Belen91

I recently graduated from UCLA, and I was accepted into the three schools that I applied to for an MPH in global/international health (NYU, USC, and Loma Linda U.). However, the cost of attending those schools is very overwhelming (e.g. I was offered $70,000 from NYU in loans just for 1 year). I ultimately want to get a PhD in public health, however, I have read that a majority of the applicants already have an MPH. Therefore, I am wondering if I should just pursue the MPH, or if I should take a year off and apply to some PhD programs for the following year. Here is some of my information: School/Research - BA in Sociology from UCLA (I also took all of the necessary premed classes and got mostly A's and two B's). - 3.8 GPA - Graduated - departmental honors, cum laude - GRE: Verbal (154), Quantitative (153), Writing (4) - Honors sociology research program - (2 years) I conducted my own research study on stress and wrote a thesis - 3 years - research assistant: worked on nanosomes for dermatology, and participated in osteoarthritis clinical trial. Internships/Shadowing - 2 year hospital internship - 5 month documentary film internship: researching type II diabetes - 2 years of physician shadowing: hospitalist, surgeon, gynecologist - 4 months of shadowing a certified diabetes educator: assisted in training patients on insulin pump therapy. Volunteer - Volunteered at a medical clinic in Mexico - 1 year - Soup Kitchen - 1 year - Animal Shelter - 2 years - produced art show and art instructor for young girls - 3 years - Tutored HS and college students: chemistry, calculus, and physics. I would like to go to school in California or New York (as I have family there).