Stories

Unexpected pleasantries around every life's corner.

It's never easy to start over again. But rest assured, this is easier than being tossed into a brand new city and brand new job. At least you'll have your incoming class as a fellow cohort

Kind of. But I'm in a weird situation. Graduated with my MPH in September. Couldn't find a job. Currently working a job in retail. Got accepted to schools as I applied right after graduating. I've accepted an offer and will be attending in the fall. There's no sense in getting a job now, so I'm still at my retail job until the end of summer. Weird, huh? Working a retail job with a master's degree and will be attending an ivy in the fall. Go figure.

Good luck with your applications. It's a stressful time, but the reward will be worth it!

Better yet, do the research as a research assistant and get the master's

This here: #1 fact about applying to schools with a research focus (ie. PhD, MA, MS).

I think the question you have to ask yourself is the career path more important than the financial reward? For some people, the answer is yes.

My University, Your University, His University, and Her University. Seriously, schools that are accredited in the US for higher education are all the "best". It's all what you make of it.

I didn't think I was a very strong applicant because my grades were rather... meh. I did have a lot of experience in research in my field (2+ years full-time RA) plus a master's in the field, as well. I got rejected from the majority of my reach schools (as I expected), but go into my top school (which was also a reach) with full funding! It just goes to show, you have no idea what you're capable of unless you apply. I knew I'd have good recommendations, a solid statement of purpose (I had two of my professors proof and recommend changes on my entire statement 5+ times), and well-defined research goals. It was just a matter of waiting.

Good advice here. Getting a MA/MS/M(whatever) degree will most certainly bolster your application for a PhD. This is especially true if you also do some research assistant work as a student or if you work as a professional research assistant (full-time). Too many folks are too eager to enter into the PhD fold way too soon--take rejections as a way to develop your ideas more to express them more eloquently and completely in your future personal statement.

The advantage of going to one of the "big schools" is that the MA could segue into a PhD. The MA, is after all, a non-terminal research degree.

One thing to remember: health schools (not including Medical and Dental) are ranked on one criteria: peer assessment which is obvious. Yale's SPH is very small compared to other schools (smaller than Cal's by far). They also don't accept many students (especially at the PhD-level where they take 5 per year for the entire school, not per department), so the name doesn't proliferate nearly as much. But Yale's faculty is very geared towards their students and they try and give all the resources necessary to make every student succeed (for instance, no PhD student is accepted without complete funding).

Where are you coming from? That might help make comparisons. As for Cambridge/Boston/Massachusetts... -Four very distinct seasons. -Winter: Very cold, very windy, very wet and snowy. Layers are your friend. Boots are a near must. -Spring: Pleasant, mild temperatures (60-70's for the high), rain is pretty frequent, not too much humidity -Summer: Not too warm (generally not much hotter than mid-80's), a few weeks (July and August) of intense humidity, moderate-high rainfall -Fall: Best time of the year, not too hot (generally 50-60's for high), changing foliage (the golden leaves are stellar), not much snow until late fall (early November) Massachusetts is definitely a place you don't come for the weather. It's not unbearable, but those uncomfortable with cold might think twice about coming. Those who can't stand heat, it's a pretty decent place to be (that's me).

Whoa, that guy's regeneration of cells and building organs is really something. I suppose it's not a novel idea in itself, but to find a way to give it the proper form and shape, now that's something. Ahh, sounds like you and I have very different research interests I understand the need for what is basically an audit of our healthcare delivery system. I'm sure anyone with a MPH has heard the same thing in their HPM class My personal statement was defined as such: (1) Introduction of how and why I want to get a PhD in Epidemiology, (2) my characteristics that make me a good academic, (3) my research skills and past research, (4) my research areas of interest, (5) why school X is a good fit and professor Y and Z I'd like to work with for A B and C research topics. I'll elaborate on topics 4 and 5. For number 4, I talked about my specific interest in respiratory health. I mentioned why I was interested in it (because of the plethora of outcomes to measure), how my past education fit into why I want to measure it, and what are potential areas I could measure. It was specific, yet still general because I don't mention specific research methods or study designs, but generally the subject matter I see myself going into. For number 5, I mentioned research centers or projects (by name) that the school had going which I had an interest in working with (and why it fit with me). I mentioned specific professors and their work and how they would fit into my studies as potential advisers. So I was pretty specific identifying who to work with and what direction I needed/wanted. As for the interviews, there wasn't much grilling. It was much more of a, "we want to get to know you, so let's have a discussion, and let us sell the University to you". It's a bit odd compared to job interviews since they definitely try to push their own resources on you to help you make a decision. Especially if they bring you in for an interview, they're more likely trying to see if your personality would fit with the faculty more than seeing if you're qualified to be at the school since your grades/scores/personal statement really takes care of that aspect.

Haha, I can understand the enthusiasm. Getting a PhD is something that I've wanted to do for several years now, and now that I'm officially in the process of getting there, it's very exciting. My own studies (once I get there) will be focusing on environmental exposures (most likely air chemicals) and lung cancer. I'm funded on a National Cancer Institute training grant, so cancer is going to be my outcome. What exactly, I still haven't determined yet. Yale has several labs in the PH school, so I'll probably be incorporating some gene-environment and molecular work, as well. It's all exciting, and once I get to the thesis prospectus stage, I'll definitely need to hone my ideas down to something that I can actually work on You know, the PhD thing really is great because it helps you plan for your own career and life. It kills me when I don't have a general plan (and to me, graduate school is a general plan). I know where my money is coming from the next 4 years and I know what I'm dedicating my life to for the next 4 years. It was definitely a relief when I got accepted to one school because i knew even if I got into no other schools, I'd at least have one option. Luckily, I got into a lot more schools than that and had a choice to make Okay, I'll stop rambling now!

