UMich vs BostonU vs GWU

[medapple]

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Hello,

I've been accepted in 1) UMich: Epi and Interdepartmental Global Health, 2)GWU: Global Health, and 3) Boston University (hopefully) for a dual Epi and International Health.

I looked up the US news rankings and UMich is #5, GWU is #19, and BU is #13. Here's my concern:

UMich
Pro: Really good ranking.
Con: It's a day-program and it's 60 credits, so I'll be there for 2 years and can't work to cover my costs.

GWU
Pro: It's in Washington DC, so I'll have access to government jobs. There are evening classes, so I can work during the day.
Con: It's quite low in the ranking, and it's expensive (but actually, all these are going to be expensive for me).

BU
Pro: I love Boston the city. There are also evening classes, so I can work during the day. Seems like a more flexible program than UMich. A prof with the research I'm interested in.
Con: It's still quite lower in ranking than UMich.

The cost factor for a MPH is important to me. All program will be about the same cost for me ($45000, which I don't know how I'm going to pay for :0 ), but with GWU and BU, I can work almost full-time. But my other priority (which is a higher priority) is that I'm very concerned about getting a job or an advanced degree afterwards (MD or DrPH), and it seems that UMich is a safer bet because it's a much higher ranking than the other two.

Any thoughts? What is the most common sense thing to do (based on my first priority that I'm concerned about a job or an advanced degree)? Should I consider anything else?

If I wanted to get a job after my degree, should I be more concerned about the school or the department? (I'm interested in International Health most, but I chose Epi too b/c there seems a better job market for Epi...is this a correct assumption?). (If the most important factor in getting a job is the school, then I should obviously go with UMich. )

Thanks so much! Your help is appreciated.

 

[swim2006]

I can tell you that if you get a job with BU they will pay for 8 credits each semester (alot of people do this working full-time and school part-time). I don't know anything about the other schools but I am a dual concentrator at BU epi and mch and they have made it very easy. I know that many people in the IH concentration here are very happy. I know many people in the MPH epi program here that go onto the DSc in Epi at BU or other schools.

 

[medapple]

Hey, Thanks for the reply.

I was still hoping that someone could give me a direct answer to my question below. I'll give you my updated scenario:

I got into UMich-Epi, but they didn't give me any money because I applied late (which is my fault). If I go, I'm going to be (45000 x 2years = ) 90,000 if I can't find TA/RAship. I'm also considering Boston U-Epi because they will give me partial scholarship and it's a shorter program, so I can save money that way too. I looked into both programs, and I like them both.

My concern is that UMich is ranked 5 and BostonU is ranked 13. I personally don't care ego-wise about whether I attend #5 or #13, but in terms of post-grad opportunities, I need to know how important prestige is (I know there's alumni connections, etc, but is that really important?) Here are my questions:

-How important is ranking for getting a post-MPH job?

-How important is ranking for entry into PhD?

-How important is ranking for entry into MD?

-Is the higher cost of UMich worth it for the higher ranking?

Thanks! I don't mean to be one of those people who are name-grubbing, but for the cost of a MPH, I need to know that I'm going to have good opportunities.

 

[MintyKitty]

Hi Medapple,

I'm afraid that I can't really give direct answers to your questions, but since I just graduated with MPH from UM in the epid/international health track and the globalization and health IC, I can speak directly to that experience.

The program is quite rigorous, and it can be very difficult to even work part-time. Getting a TA position that waives tuition is very very difficult for MPH students. UM is also very much an "ivory tower," and the curriculum doesn't emphasize public health practice that much. However, if you're interested in the PhD route, then that might not be a bad thing. UM encourages MPH students to pursue their PhD's at UM b/c you can zip through faster (3 years) than outside students b/c you've already taken the core reqs.

I can say anything towards the importance of ranking, but I would hedge to say that it may not be worth the price with the epid program right now. Epid, IH and GHIC are all undergoing some major changes right now, and it may find a struggle to get what you want out of the program.

So, I'm guessing, possibly based on false assumptions, that ranking isn't that important. Besides, BU at 13 doesn't sound that bad to me. Plus, if it gives you the flexibility to lead the life you want to lead, then go for it. If you have more questions regarding, UMSPH itself, I'd be happy to help.