DrPHPlans

Oooohh that's fantastic! I'm currently looking for a new position and have considered jumping over to pharma from non-profit (I do public health in blood disorders). I totally see how there are philanthropic sides sometimes. I have a lot of friends in pharma and have spoken with them a lot lately. I'm nearly positive I have something worked out at the moment but this experience has really shown me how important our networks are. Wanna connect on LinkedIn? I've always liked chatting with you ?. (no offense at all if you don't, but if you do, I think you can find me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-colbath-66b20711b/) I accepted at Rutgers. I really wanted to see if I'd get into UIC just out of curiosity. I asked them last week and they said I was a finalist for an interview but since I was already decided on Rutgers, I really didn't feel like putting in the effort. It's been a few tough weeks with work. They both have good leadership programs and I liked that. Honestly, I liked that Rutgers requires more campus visits and as a mom with 2 young kids... I don't mind getting away for 2-3 days here and there! ? UIC didn't seem to require as many, although I used to live in Chicago and always love an opportunity to go there. If I remember correctly you're in NJ, so maybe this will give you that opportunity to get out of town here and there.

CONGRATULATIONS!! I've been rooting for you! I have a colleague who has a pretty high up position at the CDC who recently finished her DrPH through UIC. It's a great program.

My goodness, has anyone else heard from UIC for DrPH, yet? I know someone heard a while back but last I checked, most of us were still waiting. I didn't get into JH but mostly wanted to go if I'd received the Bloomberg fellowship, so a big congrats to anyone receiving acceptances on those. That's a big deal!

I haven't heard a thing from them since applying. I did email them to ask about decision timeline last month, and was told decisions go out in March, and that they will communicate both acceptances and rejections. Congrats on the interview! Honestly I've already committed elsewhere, but I'm so curious about UIC just to know if I'd get in or not.

No offense taken! Undergrad at huge state universities can be a nightmare when it comes to communications and organization. Grad programs, especially doctorates, tend to be another story because they're so much smaller and produce research and such. I haven't even heard all decisions yet but I've committed to Rutgers. ?

Interesting! I've had really great interactions wit the SPH, and received an email Feb 16 with an attached admission letter. We also don't have a portal so they sort of have to email us. But, I know as of recently they hadn't yet sent out any rejections, so I'm not sure how good they are with that. Thanks for sharing your experience!

I don't know if it was you, but I have seen someone mention this about the Columbia program. How absolutely horrible. Applying is so much work, so much emotional investment, that it feels like garbage for a program to do that. I also previously saw that they're not offering to refund anyone's application fee. I've never heard of this before, but this is my first doctoral app cycle. I'm sorry this happened to you. I would be so bummed.

Is anyone else just refreshing this page constantly? I have already committed to a program but am waiting to hear from one and I still want to know out of curiosity. The programs that haven't sent decisions yet are killing me! And I haven't seen anyone else here post a decision from Rutgers, where I've committed, so I'm dying to know that too, just to see if anyone has heard anything.

Thank you! I will work hard for all of us ? I'm glad you hear that you're motivated to apply again. It took me a while to finally apply -- I started looking at the JHU program when the remote DrPH first started around 2017. I needed to gain experience, finish the making babies thing I was doing, and it's so neat to be at the place where you can apply. If you also need a remote/hybrid program, there may be a few more for next year, too. It only makes sense for this degree since work experience is so important. I applied to all 4 I could find: JHU, UNC, Rutgers, and UIC. I still haven't heard from UIC but chose Rutgers anyway. I was expecting to get into JHU, more-so than UNC, but like we've said, maybe we didn't pick tracks well. I personally think it sounds like the way we approached them makes a lot of sense. And I hate that PhD students can apply to multiple departments, but we couldn't choose more than one track. Apply again -- we'll be there holding down the fort until you join us!

