Why did you pick your specialty in MPH?

[AnumSanum]

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Hey guys,

I've been looking through SDN for a while and I have a general question for everyone here. Why did you choose your specialty in MPH? I'm having issues finding the right fit (I want to work with immigrants and refugees in a global health arena but I don't know if I want to go into straight up global health or do something in management/policy or even social/behavioral sciences and use that towards working in an international NGO). So I was wondering if I learned what drew you to your field, the I can apply the same logic to finding mine. Thanks for your insight 🙂.

 

[MPHNut]

I too was really confused about what concentration to go for. I talked with people who were already in their MPH programs, and I think the more you talk with them about how you got the idea of doing public health in the first place, the more obvious your concentration will become. I was having doubts about Epi and after a sit down with several current MPHers, and a rant about my dissatisfaction with programs I've seen and their inability to assess need, or develop a functional program with a sustainable solution I had a room full of people staring at me wide eyed and wondering why I'm not doing something in health education/communication.

 

[MPHNut]

Oh I also downloaded the required classes and syllabi (if available) for the different programs and went with the classes that sounded the most interesting and useful

 

[lebeth]

I always kind of knew which direction I was going. I had two cousins with HIV, so I've had a lifelong interest in HIV prevention strategies etc and I discovered through working that I am really good at evaluations, program analysis, and getting/interpreting data for evidence based interventions, so that's what I'm doing.

Also, I totally second MPHNut's notion of finding the syllabi for classes you might be taking. I have always done that, even in undergrad...it is nice to know what you're getting into and get some more info on the exact content of the courses.

 

[AnumSanum]

Thanks for the advice. I was already looking at course descriptions in different programs but I think finding different syllabi would take it one step further. Also, I think I'll talk to MPH students as well but I really don't know any besides those on SDN, so I don't know how that would work. :/

 

[fernweh]

I'm SO glad to see this post. I thought I would be set on epidemiology but after researching more schools, I thought other specialties were very interesting, too.

Honestly, I haven't really been exposed much to the different fields. I'm taking an undergrad epidemiology course so that gives me some insight... but other prospective MPH-ers have said that yeah, it takes time to figure it out. Basically after volunteering and interning in different areas, you get a feel for what kind of work you'd like to do. I'm hoping volunteering at the county health dept. and Planned Parenthood might help me figure it out.

Oh, any folk reading care to share why they chose their specialty? I'm leaning towards Epidemiology and Community Health Sciences programs. I'm also curious what inspired others to focus on Global/Int'l Health.

 

[Stories]

I thought I had responded here? Anyway...

I chose epidemiology because I'm interested in the causes and factors leading to disease. I chose environmental epidemiology because I have an academic background in both biology (major) and environmental science (minor) and both interest me quite a bit. I chose a MPH because I thought I wanted to be involved with front line disease work, but then I realized I really wanted to be a PI/lead investigator, so here I am doing the PhD.

EDIT:

Thanks for the replies everyone. I was wondering, did you guys go into MPH right after undergrad or did you do research, internships, etc during a gap year then apply?

Straight in after undergrad with the intention of being a research assistant during my MPH (which I did through the end of June of my graduating year, 2008). I had previously worked (full-time) at the MA DPH (as a lab tech) before I enrolled at BU (for MPH) during my senior year and the summer after graduation.

 

[AnumSanum]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I was wondering, did you guys go into MPH right after undergrad or did you do research, internships, etc during a gap year then apply?

 

[lebeth]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I was wondering, did you guys go into MPH right after undergrad or did you do research, internships, etc during a gap year then apply?

No, I finished undergrad in May 2008, and am starting school again this fall. Since undergrad, I've been working full time in a lab (not related to public health) at a medical school and doing public health consulting stuff on a part time/as needed basis.

I think if you're feeling any kind of doubts about choosing an MPH or if your undergrad grades weren't the best, it is probably in your favor to take a year off school to work in the field so you can build on your experience and figure out if it's definitely for you.

 

[fernweh]

No, I finished undergrad in May 2008, and am starting school again this fall. Since undergrad, I've been working full time in a lab (not related to public health) at a medical school and doing public health consulting stuff on a part time/as needed basis.

What did you do to take care of letters of recommendations, assuming you asked professors from your undergrad for at least one of the number required?

This has stumped me for a while, but I have read different responses, like saving letters with a university career center vault.

 

[xscpx]

Because parasites are awesome!

 

[Jojo84]

Because parasites are awesome!

Couldn't have said it better myself. +1 xscpx! 🙂