One a culture class, the other a history class).

 

[Cho231]

Hi,
It seems as though most of the Global MPH programs require international experience. I was wondering if successful candidates could give examples of where they applied/worked/interned/volunteered.
Thanks! 🙂

Hey there!

I was accepted to a few Global Health MPH programs.

I worked two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan with their government's HIV and Narcotic Center. It was an amazing experience, and I highly suggest it if you decide if you are looking into a career of global health... it gives you a very community-level context of larger national or international health problems!

 

[kam77]

Hi,
It seems as though most of the Global MPH programs require international experience. I was wondering if successful candidates could give examples of where they applied/worked/interned/volunteered.
Thanks! 🙂

Well, so far I've gotten into 2 global health programs (have yet to hear from about 5 others). My admission honestly came as a surprise. I have zero experience (literally!!!) in the healthcare field. If I had anything going for me at all this admission cycle it is that I was born and raised in third world countries (didn't come to the U.S. 'till 2005). I traveled a lot as a youth. I speak two other languages in addition to English (as a matter of fact, English is my second language). As you can imagine, my lack of experience worried me sick. So much so in fact that I contacted the Dean at one of the schools I was interested in. I told him about all of the above and he recommended that I highlight my experience overseas in my personal statement (of course, i also had to explain the genesis of as well as my commitment to international health). Although he did not guarantee anything, I followed his advice. A month or so later, I got an acceptance letter from that school.

As you can see, it's really hard to know how stringent schools are when it comes to the foreign experience requirement. If it is your intention to apply to global health programs, you may wanna reach out to faculty, deans, etc...at those schools you are interested in. They may give you a clearer picture of the kind of 'experience' they expect from successful/prospective applicants. All the best in your quest!

 

[sg2010]

I got into 4 international health programs (BU, JH, Emory, and Columbia). I studied abroad for 7 months and while it wasn't health related, its what made me decide to go into PH and I wrote about that in my essays. I also speak 2 languages other than English and have 1 yr domestic work in public health with non-English speaking populations.
If you don't technically have the work experience, just explain how your other work or study experiences have given you skills that can contribute to global health. If you have exp. working with different populations or cultures that would probably be good too.

 

[glas]

I did two public health related internships in Nepal for a total of 5 months. I also studied abroad but my program wasn't health related. That was the extent of my IH experience and I was accepted at Hopkins, Berkeley, Tulane, Pitt and UMinn.