Thank you for sharing these. You're right that we have the opportunities to apply because of what others have endured, and yet there's still so much work to do. I've actually been wondering if I'd have been accepted to JHU if I had applied for the Social Justice and Equity track instead of Informatics. My CV is full of social justice and equity, and I have an MSW in addition to an MPH, so I thought that taking that experience and then branching into informatics would bring the most good. But I am a woman, and that is also going from a very woman-centered area to a male-dominated one, and doing so without a massively heavy informatics CV was probably unwise. But oh well. I am sorry you didn't get into UNC. I was rejected from there as well but I didn't get an interview. You should feel proud to have gotten that far! I am still waiting on UNC but have otherwise been savoring every minute since my Rutgers acceptance and confirming with them. Especially right now with how our field has blown up, I feel very lucky to have a spot from my first application cycle. May I ask what were your other application outcomes?

Congrats on Georgia and Southern! I received an acceptance from Rutgers on 2/16. When I last probed UIC they said decisions would go out in mid-March. That's the last one I'm waiting on, as well. Rejected from JHU Informatics and UNC. (All DrPH)

Congratulations!! what an emotional road, to have that surprise and also starting a doctorate. You can go for all the things! That's what I do. ?

Congratulations! I'm 39 weeks -- expecting the baby any day now! It'll be a big transition but definitely possible to balance new parenthood with a doctoral program. Y'all can crush it!! I got pregnant with my first during the last year of my dual masters program. I've known a lot of folks who have had their first when starting a PhD. It's not easy but nothing worth it is, right? Best of luck!

Also a tough youth and didn't start my undergrad until 28. Then did that and 2 masters, now I'm 41. When I was a little kid I wanted a doctorate, but as life unfolded I thought maybe it wasn't actually in the stars for me. Now I get to start one next year. These milestones are really hard for those of us who had to start things later and without any support! But even at 41 to know I get to start the next step, it's incredible. Us "oldies" should get extra credit for still pushing forward. ?

Yes! I have a 3 and a 7 y/o. The 3 year old has been home with me because of COVID, and I work full time from home. I'm dying. But, she goes to school in the fall so I figured I could finally apply for my doctorate! We're rockstars ? ***I'm also sensitive to anyone going through infertility who wants to be in the rockstar club. You are rockstars. It took me 8 rounds of IVF and 4 pregnancies to get my second.

WOW. I'm so sorry. I already knew that COVID has made this field and these programs a whole different beast, but you're an extremely strong applicant! You should know that, regardless of the Hopkins decision. Did you apply anywhere else?

I think I'm going to Rutgers. And I can't believe I haven't seen anyone else get decisions from them. Maybe I've missed something? So far: Accepted: Rutgers Rejected: UNC, Hopkins Waiting: UIC UIC is a great program, but Rutgers just speaks to be a bit more so I'm about ready to confirm even without hearing from UIC. I'm glad to have the Hopkins decision out of the way. This does seem like an extra crazy cycle. I've been waiting to apply for my DrPH since I finished my MPH in 2015 (was busy with work and making 2 humans), so I've been keeping an eye on them and they've really gotten a lot tougher to get into, it seems!

I felt the same. Also, they admit so many students compared to other programs, but also have a ton apply so... yeah oh well.

JHU DrPH rejection here. Ouch because I’d also applied for the fellowship and felt my application was strong. Best of luck to the rest of you!

This is so incredible! Congratulations!!!

It IS brutal ? There has to be news this week. I feel so badly that I have already heard from Rutgers. I really thought we'd all have heard by now. Best of luck this week.

Ugh I'm so sorry to hear that. I was really hoping all decisions would have gone out this past week! I'm really hoping for you. At least when there's no decision, you know there's still a chance. I really hope you get good news next week.

I like your thinking here! Have you heard anything from Rutgers, yet?

I didn't even see the email until after seeing your post, and I still got the adrenaline rush. ?‍♀️ I'm so over seeing these teaser emails! Did I go check the portal just in case? You bet.

Thank you! I really hope you hear soon, and get good news. I have heard from multiple colleagues and academics that this cycle is particularly hard in PH. I wasn't expecting that when I first applied but it's worked out that way. Best of luck to everyone.