I can't give you an opinion on Columbia's program, but I do attend UB/Roswell Park. For starters, its a bit laid back and can be unstructured at times, and apparently the program had more notoriety in the past. However, everyone I've spoken with knows the RPCI name (or its old name Roswell Park Memorial Institute) and speaks tremendously positive about the hospital/research center. Its where the RPMI media for cell culture was created, the PSA test, photodynamic therapy, many of the oncology treatments and drug protocols originated from research there - students may not know much about it, but people in health care do. Its also plays a large role in Buffalo's economy.
I mentioned it can be a bit unstructured, well... thats mainly because you get to design the program to meet your needs. That is if you're applying for the Indiscipilinary program. There are individuals trying to be teachers, doing this to go into industry with a MS, as a stepping stone before deciding on a PhD, and those of us hoping to get into medical school. The only structure that is involved are the required credit hours you need to graduate, subject areas, and the required oncology I and II and seminar. Other than that you have access to almost any department and class that SUNY-Buffalo has to offer, including the classes for PhD students at the med school.
Some people knock the program on here or that other forum, I've read those posts from years ago, but really it comes down to what you make of it. The staff is very willing to work with you and take care of any needs you may have. Research is required, that is part of the program, so this program isn't for you if you don't like research. I began working in my mentor's lab this semester (this is my 2nd), and its been a great experience. But again, you choose your classes, and you choose who you want to work with so take the time to look around the department websites to see who is researching what. Also once you're in the program there is a listserv of announcements of PI's looking for students, which is how I find the project I'm on now, since naturally some professors and doctors may not have the grant money to take on another student at the time, but everyone finds a lab to work in so don't worry about that. I'm a bit lucky with the lab I got into honestly, as the doctor I'm working with is absolutely amazing, and has worked really hard to get us a ton of grant money that is going to last longer than I'll be around for, and we're hoping to have two publications by the end of the year. The program is three semesters, but you can make it four semesters if you need to, but if you're trying to challenge yourself and prepare yourself for application to medical school you'll finish in three semesters.
You get to take interesting relavent classes, though the classes at the hospital will naturally be focusing on oncology, the classes at UB's south campus (their medical campus) are a broad range of classes that you can make a program for yourself thats similar to lets say Drexel's or NYMC's SMP. Also, you'll be coming out with a Master's rather than certificate, so if God forbid the application cycle ends up being unlucky you at least have something to get a job with, research, or teach while you apply again.
Again, I'm not sure what the MPH at Columbia actually consists of, but I personally feel taking physio, biochem, oncology, pathology, or whatever else you wanted to take like immunology, cell bio, principles of chemotherapy, etc and succeeding at them, and coming out with a publication or two as well as the opportunity to volunteer/shadow/work at RPCI and/or the general hospital next door is more impressive or pertinent to a med school application than taking courses on public policy; but I may be wrong, since I'm not an ADCOM member or know what the Columbia program involves. But we do have students from all of the place, mainly the SUNYs but also Columbia, UCLA, Duke, that are in my year.
Feel free to PM me if you want if you have any specific questions about UB or Roswell.
