Thoughts On Boston University (Current & Former Students)

[daZ3d]

I am strongly considering Boston University for Health Policy Management as they appear to have a strong HPM program. They are also CAHME accredited, so I am also leaning towards them because of that.

I would like to hear from anyone who has visited Boston University and especially from current/former students who attended the university for public health and if they have anything to say regarding the HPM department.

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[RAMPA]

I am strongly considering Boston University for Health Policy Management as they appear to have a strong HPM program. They are also CAHME accredited, so I am also leaning towards them because of that.

I would like to hear from anyone who has visited Boston University and especially from current/former students who attended the university for public health and if they have anything to say regarding the HPM department.

FYI: The MBA in health sector management is CAHME accredited, not the MPH in health policy & management.

 

[ashleyleah15]

I would like to echo that their program is not CAHME accredited. This may limit some administrative fellowships that will not look at you as a potential candidate. However, their resources are vase in Boston and if you are looking to stay in Boston- BU is a great option. However, I also got accepted to this program and I decided against it.

 

[daZ3d]

Thanks for quickly pointing that out.

However, for those who are wondering what degrees are CAHME accredited:

MBA in Health Sector Management
MBA/MPH in Global Health Management
MBA/MPH in Health Care Management
MD/MBA
MBA/MS in Medical Science


I'm just a bit confused on the part where it says MBA/MPH in Health Care Management...Does this not overlap with the MPH HCM track?

Also, do you know whether students choose a Policy or Health Management track?

 

[RAMPA]

Thanks for quickly pointing that out.

However, for those who are wondering what degrees are CAHME accredited:

MBA in Health Sector Management
MBA/MPH in Global Health Management
MBA/MPH in Health Care Management
MD/MBA
MBA/MS in Medical Science

there is only ONE CAHME accredited degree program at BU, the MBA in health sector managment. The highlighted in bold identifies the CAHME accredited portion of a dual degree at BU.
For example if you do a MPH/JD somewhere, would the JD then be CEPH accredited?


I'm just a bit confused on the part where it says MBA/MPH in Health Care Management...Does this not overlap with the MPH HCM track?

http://management.bu.edu/gpo/dual/mbamph/
yes, it does. it shaves off a couple classes (like most dual degree programs)

Also, do you know whether students choose a Policy or Health Management track?

yes they choose between those two tracks.
http://sph.bu.edu/Degree-Programs-a...h-policy-a-management/menu-id-617113.html#hcm

good luck

 

[daZ3d]

Oh thank you for clarifying that, RAMPA.

Have you or do you know anyone who has attended Boston University that can share their views on the curriculum, environment, or maybe more general things?

 

[2013MPH2013]

Great question. I just wrote about this in the Yale discussion but I am also considering BU. I read how some people had poor experiences with them, but fortunately, I have had a good experience so far. Although, I did quickly reply to the request for information so maybe that is why. I didn't question it at the time but I would have done it anyway.

I am looking at the global health program and I am excited about some of the professors' research interests. I also really appreciate the merit scholarship. I feel like it is kind of a slap in the face when you aren't offered $$. I don't really want to be a cash cow vehicle that was accepted just so I could help fund the doctoral program. Don't get me wrong as PhD students totally deserve funding but my experience working at an university opened my eyes to this practice. However, I digress as that is more of a philosophical issue.

Anyway, I just can't decide between Yale, BU and Tulane (speaking of which, I am not sure that I will receive anything from Tulane so it could be a moot point). I am hoping a visit will help.

 

[daZ3d]

Hi. I totally agree that the majority of students require financial assistance whether it be through merit scholarship or loans. Many of us have made our final decisions based partially or solely on the financial aid packages each school has awarded us.

Learning that Boston University's HPM department is not CAHME accredited has affected my decision to attend the school. Of course, this will not be the only factor I will be weighing in (ie. cost of living is extremely high).

Furthermore, I contacted the HPM department and an individual had told that the department is seeking CAHME accreditation after many students have inquired about it.

As for student experiences, what have students said about the school?

 

[c504]

I was accepted to BU for HPM with a merit award but I will not be accepting. I am a MA resident and really want to like BU because I wanted to live closer to home, but I was very disappointed after visiting. I went to both a prospective students day (after which I was skeptical) and an accepted students' day (after which I was decided against attending). For me a big factor was the fact that they have about a 50/50 ratio of full time to part time students. Because of this almost all of their classes are late in the afternoon (great if you plan on going part time but not so great if you plan on going full time). Also the student panel they had at the accepted student's day was downright painful. It was over an hour long and the students on the panel did not seem to have much interest in being there, or at BU in general. All of the professors who presented talked about the accomplishments of the same 3-4 past students, leaving me with the assumption that nobody else had done anything worth mentioning. I just attended the accepted students' day at UMn (accepted for Health Policy and Administration) and the difference between the two programs incredible.

