What is the point of an MPH if..

[New Vocab]

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You don't end up as a health care executive? How many MPH's end up on executive track after finishing their degrees? And from what schools? Why would someone consider an MPH over an MBA? It really doesn't make sense to me that someone would waste their time just to be eventually upended by an MBA.

 

[Wiingy]

You don't end up as a health care executive? How many MPH's end up on executive track after finishing their degrees? And from what schools? Why would someone consider an MPH over an MBA? It really doesn't make sense to me that someone would waste their time just to be eventually upended by an MBA.

Because MPH isn't just about training health care executives - epidemiology and biostatistics people also get an MPH, so "the point" would be to do epidemiology and help run clinical trials (interestingly, not everyone in MPH programs wants to end up as a health care executive). If you want to end up as a health care executive, it's probably smarter to get your MHSA. People with MHSA's compete very strongly against those with an MBA.

 

[varekai1018]

You've gotta love the endless frustration of having others assume what you can do with an MPH. 🙂

Public health is an enormously diverse field. I don't have numbers on this, but if I were to hazard a guess, I would think that the vast majority of people interested in the MPH degree do not want to become health care executives. As Wiingy stated, there are more appropriate degrees for those with that goal.

If you are interested in what people here are doing with their degrees, New Vocab, and not just trolling (I don't want to assume that you are, but the "waste their time" statement is a bit much, IMHO), I'm sure people on this forum would be happy to help you out.

 

[mediterranean]

Because MPH isn't just about training health care executives - epidemiology and biostatistics people also get an MPH, so "the point" would be to do epidemiology and help run clinical trials (interestingly, not everyone in MPH programs wants to end up as a health care executive). If you want to end up as a health care executive, it's probably smarter to get your MHSA. People with MHSA's compete very strongly against those with an MBA.

Other than being a health care executive, what else can you do with a MHSA? I saw a curriculum for that program but was confused because it looked so general.

 

[Wiingy]

Other than being a health care executive, what else can you do with a MHSA? I saw a curriculum for that program but was confused because it looked so general.

No idea - the MPH programs tend to self-segregate pretty heavily (there's almost no class overlap) and I'm very much a science/math dork so I only know about the epid/biostat job options. I *think* that a lot from my school go into NGO management/program evaluation/that sort of thing. I'm sure that other people on here can help you out much more than I.

 

[mediterranean]

No idea - the MPH programs tend to self-segregate pretty heavily (there's almost no class overlap) and I'm very much a science/math dork so I only know about the epid/biostat job options. I *think* that a lot from my school go into NGO management/program evaluation/that sort of thing. I'm sure that other people on here can help you out much more than I.

Thanks Wiingy. If anyone knows, feel free to comment.

 

[rbnsafsadgf]

You don't end up as a health care executive? How many MPH's end up on executive track after finishing their degrees? And from what schools? Why would someone consider an MPH over an MBA? It really doesn't make sense to me that someone would waste their time just to be eventually upended by an MBA.

In a MPH program, the final outcome of interest is usually health, well-being, disease status, and the various other constructs of morbidity and mortality.

I am going to guess that in a MBA program your learn about organization structure, function, and management with many things being measured in $. We do talk a lot about resource allocation and cost-benefit stuff in my MPH program, but that is more of a practical constraint rather than something to focus on.

A MBA and MPH are different degrees at the heart of it.

 

[Vayu]

Program planning and evaluation. Administration. Research. Acting as a resource person. Health Education. Biostatistics. Epidemiology. Environmental and Occupational health. Policy. Maternal and child health. Socio-behavioral health. Global health...

 

[Jayscin]

In a MPH program, the final outcome of interest is usually health, well-being, disease status, and the various other constructs of morbidity and mortality.

I am going to guess that in a MBA program your learn about organization structure, function, and management with many things being measured in $. We do talk a lot about resource allocation and cost-benefit stuff in my MPH program, but that is more of a practical constraint rather than something to focus on.

A MBA and MPH are different degrees at the heart of it.

Your assessment reflects much of what composed my MBA program. We learned about organizational management with respect to financial resources and human capital. I feel like MPHs are more patient-focused rather than organization-focused.

 

[rbnsafsadgf]

I feel like MPHs are more patient-focused rather than organization-focused.

Well, not "patient-focused" but with a community health focus. Public health is interested in the health of groups, rather than individual patients. But the public health training is intimately related to clinical research where patients are once again the level of interest.