Thank you for your vote of confidence, but I do not claim to know much beyond what I found when I applied to programs, what I heard from other faculty and students, and what I have learned while visiting this board! Take my advice along with that of others, who have greater knowledge of different schools, and be sure to read the schools' websites carefully and speak with people there as well.
Hi Namazu and other learned seniors on this board. I have the following admit:
1. Johns Hopkins - MPH
- tuition and fees: $43,680/11-month program + books + housing
- has department of Health Policy and Mgmt and some associated policy research centers
- near Washington DC
2. Emory University - MPH (Health Policy and Management)
- tuition and fees: $42,600/3 semester program + books + housing
- has department of Health Policy and Mgmt
- near CDC
3. University of Alabama - MPH (Health Policy and Management)
- tuition, fees, and books: $15,471/3-semester year + housing
- has a department of Health Care Organization and Policy and a Center for Health Policy
They may all be good choices, depending on what you are looking for, so here are some things to think about:
Look closely at the departments' faculty interests and especially the associated research centers. These will give you a good idea of where the department's interests lie. For example, you might find research centered around tobacco, health insurance, gun control, injury prevention, minority health, rural health, environment and health, international policy, bioethics, etc. If any of these in particular interest you, or you want to be exposed to a wide range of different topics, one school or another may provide better opportunities for you. If you want to continue at the school where you start, it would be a good idea to establish communication with faculty during your MPH and perhaps do research with them.
UAB is *substantially* less-expensive than the other two, which may be a major consideration unless you have been offered a scholarship by Emory or Hopkins or have a lot of money to start with. It can be difficult to get research or TA jobs when you are in a short (1-1.5 year) MPH program.
UAB's public health school is less well-known overall than the other two. This does not necessarily tell you anything about the quality of the teaching or research that goes on there in your field, but the reputation may be important in looking for employment, especially with employers that are less familiar with the nuances of public health schools. Johns Hopkins is probably the most widely-known, but Emory is also very well-respected.
Johns Hopkins is near Washington DC, which in addition to being a US policy center, has headquarters of many international NGOs. Emory (near CDC) and UAB have a bit lower concentration of these things, but both are reasonably large cities and will have plenty of opportunities. If you are more interested in health policy at the local, state, or regional level, or if you can make connections with the local office of a national or international organization, proximity to any particular place may not matter too much. Speak with the career or MPH office at each school to find out what partnerships they have with organizations and governmental agencies, to learn how students locate capstone opportunities, internships, and potential employment.
The campus at Johns Hopkins is in a neighborhood that struggles with crime and poverty. For this reason, most students do not live right near the school, but instead live a bit further away and take a shuttle bus or drive to campus.
Talking to current students at each of the schools may be the best way to learn about housing, campus safety, things to do for fun in the city, etc.
If you are an international student with a desire to have a strong community of people from your country of origin and easier access to familiar food ingredients, etc., you might want to check to see what is available locally. Within any of these universities, there will be people from all over the world; but in the surrounding communities it may be more difficult to find resources. There may be an office for international students that can help with both administrative issues (e.g. visas) as well as social issues (e.g. events for international students, sightseeing trips).
Many PhD programs prefer that you have demonstrated your ability to do scholarly research and writing through a thesis. This is usually not a huge consideration for people who otherwise have strong academic records and substantial work experience. Since you have been accepted to the MPH programs at these three schools (not the more research-oriented MSPH or MHS type programs), consider the following:
a) trying to satisfy coursework requirements as you would for a PhD (e.g., if there are two levels of biostatistics courses, and PhD students are required to take the more rigorous one, you might want to do that too, if you have sufficient background)
b) taking note of other requirements (e.g. at Hopkins, there is a comprehensive exam at the end of a year of studies, and if you take the proper courses, you may be able to take the exam, which may facilitate continuing for a PhD)
c) choosing a "rigorous" capstone project, and writing up the work as though it were a thesis
d) doing some research while you are a student, as a way to demonstrate research interest and aptitude
e) making connections with possible employers in case you need/want to take a break between the MPH and PhD/DrPH
Hopefully others will chime in with more thoughts/opinions/personal knowledge of these programs. Good luck!
