Upenn vs Drexel? Receiving calls from Drexel profs makes me feel very wanted hah. Please let me know your thoughts...soo close to a decision.
Tufts/Columbia/NYU/Emory are off my my short list right now :/
Drexel. UPenn is an amazing university that is very highly regarded and well resourced (I say this as a Penn grad), however their MPH program is small and not affiliated with a school of public health but rather the medical school. Course and track options at Penn are more limited (Global, Environmental, or Generalist), and (imo) the opportunities are similarly limited. Because Penn does not have an independent school of public health, it pulls its faculty from the med school, school of nursing, school of social work, etc. On the one hand, the multi-disciplinary nature of the program is a plus. On the other hand, the program lacks a certain cohesiveness and "home" for its students. To my knowledge, there are no faculty who are solely dedicated to the public health program.
I think it is always preferable to attend an institution that has a full school of public health, with faculty who are there specifically to teach public health, with broader research and practice opportunities and more physical resources. One thing that Penn will have over Drexel is name brand recognition, the "ivy" boost, etc. However, Drexel's school of public health is more highly ranked than Penn's program, and they are also rapidly growing. Because they are trying to climb the ranks, they are dedicating more time and resources to trying to appeal to more competitive students. When I visited, I really got the impression that the program would bend over backwards to help connect me to the resources, people, and opportunities I would need/want as a student there. Comparably, Penn may have less to offer and feel less of a need to "prove" itself. I would be very surprised if financial aid through Penn was superior to that offered by Drexel.
Ultimately, both of these programs are going to give you an excellent education and have different, potentially equally valuable perks. It's really a matter of the experience you want, and also what you'd like to do after you graduate. Drexel is a very practice-focused, career-driven program that emphasizes field experience and skill-building. Penn is more research and academia focused. Penn may be the place for you if you are interested in working within the hospital/medical system and want to get your foot in the door with Penn Medicine. Drexel is the place for you if you want to do community-oriented public health practice.
As an undergrad, I enjoyed all of the public health (undergrad and grad level) courses I took at Penn and very much loved the faculty. For many of the reasons listed above, and also because I wanted to go somewhere new, I did not apply to Penn's MPH program. Friends I know who are in the program are a mixed bag - some love it and some are disappointed. Ultimately, I will not be attending Drexel, either, because I have personal reasons to leave Philly and because I have been fortunate with aid from other, more (imo) appealing programs.
Hope this is helpful! Feel free to comment or PM if you have more questions about either of these schools
While I did fall in love with UMich, moving to Michigan also meant uprooting for the third time in two years. Here in Atlanta, I’m already settled and working full time at the local health dept. I've built relationships with several state and local health entities that I’d like to continue working with. Ultimately, I would be seeking federal level employment after my MPH and with Emory at CDCs back door, I think this is the best route for me! Best of luck everyone, I hope to work with some of you one day!
