PhD in Public Health (Biostats, Epid, Health Behavior, Health Services/Policy Research) 2016

[principal_investigator]

Have not been here in a while! Updating from my last post:

Have a BS in Health Policy/Premedical sciences; MPH in Global Health/Epi
5 years experience working in clinical and research labs; 4 years experience international health policy work for academic research institute
GPA = 3.76
Verbal = 90th%; Quan = 65th%; Writing = 80th%

Applying to: Environmental Health Sciences/Environmental Epidemiology programs
Emory = Rejected
Tulane = Accepted! = )
Still waiting on...
Johns Hopkins
UNC
Columbia
UMD (MIAEH)

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[moonwave89]

As with previous years, I can offer any advice to folks looking for any. I applied to PhD programs several years ago and graduated in 2013--so I'm a little outdated, but I can offer any insights or share my experiences.

Hi Stories, I'm hoping to take you up on that offer! I applied for MPH programs this year but am considering a PhD in the future. Wondering what your experience at BU (I think that's where you went to for your MPH??) was like in terms of research opportunities, as I've heard the school is more heavily practice-oriented. Did you feel like BUSPH prepared you well to pursue a PhD and conduct research?

Just as background, I applied for a MPH in social/behavioral health with a focus on community needs assessment and epi/biostat in BU's new MPH curriculum. I'm still not sure if a PhD is something I want to pursue at this point, but it's a strong consideration. Any insight or advice would be very much appreciated! My research orientation would hopefully fall under mixed methods, since I'm mainly interested in community-based participatory research and qualitative research, but would love to also utilize evaluation/survey research as well as epidemiological research skills. (I think my chosen foci at BU reflects that.)

 

[DrPH2016]

Have not been here in a while! Updating from my last post:

Have a BS in Health Policy/Premedical sciences; MPH in Global Health/Epi
5 years experience working in clinical and research labs; 4 years experience international health policy work for academic research institute
GPA = 3.76
Verbal = 90th%; Quan = 65th%; Writing = 80th%

Applying to: Environmental Health Sciences/Environmental Epidemiology programs
Emory = Rejected
Tulane = Accepted! = )
Still waiting on...
Johns Hopkins
UNC
Columbia
UMD (MIAEH)

Nice stats. Was wondering if you had an interview with Columbia for their phD program and if you did, when?

 

[Stories]

Hi Stories, I'm hoping to take you up on that offer! I applied for MPH programs this year but am considering a PhD in the future. Wondering what your experience at BU (I think that's where you went to for your MPH??) was like in terms of research opportunities, as I've heard the school is more heavily practice-oriented. Did you feel like BUSPH prepared you well to pursue a PhD and conduct research?

Just as background, I applied for a MPH in social/behavioral health with a focus on community needs assessment and epi/biostat in BU's new MPH curriculum. I'm still not sure if a PhD is something I want to pursue at this point, but it's a strong consideration. Any insight or advice would be very much appreciated! My research orientation would hopefully fall under mixed methods, since I'm mainly interested in community-based participatory research and qualitative research, but would love to also utilize evaluation/survey research as well as epidemiological research skills. (I think my chosen foci at BU reflects that.)

I actually got to work as a research assistant with an epi professor who had a relatively large research team. It worked out well because I got experience throughout my two years there and led me to understand research at a higher level. It was really quite a good opportunity! I knew several others who also had the opportunity to work on various research opportunities. As a whole, the base curriculum didn't require some methodology and programming courses that I think would be good to have (a few more advanced classes, for instance, would be helpful), but the training is there and available! You just have to take the (optional) courses.

I think as you progress through your MPH, you'll get a sense of whether a PhD is 1.) necessary and 2.) something you'd enjoy. There are many PhD students you can ask questions to and see what kind of work they are doing. I would even suggest talking to professors frankly about your ideas of what a PhD is like and where some opportunities may be. I think you'll get a wide range of responses and you can absorb all that and find out how it fits in with your own goals. They can also provide insight into what schools and programs offer great opportunities in those areas, as well!

 

[moonwave89]

I actually got to work as a research assistant with an epi professor who had a relatively large research team. It worked out well because I got experience throughout my two years there and led me to understand research at a higher level. It was really quite a good opportunity! I knew several others who also had the opportunity to work on various research opportunities. As a whole, the base curriculum didn't require some methodology and programming courses that I think would be good to have (a few more advanced classes, for instance, would be helpful), but the training is there and available! You just have to take the (optional) courses.

I think as you progress through your MPH, you'll get a sense of whether a PhD is 1.) necessary and 2.) something you'd enjoy. There are many PhD students you can ask questions to and see what kind of work they are doing. I would even suggest talking to professors frankly about your ideas of what a PhD is like and where some opportunities may be. I think you'll get a wide range of responses and you can absorb all that and find out how it fits in with your own goals. They can also provide insight into what schools and programs offer great opportunities in those areas, as well!

Thank you, that's really helpful! I guess I would just have to be proactive in pursuing research opportunities at BU but it's good to know they exist. I'm also asking because my two current choices are between BU and Columbia and I saw that Columbia's MPH requires a master's thesis, which I feel like would help prepare me better for if I decide to do a PhD in the future. I've heard a lot of good things about BU's program but it's mostly from people who didn't continue on to do research or a PhD. I think it'll be one of the questions I ask at admitted students day at both these schools

 

[CaliEpidDude123123]

Has anyone been accepted to/or have any news from the Epidemiology PhD program at:

Columbia (interviewed)
UC Berkeley
UMich (interviewed remotely)
Tulane

Still waiting!

