Making a big choice

[PsyWannabe]

Hi all,
I recently got accepted to the JHU MPH program. This was a bit of a surprise for me, because I really didn't expect to get accepted. The problem is, I'm not sure if I want an MPH. Honestly, my real interests are in behavioral health, but I've applied to almost every Psych program that interested me in the country and haven't gotten accepted (This has taken place over the course of two years. Yuck.).

So I guess I have some questions for what a MPH means. Are there a lot of career choices with an MPH? Could I teach with an MPH, preferably college courses? Are MPH courses heavily involved in statistics? What is a typical career open to someone with an MPH?

If anyone can give me some answers/advice, I'd really appreciate it. This is a really hard decision and I need all the help I can get. Thank you all!

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[JMM051]

An MPH is a big investment (mostly money but time too) for something you're not completely sure about.
Without knowing your situation at all I would suggest talking to these psych programs, see what is holding you from an acceptance (where you're application is weak) and working your butt off to improve it.

 

[JJKells]

PsyWannabe, I was in a similar position (applied repeatedly without acceptance). It came down to what I eventually wanted to do career-wise which is research and teaching. I always thought public health was a field for people interested in policy/law, then discovered epi and found I could do everything I had wanted including research on mental health.
There are lots of career opps (research project coordinating in Africa, follow-up with patients in dialyses clinics, teaching AIDS/STD/whatnot awareness, etc). Identifying what you want to do most (teach vs research vs etc, the population you want to work with, specific health topic) and then looking at the types of jobs available might answer your other questions best. Good Luck

Hi all,
I recently got accepted to the JHU MPH program. This was a bit of a surprise for me, because I really didn't expect to get accepted. The problem is, I'm not sure if I want an MPH. Honestly, my real interests are in behavioral health, but I've applied to almost every Psych program that interested me in the country and haven't gotten accepted (This has taken place over the course of two years. Yuck.).

So I guess I have some questions for what a MPH means. Are there a lot of career choices with an MPH? Could I teach with an MPH, preferably college courses? Are MPH courses heavily involved in statistics? What is a typical career open to someone with an MPH?

If anyone can give me some answers/advice, I'd really appreciate it. This is a really hard decision and I need all the help I can get. Thank you all!

 

[PsyWannabe]

Thanks, JJ. The fact that there are research/teaching opportunities out there makes me more enthusiastic about pursuing this. I'm going to look up EPI, are there any suggestions for places I could look that might have jobs in that area? (research/teaching)