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I was hoping to get some feedback from posters here. I am currently deciding between an MPH in Health Policy and a MSPH in Microbiology and Emerging Infectious Disease with a certificate in Health Services Administration at GW. My goal for these degrees is not terminal but rather transitional. I would like to apply to medical school upon completion of my masters degree and if that does not pan out I would like to pursue a PhD. However, my major requirement is that these degrees remain highly marketable to future employers.
The MPH from Yale in Health Policy has the following advantages:
-Its more selective than the big programs so the class size is small ( 15-18), there are 9 full time faculty members, faculty are very academia oriented so there is a lot of research going on in the field (advantage to med school?),
-Yale has a big name advantage for not only med school but for future employers ( particularly alums from all Yale programs),
-There is plenty of elective room so I can take classes at the law school or management school, health policy is what I am generally oriented to as far as personal interests go and its closer to home ( Im a New Yorker).
Disadvantages of Yale include:
-Expense (most expensive out of all my choices including GW);
-New Haven is a **** hole;
-Within public health, in general, Yale is not significant ( I have the option of going to Columbia which is ranked higher but has a terrible student to full time faculty ratio for its health policy/management division and there is no significant research going on);
-And there is no science curriculum in the program for medical school ( however, I have no need to prove my self capable as I have an undergrad GPA of 3.9).
The MSPH at GW has the following advantages:
-Its in DC (which is my second choice of living in another city besides NY) where there is a huge number of opportunities in public health including NIH, HHS, and etc.;
-I was awarded a merit scholarship (however Yale gave me grants but a merit scholarship looks more impressive on a CV);
-The curriculum allows me to take medical school classes (important for recommendations to medical school and for networking as well as admissions to see I am continue science related work);
-GW has a huge network of alums in the area (there is a lot of opportunity to intern and work);
-The class size is also small but not as small as that of Yale;
-The admissions director (who was formerly on the Michigan State Medical School admissions committee) personally offered her help when I apply to med school;
-Yales most significant Epi and Infectious Disease professor has migrated to GW and there is a lot of research opportunities in tropical medicine (they have a huge grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation);
The disadvantages include:
-If I choose not to pursue an MD, in the long term I do not want to be at a lab bench ( but I am getting a health services certificate);
-The faculty seems to be much immersed in their own research (Ive had difficulty tracking down my assigned advisor---omen?);
-GW is not as prestigious as Yale (as an overall brand name) and their acceptance rates are less selective than Yales;
-DC is further away from my friends and family than Yale;
-Most unappealing about the program is that its two years plus a summer semester of classes (which is unappealing because I cant do a full-time internship in the summer as I would be able to at Yale, most students in my program do their required internship in the lab at GW I really dont want that, I prefer to diversify) plus the certificate I am doing will involve a heavier course load of an extra semester (probably ANOTHER summer).
Does anyone have any suggestions or any experiences they can share? This is a really pain in the ass decision, I just wish I was excited.
The MPH from Yale in Health Policy has the following advantages:
-Its more selective than the big programs so the class size is small ( 15-18), there are 9 full time faculty members, faculty are very academia oriented so there is a lot of research going on in the field (advantage to med school?),
-Yale has a big name advantage for not only med school but for future employers ( particularly alums from all Yale programs),
-There is plenty of elective room so I can take classes at the law school or management school, health policy is what I am generally oriented to as far as personal interests go and its closer to home ( Im a New Yorker).
Disadvantages of Yale include:
-Expense (most expensive out of all my choices including GW);
-New Haven is a **** hole;
-Within public health, in general, Yale is not significant ( I have the option of going to Columbia which is ranked higher but has a terrible student to full time faculty ratio for its health policy/management division and there is no significant research going on);
-And there is no science curriculum in the program for medical school ( however, I have no need to prove my self capable as I have an undergrad GPA of 3.9).
The MSPH at GW has the following advantages:
-Its in DC (which is my second choice of living in another city besides NY) where there is a huge number of opportunities in public health including NIH, HHS, and etc.;
-I was awarded a merit scholarship (however Yale gave me grants but a merit scholarship looks more impressive on a CV);
-The curriculum allows me to take medical school classes (important for recommendations to medical school and for networking as well as admissions to see I am continue science related work);
-GW has a huge network of alums in the area (there is a lot of opportunity to intern and work);
-The class size is also small but not as small as that of Yale;
-The admissions director (who was formerly on the Michigan State Medical School admissions committee) personally offered her help when I apply to med school;
-Yales most significant Epi and Infectious Disease professor has migrated to GW and there is a lot of research opportunities in tropical medicine (they have a huge grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation);
The disadvantages include:
-If I choose not to pursue an MD, in the long term I do not want to be at a lab bench ( but I am getting a health services certificate);
-The faculty seems to be much immersed in their own research (Ive had difficulty tracking down my assigned advisor---omen?);
-GW is not as prestigious as Yale (as an overall brand name) and their acceptance rates are less selective than Yales;
-DC is further away from my friends and family than Yale;
-Most unappealing about the program is that its two years plus a summer semester of classes (which is unappealing because I cant do a full-time internship in the summer as I would be able to at Yale, most students in my program do their required internship in the lab at GW I really dont want that, I prefer to diversify) plus the certificate I am doing will involve a heavier course load of an extra semester (probably ANOTHER summer).
Does anyone have any suggestions or any experiences they can share? This is a really pain in the ass decision, I just wish I was excited.