 

[Stories]

I don't really want to be a cash cow vehicle that was accepted just so I could help fund the doctoral program. Don't get me wrong as PhD students totally deserve funding but my experience working at an university opened my eyes to this practice. However, I digress as that is more of a philosophical issue.

I'm curious to know what schools operate like this. As a doctoral student myself, I know that I don't receive a single dollar from the university itself nor do any of my classmates (nor any of my friends in other doctoral programs--BU, UW, and Yale) because all of us are funded through a training or project grant. Natural and biomedical science programs are almost always funded through grants of some sort, not through tuition revenue.

What I described is not true of humanities and some social sciences as grants are rare in some of those fields. Funding generally comes from a portion of the endowment or education fund for many of these programs. This is one reason we've seen enrollment at many schools drop (particularly in humanities) for doctoral-level education: many are trying to reduce departments in the red.

Tuition revenue is generally used for direct student costs--facilities and resources, for the most part.

My take on BU as a former student
I was an epidemiology and environmental health student a few years back. I enjoyed my time there--I had the opportunity to be involved with research and worked on a project as a RA. I also had the chance to work in the community at a city health department to get the practical experience and that health department viewed BU very positively.

My pros:
+Friendly and knowledgeable faculty
+Most faculty are good teachers (at least the profs I had)
+Connected with most local health departments and state DPH (many faculty serve on local boards of health in their home cities)
+Broad focus on applied and practical health solutions in coursework (health law, for instance)
+Flexible scheduling/curriculum
+Variety of students from all walks of life
+Ability to have two areas of concentration
+Can finish in 3 (full-time) semesters

My cons:
-Research methods not required of all students (could be plus for some)
-Very focused on practical and applied public health (again, could be plus for some)
-Night classes for cores (so that the part-time students can take them)
-Limited school-provided funding for students to do internships/practicum
-Crummy party of town

 

[2013MPH2013]

I'm curious to know what schools operate like this. Natural and biomedical science programs are almost always funded through grants of some sort, not through tuition revenue.

Hi Stories,
You are absolutely correct that I am drawing my experiences from humanities and social sciences. I can see how it would be different for science and health fields and I actually didn't think of that. To clarify in the event I misled anyone, it is purely based on allocations. It isn’t like the department is taking my tuition and giving it to a doctoral student. The more paying masters’ students a program has the more that is allocated back to the department from the school which will in turn be able to increase awards. Most of these awards to go doctoral candidates which is perfectly understandable. It isn’t that the masters’ students they accept but don’t fund aren’t qualified. Either way I do really appreciate the amount I was offered from BU.


Anyway, thank you so much for your commentary on BUSPH. It is helpful. Do you think it reasonable to finish in 3 semesters for global health? Also, how many of your peers went on to international work (not necessarily living overseas but working for NGOs, etc.)?


I saw on the Yale thread that you are there now. How would you compare the two schools? They seem very different. Or is it too hard to compare between masters and doctorate programs?
Thanks again!

 

[Stories]

Hi Stories,
You are absolutely correct that I am drawing my experiences from humanities and social sciences. I can see how it would be different for science and health fields and I actually didn't think of that. To clarify in the event I misled anyone, it is purely based on allocations. It isn't like the department is taking my tuition and giving it to a doctoral student. The more paying masters' students a program has the more that is allocated back to the department from the school which will in turn be able to increase awards. Most of these awards to go doctoral candidates which is perfectly understandable. It isn't that the masters' students they accept but don't fund aren't qualified. Either way I do really appreciate the amount I was offered from BU.


Anyway, thank you so much for your commentary on BUSPH. It is helpful. Do you think it reasonable to finish in 3 semesters for global health? Also, how many of your peers went on to international work (not necessarily living overseas but working for NGOs, etc.)?


I saw on the Yale thread that you are there now. How would you compare the two schools? They seem very different. Or is it too hard to compare between masters and doctorate programs?
Thanks again!

You can absolutely finish in 3 semesters, regardless of which concentration you do. Keep in mind, you should be taking a full course load (16+ credits) per semester to accomplish this. This probably equates to 5 classes a semester, which I think is actually very reasonable.

