EpiNYC

Exactly! My one friend (different field of academia) applied to PhD programs three times! She was beyond qualified, but finally the last round she got accepted into an Ivy program with full funding and even managed to win a very prestigious fellowship all at the same time. So I think it just goes back to continue to pursue your dreams and not letting rejections hinder your drive to pursue them. Not yet, she is actually getting back to me. But I took the initiative to enroll in one of those online programs that teaches you Python and you sort of end up with a list of projects at the end. So EDx or Udacity are good examples. Also Codecademy has a good Python class I'm currently taking. I'll let you know! Luckily I'm quite skilled in STATA already from my MPH, but I would say STATA is the easiest among the programs you mentioned. I think EDx may have some course on STATA. If not, you could certainly self teach and use some public dataset.

Well my general way of approaching 'failure' in life is to just keep trying, especially when it's something that I'm passionate about. Sure it sucks not getting into any programs this year around, but it's not the end all be all. As for the general tips, it was more specific to my little niche of interest: epidemic modelling. The person I talked to is a prominent modeler in the field, and actually made a great point that most of the schools I applied to don't have any true modelers in their program. Secondly, she mentioned that I should take up computer programming/coding for a year, because modelling involves a lot of coding. She said that would make the world of a difference because it saves prospective PIs/advisers from having to take time away (sometimes almost an entire year) in teaching one how to code/program in R or Python or related programs/consoles. All in all, it just made me realize I should have really found someone who does what I want to do in the future and sort of have them lay out the different skill sets I need to aqcuire or highlight. This is especially true when other pieces of my application were already strong (I have a dozen publications, strong LORS, competitive GRE scores).

Oh, my bad, 100% rejected! lol I was expecting it, but I'm not too bummed, I had a great informational interview with someone in my interested field of research who really gave me the direction that I didn't have during this round of applications.

Just got my official decision from Columbia - EPI PhD program. Best of luck to all!!!

Being a native New Yorker I had some bias towards CUNY...however, CUNY for graduate education is actually quite good, and one of my own professors said not to discredit CUNY on that basis... So if you are working NYC, and you do not want to leave your current job, I would say maybe go for CUNY? But also, it seems CUNY would be a DrPH vs. a PhD, which is also it's own question of which degree you think suits you more in regards to your future career goals/interests/etc...

No, hence why I'm 99.99% sure I am going to be rejected.

Nope! Pretty sure at this point it's a rejection, but it would be nice to have that in writing lol

I would say definitely make the switch! When I applied to NYU CGPH, I originally applied to the same track you mentioned, but they then offered to switch me into Global Health (as they were reviewing my application). When in the track I had almost made the switch into Epi, but realized I could take all the classes the Epi students were taking and still pursue the GH track. The reason I stayed in the track is because we have what is called a capstone, which is a year-long project completed in student-led teams...you basically get to act as public health consultants, it's super cool and amazing experience, and I'm in the midst of it all as we speak! I believe the reason why NYU's program is not ranked is because the program is quite new, and so I assume it will be a few more years before its get ranked. Some pros for the future is that they will finally have their own building coming this Fall (I believe), and they may even add a few more concentrations. Like I said, it's very new, and they are cognizant to feedback from students as well as the 'market' and molding the program organically.

Can they quantify, maybe give us the odds of us hearing in the next two days...

I just got rejected from NYU! A little surprised, but not surprised given I never got an interview invite from them, surprised because I'm a student in the MPH program at NYU and my LOR included the doctoral mentor I proposed to work with in their program... oh well!

I would echo others in that there is no need to switch, but I would pursue lab/research work or internships related to your current interests so as to showcase those interests to a prospective admissions committee. The sort of modelling you are talking about is in a grey area in terms of fields, (the former part regarding disease dynamics), as my own professors who are trained infectious disease epidemiologists admitted they themselves have never done/trained to do that sort of modelling. That's more of the work on the side of a biologist. But once again, grey area, it could just mean not every MPH program you look at will have courses that cover the actual 'how to do it.' Additionally, qualitative research and/or mixed-methods research is growing in the field of Public Health, and having that skillets as an anthropologist would certainly help! As for fieldwork, at least in Public Health, I really don't think you necessarily need to be in academia and you definitely do not need to have a clinical degree (depending on what it is you want to do), you just need to have the credentials (i.e. PhD or MPH). Many of my professors are often consulting and literally travelling all over the world. They often consult for NGOs or other field-based organizations in other parts of the world or consult with the WHO. I think what allows you to do that sort of fieldwork is having the credentials to say I'm an expert in X, Y, and Z.

I know that it's fully funded for five years and that they have about 4-5 spots for PhD candidates each year. Which is all to say that if your mentor doesn't have funding, you don't have to worry since your tuition and stipend will be paid through the program. I do know it's stronger on the social sciences aspect rather than 'hard score sciences' especially when it comes to wanting to pursue something like epi. That being said, you have a network of some amazing faculty and those faculty in turn are also connected with equally amazing faculty elsewhere, which is great for networking!

That's totally fine!

I would agree, I got rejected from Hopkins for ID epi as well, but that was three weeks ago.

Hey xyzpsych, congrats on the interview! The living cost is really where you decide to live in New York (albeit, Manhattan or outside of Manhattan). I currently work full-time as well, and therefore I can afford to live near campus, but that means my rent is approx $1,800 a month. Knowing the amount of money that these programs do provide, you are better off living somewhere in Brooklyn, where COS equates to rent of $900 a month plus another $100/week for food, if you are really smart in where you shop (like Trader Joes). As for books and whatnot, most of the classes were based on reading journal articles, with very few classes requiring textbooks (only one I can think of was a doctoral-level Epi class). Let me know if I was helpful or if you have anymore questions?

Ditto!! One of the programs I applied to I'm currently in....and I pass by the admissions peeps every few days...I just wanna burst into their office and shout "tell me now!"

For NYU is it the one-on-one interviews or the whole 9 yards? (e.g. the group interviews and so forth)

Awhh don't lose hope! It's not over until it's over!

Hmmm, I can't remember if I completed that addendum....but the financial aid e-mail basically asked me to complete this survey with a series of questions that said it would help them with financial aid 'upon your admittance...' but other than that Columbia has been radio silent..

Exactly!!!! It is driving me nuts

I also applied to Hopkins, Columbia, and NYU, all for Epi Got rejected from Hopkins last week, still waiting to hear back from Columbia and NYU. Did anyone else get that e-mail about financial aid for Columbia??

I feel the same way! I am still waiting to hear back from two more places, one of which is my own program where I am currently completing my MPH.

Well I currently am attending the MPH program at NYU (just entered my last semester before graduation) and I would say overall it is a fairly new program which has its pros and cons. Ultimately, it is what you make of it like most programs (I am fairly happy with it). May I ask what it is specifically you are interested in as that would let met gauge what I should perhaps tell you?