SBS or Policy?

[gprice1832]

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Hi friends!

So, a little background - I applied to Johns Hopkins (MSPH in Health Policy), Columbia (MPH in Policy), and Yale (MPH Policy and SBS) last cycle and was accepted at Hopkins and Columbia. I accepted Columbia's offer, but due to some financial reasons, I was unable to matriculate. So, I am reapplying this cycle and looking into some other programs.

My question is this - although I applied Health Policy last cycle, with some more industry experience under my belt, I am now considering SBS. I'm interested in health in the LGBT community, particularly psychosocial health and the LGBT experience in the US healthcare system. I think that my interests lie right between SBS and policy because I am interested in social/behavioral issues, but I am interested in them from a policy standpoint. I'm only looking at programs that will give me some freedom to take courses between disciplines, but I'm not sure if I should go SBS and take policy electives or if I should go policy and take SBS electives. I think long term I will want to be in academia doing research (i.e. PhD down the road).

FWIW: Philosophy undegrad, ethics concentration. Bench chemistry and philosophy research experience, plenty of coursework in sociology/medical anthropology.

Thoughts?

 

[364462]

Hi friends!

So, a little background - I applied to Johns Hopkins (MSPH in Health Policy), Columbia (MPH in Policy), and Yale (MPH Policy and SBS) last cycle and was accepted at Hopkins and Columbia. I accepted Columbia's offer, but due to some financial reasons, I was unable to matriculate. So, I am reapplying this cycle and looking into some other programs.

My question is this - although I applied Health Policy last cycle, with some more industry experience under my belt, I am now considering SBS. I'm interested in health in the LGBT community, particularly psychosocial health and the LGBT experience in the US healthcare system. I think that my interests lie right between SBS and policy because I am interested in social/behavioral issues, but I am interested in them from a policy standpoint. I'm only looking at programs that will give me some freedom to take courses between disciplines, but I'm not sure if I should go SBS and take policy electives or if I should go policy and take SBS electives. I think long term I will want to be in academia doing research (i.e. PhD down the road).

FWIW: Philosophy undegrad, ethics concentration. Bench chemistry and philosophy research experience, plenty of coursework in sociology/medical anthropology.

Thoughts?

Take the policy route. Policy tracks or concentrations will likely have more quantitative coursework, particularly micro and macroeconomics as well as statistics. Policy development and analysis require strong quantitative skills. This is a gross oversimplification, but SBS tracks or concentrations tend to be content-based. Content-based material can be taught by your employer or some other coursework down the road, whereas quantitative skills are those acquired throughout your graduate training. For someone interested in PhD and academia, it is to your benefit to consider coursework that is more focused on quantitative knowledge and skills. In my opinion, this is more likely to be found in policy tracks, not SBS.

Good luck!