Pursuing a MPH after a PhD

[Dissertator]

I will receive my doctorate in Sociology in May and I'm considering getting my MPH afterward. Has anyone done this? I am interested but am not sure if I can into a top 25 school, mainly because my GRE scores were just a little over 1200 combined and my GPA from undergrad is a 3.2. However, I will have received my doctorate from a good program (an Ivy), have As at the graduate level and have publications, health research experience, etc. Will I be hurt because of my average GPA and GRE scores?

I appreciate the info.

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[espre]

I will receive my doctorate in Sociology in May and I'm considering getting my MPH afterward. Has anyone done this? I am interested but am not sure if I can into a top 25 school, mainly because my GRE scores were just a little over 1200 combined and my GPA from undergrad is a 3.2. However, I will have received my doctorate from a good program (an Ivy), have As at the graduate level and have publications, health research experience, etc. Will I be hurt because of my average GPA and GRE scores?

I appreciate the info.

Hi,

I'm interested in what lead you to choose to do an MPH. Will it relate to your doctoral work? What field are you in? You can always take the GRE again, but it might not be necessary. If your application essay is compelling and your recommendations are strong, you will probably do quite well with your MPH applications. Some top programs prefer health related work experience, but this is not necessarily an absolute if you already have a Ph.D. I imagine you should apply to one year programs, since you might not want to be in school for 2 years after completing a doctorate. You should absolutely apply to the strongest programs.

 

[Dissertator]

Hi,

I'm interested in what lead you to choose to do an MPH. Will it relate to your doctoral work? What field are you in? You can always take the GRE again, but it might not be necessary. If your application essay is compelling and your recommendations are strong, you will probably do quite well with your MPH applications. Some top programs prefer health related work experience, but this is not necessarily an absolute if you already have a Ph.D. I imagine you should apply to one year programs, since you might not want to be in school for 2 years after completing a doctorate. You should absolutely apply to the strongest programs.

Thanks espre for the reply. I am a medical and organizational sociologist with quite a bit of experience working on a variety of health policy oriented projects during my graduate career. I would like to work in the public health field, but feel that I am disadvantaged in pursuing those jobs without a public health degree.

One question: when you say that top programs prefer health-related work experience do you mean working in a full-time position, or will my research assistant experience in graduate school count?

 

[SW7]

Hey there! I agree with espre, you should apply to the best programs and don't worry too much about your GRE - the universities don't care so much when you already have a PhD (personal experience!!).

 

[espre]

Thanks espre for the reply. I am a medical and organizational sociologist with quite a bit of experience working on a variety of health policy oriented projects during my graduate career. I would like to work in the public health field, but feel that I am disadvantaged in pursuing those jobs without a public health degree.

One question: when you say that top programs prefer health-related work experience do you mean working in a full-time position, or will my research assistant experience in graduate school count?

Substantive experience in health policy, combined with a Ph.D. would suffice, I think. It sounds as if you will be able to make a strong case for admission in your essay. Look at the websites of the various schools, and try to determine which programs might address your interests best. For most programs, one applies to individual tracks, rather than just to the school or program at large. There are infrequent exceptions, such as Hopkins, and Columbia's General Public Health track. In these programs, you take the required core courses, but all other classes can be electives. Hopkins also has a number of focused tracks that students are able to join once enrolled. There may be other such programs, as well.

 

[Stories]

Hey there,
I wonder if pursuing a MPH on top of your Sociology PhD would really even be necessary? If you plan on continuing a similar line of medical/health sociology that you've currently got experience in, you can learn many of the epidemiologic methods on your own, particularly if you can find epidemiologists to collaborate on your work with.

Many of the statistical issues that you've learned from your Sociology degree will likely carry over, as will some of the basic data collection methods (particularly anything that's survey/questionnaire-based). Remember, your MPH will always be a complement to your primary Sociology degree.