PhD in Chronic Diseases/Cardiovascular Epidemiology

[rajju077]

Hi All,
I remember being an active member of this forum during my Pre-MPH days.
Now I am a MPH (EPI) from VCU with a 3.8 GPA and an MD (GPA 3.4) from Ukraine. I am from India and currently reside in US.
My research interests are Obesity and chronic diseases. Even during Med School, Internal Medicine and Cardiology were my favorite subjects.
I would love to join a program that concentrates on Chronic Diseases/Cardiovascular Epidemiology (Obesity related).
I would appreciate any advice regarding such programs. I have been through some of the PhD threads here and I understand it depends upon a variety of factors, especially being a 'fit', which I completely agree with. I want to find a program that has researches I am interested in and which I can contribute to considerably.
I have won 3 poster awards for my cross sectional studies based on Obesity. I am thinking of publication in Obesity journals, although I can publish my studies and other reports in the Online Journal I am an associate editor of.
The only thing I lack is considerable work experience. I believe in next few months I will find a job associated with my interests.

I wish to apply for Fall 2011. Another negative thing I have in my profile are mediocre GRE scores.

Let me know what my chances are and what programs I should consider. All advice/opinions are appreciated.

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[Stories]

The easiest thing to start your search is to look at all the schools you might be interested in attending, and then click through each faculty member's profile and see if there's somebody's work that fits with what you're into. This might be a bit tedious, but it's probably the simplest screening method.

Another option is to look at the latest literature in what you're interested in and see where that PI works and apply to those schools.

 

[rajju077]

The easiest thing to start your search is to look at all the schools you might be interested in attending, and then click through each faculty member's profile and see if there's somebody's work that fits with what you're into. This might be a bit tedious, but it's probably the simplest screening method.

Another option is to look at the latest literature in what you're interested in and see where that PI works and apply to those schools.

Excellent suggestions. Thank you.

As part of being an Associate Editor for an online public health journal, we are trying to come out with a special edition in January 2011 that focuses on Cardiovascular Epidemiology and are looking for some professionals to write some editorials or articles for that issue. I am sure while seeking some of these, I might get in touch with PIs that pursue the same topic.

I have already gone through some of the faculty members' profile to see what researches they have done. I have been to the Harvard PHS website, unfortunately they have great professors working on similar research, but they dont have a PhD program.

 

[Stories]

I have already gone through some of the faculty members' profile to see what researches they have done. I have been to the Harvard PHS website, unfortunately they have great professors working on similar research, but they dont have a PhD program.

Harvard offers the ScD (Doctor of Science). For all intents and purposes, it's the same as a PhD. Just different letters.

 

[rajju077]

Harvard offers the ScD (Doctor of Science). For all intents and purposes, it's the same as a PhD. Just different letters.

Thank you for your informative reply, I never realized they did offer such a degree.
I am wondering how potential employers would feel towards such a degree though. Most of the job position ads I see mention PhD and not ScD.

Could you or anyone else give us more information regarding this degree and it's scope?

 

[RAMPA]

Thank you for your informative reply, I never realized they did offer such a degree.
I am wondering how potential employers would feel towards such a degree though. Most of the job position ads I see mention PhD and not ScD.

For all intents and purposes, it's the same as a PhD. Just different letters.

Could you or anyone else give us more information regarding this degree and it's scope?

For all intents and purposes, it's the same as a PhD. Just different letters.

 

[dj1234]

Not to hijack the thread, but just out of curiosity: how many have gone on to pursue or complete their PhD after earning a MPH?

I imagine much of the coursework did transfer, leaving little in terms of didactic coursework to complete.

 

[rajju077]

Not to hijack the thread, but just out of curiosity: how many have gone on to pursue or complete their PhD after earning a MPH?

I imagine much of the coursework did transfer, leaving little in terms of didactic coursework to complete.

Very interesting query. I would like to know that too.

 

[Regression]

Seeing as though PH isn't like most other disciplines where having a terminal masters is optional (it's almost necessary for most programs), so a lot of the core coursework should carry over, unlike say, Biology where you're taking a gamble if you go from a terminal masters at School A and then go to School B for your Ph.D.

 

[Stories]

Not to hijack the thread, but just out of curiosity: how many have gone on to pursue or complete their PhD after earning a MPH?

I imagine much of the coursework did transfer, leaving little in terms of didactic coursework to complete.

The vast majority of folks that do a doctorate in epidemiology, environmental health, health policy, and other fields that are strictly PH tend to apply with a MPH or MS simply because of the lack of bachelor's level education in PH. For fields like toxicology, nutrition, or biostatistics, people apply with bachelor's since there is adequate training available at bachelor's level to prepare them for the doctorate. That said, you *can* go straight to a epidemiology PhD, and if that's what you want to do, you should pursue that rather than shooting for MPH -> PhD. Although you may not necessarily be as competitive as an applicant as someone who does possess a MPH.

Policies vary by school, but generally speaking, you can opt out of the equivalent class pending professor/department approval and demonstration of adequate knowledge of that subject. However, you generally won't be completely excused from taking those credits. You may have to take a different class in place of it. For other classes, you may not have option of waiving it and have to take it. However, if you do the doctorate at the same school you do your master's, chances are, you can chop a year off your studies.

Also, chances you repeat all the coursework from your MPH is highly unlikely. The PhD curriculum is far more focused on your subject + biostatistics + epidemiology methods. You don't really do much outside those tracks.

For instance, I waived out of 5 courses from my MPH into my PhD, but I'm substituting those courses for other classes. I still end up taking the same number of credits the school requires. And as a heads up, PhD requires fewer courses than a MPH because none of the "core PH competencies" are required of PhD students (because we're not training to be public health practitioners but researchers instead).