 

[DrPH2016]

Has anyone been accepted to/or have any news from the Epidemiology PhD program at:

Columbia (interviewed)
UC Berkeley
UMich (interviewed remotely)
Tulane

Still waiting!

Hello, am glad you posted something. The PhD forum is silent this cycle for some reason compared to the MPH forum. Can you indicate which area you are applying ? Is it EPI?

Judging by what's been posted on gradcafe, looks like socio medical released admission decisions for pHD candidates for columbia.
There was also one DrPH acceptance posted but not sure in which area.

When did you interview at Columbia? Mine was on 1/21 via telephone, and what did they ask you, how long was your interview?

As far as I know, no decisions have been sent out for EPI doctoral programs yet but not sure.

 

[CaliEpidDude123123]

Hello, am glad you posted something. The PhD forum is silent this cycle for some reason compared to the MPH forum. Can you indicate which area you are applying ? Is it EPI?

Judging by what's been posted on gradcafe, looks like socio medical released admission decisions for pHD candidates for columbia.
There was also one DrPH acceptance posted but not sure in which area.

When did you interview at Columbia? Mine was on 1/21 via telephone, and what did they ask you, how long was your interview?

As far as I know, no decisions have been sent out for EPI doctoral programs yet but not sure.

Hi, thanks for all the info!
I applied for the epidemiology PHD program at all the schools I mentioned.

My interview at Columbia was on Feb 1st. It was short (about 15 minutes) they just asked me basic formulaic questions (I don't even remember specifics now). And yourself?

 

[CaliThugLife]

Hello, am glad you posted something. The PhD forum is silent this cycle for some reason compared to the MPH forum. Can you indicate which area you are applying ? Is it EPI?

Judging by what's been posted on gradcafe, looks like socio medical released admission decisions for pHD candidates for columbia.
There was also one DrPH acceptance posted but not sure in which area.

When did you interview at Columbia? Mine was on 1/21 via telephone, and what did they ask you, how long was your interview?

As far as I know, no decisions have been sent out for EPI doctoral programs yet but not sure.

Yeah it seems like Gradcafe is more active than here.

 

[DrPH2016]

Hi, thanks for all the info!
I applied for the epidemiology PHD program at all the schools I mentioned.

My interview at Columbia was on Feb 1st. It was short (about 15 minutes) they just asked me basic formulaic questions (I don't even remember specifics now). And yourself?

They asked me quite a bit of questions, and talked to me for 45 minutes! And the committee member even emailed me afterwards and asked me more questions. So I had no clue, could be a bad sign since yours was so short!

 

[DrPH2016]

They asked me quite a bit of questions, and talked to me for 45 minutes! And the committee member even emailed me afterwards and asked me more questions. So I had no clue, could be a bad sign since yours was so short!

To clarify.....Bad sign for me, not you

 

[CaliEpidDude123123]

To clarify.....Bad sign for me, not you

Yes, it could be - but my interview invite seems to have been later than yours ...so who knows!

 

[principal_investigator]

Nice stats. Was wondering if you had an interview with Columbia for their phD program and if you did, when?

Hey - I have not interviewed with Columbia, but I applied to the EH dept, not EPI.

 

[DrPH2016]

Hey - I have not interviewed with Columbia, but I applied to the EH dept, not EPI.

Thanks, did you get an interview with EH? And have you heard anything?

 

[nycstdnt]

In at Columbia Sociomedical Sciences. Anyone else who is, contact me!

 

[mlr2834]

*Updating for any future lurkers on this thread*

Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.75/4.0 Ivy
Major/Minor: Public Health
GradGPA: n/a
Grad Studies: Took 10 courses that count for an MPH as an undergraduate at my home institution
GRE: 87%V/71%Q/93%W.
Experience/Research:

• Research experience since my freshman year, including 2 years of cancer epi research
• 4 1st author poster presentations at national undergraduate/graduate student conferences, 2 award winning
• 1 co-authored pub in public health nutrition
• National fellowship + AACR award winner
• LOR- 3 full professors in epidemiology, All of whom I have taken at least 2 classes with, 2 of whom were/are research advisors.

Really interested in cancer epidemiology and racial health disparities in cancer outcomes for breast and gynecologic cancers, so that's what I've been working on most recently. As a current undergrad, my mentor (smartly) advised me to apply to Master's and PhD programs so I leave my options open.

Applied: UT-Houston Epi PhD (Applied 10/18, Verified 11/2), Harvard PhD in Population Health Sciences-Cancer Epi, UNC MSPH-PhD in Epi, Yale Chronic Disease Epi
Interview: Yale CDE PhD program (notified 1/22)
Accepted: UNC MSPH-PhD (1/14, $34k first year stipend + tuition waiver), UTH PhD (1/20, with in state tuition and $5k), Harvard Population Health Sciences-Epidemiology PhD (2/12 $26.5k for 10 months + tuition waiver), Yale CDE PhD (2/24, $34k 4 year stipend + tuition waiver)
Rejected: none
Waitlisted: none

Attending: UNC MSPH-PhD