I only had three friends who where global health, and two of them went into international work (one is currently in Guatemala on a health finance job and the other was in El Salvador before returning to the states to work for the non-profit that sent her there to work with children and nutrition). The other friend was a double GH and Epi and he decided to pursue epi opportunities rather than GH ones.

As for comparing the two, it's a bit hard because I don't have a very good feel for the MPH program at Yale because I haven't taken any of the required courses that MPH students have to take (I've been a TA for some of the epi courses). The biggest difference I note is that most students at Yale are required to take a substantial portion of coursework in epidemiology methods and biostatistics that BU students weren't required to take. For instance, unless you're a Epi concentrator at BU, you didn't have to do any SAS. At Yale, everyone has to take at least one semester and some concentrations have to do three.

The other big difference is that the number of courses offered at Yale pale in comparison to the number at BU. Classes at BU are quite a big longer than their Yale equivalent. I'm pretty sure Yale counts credit hours differently than BU does (at a University-level, not just SPH).

And one more big difference: the vibes of the programs feel different. At BU, I felt more like a professional who happened to go to class. At Yale, I definitely feel like a student with longer work hours (because I'm doing research). As a MPH student, that feeling may or may not change, I'm not sure--MPH students aren't required to do any research like us doctoral students are.

Hope that helps!

 

[chasincam]

You are always very insightful Stories. Thanks for the great comparison. Although I didn't apply to Yale, but still nice to know. BU on the other hand, while it is a great school, seems a bit different than what I am looking for. BU is still in the running until I get the chance to visit and do more research.

 

[daZ3d]

Yes, indeed they are. I'm glad I started this thread as does not only allow me to learn of the school, but also allows other individuals to receive some insight on the school and program.

 

[Epi2013]

Hey Stories (or anyone else that might have any insight into this)! Can u comment on the opportunities to work while going to BU? I'm also looking at GW and while I know the work opportunities in Boston probably cannot match DC, I just wanted to know that there would b lots of chances to work while there. If possible, I am specifically looking at epi related work. Thanks in advance! I visited BU this past weekend and I thought it seemed great.

 

[zose]

Hey Stories (or anyone else that might have any insight into this)! Can u comment on the opportunities to work while going to BU? I'm also looking at GW and while I know the work opportunities in Boston probably cannot match DC, I just wanted to know that there would b lots of chances to work while there. If possible, I am specifically looking at epi related work. Thanks in advance! I visited BU this past weekend and I thought it seemed great.

Hi Epi2013.
I am just finishing up my MPH at BUSPH in epi, so I'd be happy to answer any of your questions. With regard to work, Boston in general offers many opportunities, as it's pretty much the epicenter of biomedical research. I've been able to work part-time (which pays for living expenses) throughout my time at BU.

BUSPH and the epi department in particular offer few job opportunities, but you can always ask the faculty (my advisor was extremely helpful in locating a practicum for which I was awarded a grant and funding). Aside from BUSPH, there are numerous hospitals and universities which often have part-time research assistant positions, a number of non-profits, pharmaceutical companies, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health often has internships at the start of each semester. You definitely have to be proactive, but there is work out there.

Also, if you're interested in epi methods, BUSPH has some great classes. Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions about the school or Boston in general.

 

[bd2010]

Stories! Thank you SO much! Did you transfer from BU to Yale or did you get another professional degree from BU? Not that it matters I'm just curious.

Yes the merit aid from BU is nice but (for me at least) since its 10k split up across 2 years it really just makes it the same price as Yale. I haven't gotten my financial aid yet though so maybe I'll get a larger grant? Who knows.

I'm also digging this decal (I just got my letter like 20 minutes ago). I wish Yale had given us a decal.

So BU vs. Yale does anyone else want to weigh in? I can't find too many differences except that the classes at BU seem WAY cooler.

 

[Stories]

Stories! Thank you SO much! Did you transfer from BU to Yale or did you get another professional degree from BU? Not that it matters I'm just curious.

Yes the merit aid from BU is nice but (for me at least) since its 10k split up across 2 years it really just makes it the same price as Yale. I haven't gotten my financial aid yet though so maybe I'll get a larger grant? Who knows.

I'm also digging this decal (I just got my letter like 20 minutes ago). I wish Yale had given us a decal.

So BU vs. Yale does anyone else want to weigh in? I can't find too many differences except that the classes at BU seem WAY cooler.

I got my MPH at BU; currently working on my PhD at Yale.

The one thing I will add, Boston (and MA in general) is a far superior state to be working in applied public health due to access and government regulation.

BU classes, for the most part, offer more practical application than many Yale classes. Almost every single Yale class is some sort of biomedical/research-y class.