Hey not a problem. It's actually pretty neat to give folks advice, especially those that are receptive to it It's definitely something that takes some work, but be sure to eloquently elaborate on who you are, what you bring, your research past and potential, and your research goals and interests. That is the true make-it-or-break-it deal in acceptances at schools. Also, be sure to mention specific faculty you're interested in working with. This will show the admissions faculty that you have a true interest in their school, and you've done the research to show that you are a good fit a the school/program. For instance, I wanted to apply to Ohio State, but I decided not to because of a lack of proper fit with faculty at the school. You might find this is true of many schools you apply to. It's a lengthy process, but make a yourself a list of each school and write down names of faculty you're interested in working with. You never know what schools you might get into. So if you have interests with faculty at a school you think is a "reach", still apply. The big difference for PhDs is that there is FAR less importance on grades and GRE scores. They are still considered, of course, as someone who has C's in the epidemiology methods courses is a red flag, but as I've said, the research and personal statement matter more. As for interviews, every school I interviewed at, I was accepted to. I did get a lot of rejections from other schools for various reasons, but ultimately I got into the program I wanted (Yale) and am fully funded. But for numbers, I applied to 17 schools because I had no idea where I'd get in :shock: Just because you don't have a 1600 GRE score and 4.0 GPA doesn't mean you won't get accepted to a great school. Also, ignore the rankings for the PhD--go to the school with the faculty working in what you're interested in. The main credential that I came up with was research interest fit + recommendations from other faculty elaborating on my potential as an independent researcher. That is a point of emphasis: independent research. I have a friend that is on the pharmaco-epi track and another on gene-environmental interactions, so it's all varied. Yale is small program (~5 admitted per year), so it has its advantages of close relationship with faculty but limited in course offerings.

I lived in Brookline for 2 years. I absolutely love Brookline, and I have a friend who is a post-doc at Harvard and she also lives in Brookline. Most of Brookline is walk accessible to the HSPH area, especially if you're living near Coolidge Corner (which is where I lived). Rent is slightly pricey, especially if you don't live a roommate, but it's an absolutely fantastic place for a 20-something to live. Great places to eat, very safe, and all-around pleasant. Allston and Brighton is much cheaper to live, but a lot of BU and BC undergrads live in those areas, it's not as upscale as Brookline, but if you're into rowdy parties and bar scene, might be a place for you to check out. Boston proper is pretty darned expensive to live in and might not necessarily be something you'd consider if cost is a factor.

Good luck with your application. It's a little daunting, but be sure to have good ideas in your personal statement. That is one of the biggest components of seeing whether you're a fit in the program. Take time to write it over and over again, have professors take a look at it and get feedback from then. I went through a good seven revisions before I submitted my applications. And start early! I started the process in September and finished my entire app in the beginning of November. I wouldn't worry about the whole economy thing, more folks are applying to professional schools rather than PhDs. The number of PhD applicants are about the same as last year's pool.

It's interesting, but every school has different policies. The school I ended up choosing (Yale) definitely was probably the most proactive and enthusiastic about my application going as far as calling me twice about my application, flying and lodging me for a big interview day. It was quite flattering because I Yale had been one of my reach schools. But my research was a great fit with the department and I identified several faculty I was interested in working with and it's all working out My guess would be that there are reasons why there's such an active engagement process with that faculty members: they think you're a great fit or they see lots of potential in you. Either way, I'd consider it a form of flattery if a school wants you that badly.

Bingo. In a science field, particularly an applied health science field like mine, you must piggy back upon an existing professor's work to serve as an adviser. By mentioning your own research on what the faculty does at the particular school you're applying to, you're justifying why you're a good fit for the program and why the program is a good fit for you. People need to realize that unlike undergrad, grad schools (especially PhD-level programs) look at proper fit with research interests much more than your grades and scores. This of course assumes that you meet the minimum requirements for entrance into the graduate program.

I let all my professors know once I had made a decision. I think it's a courtesy, especially if you're tight with them. They definitely love to hear about your progress especially since they trained you in preparation for your PhD work.

Bingo. This was my experience at BU as an MPH student. Then again, my adviser was also my professor and my RA supervisor, so I would hope that I'd have a good relationship with her 8)

Cool, I definitely registered as it looks like there are some nice looking apartments there. Seems kind of pricey, though. I'm guessing that most places in New Haven don't include heat/hot water it looks like. Yikes, that's all extra cost I have to think about.

As far as I can tell, there are some programs out there where going into a MS/MSPH program the transition is setup for someone who wishes to enter into the PhD program. I don't know how prevalent this is, though. As for needing a master's before going into the PhD, the majority of schools do ask for the master's primarily because there aren't many bachelor's level public health degrees out there. Just as a point of reference, at my Yale interview, all but 1 person had at least a master's degree (14 out of the 15). Only 1 person was finishing up her bachelor's this year (May 2009). Having a master's definitely makes you a more competitive applicant.

Congrats to everyone out there who got in. I recently accepted Yale's offer in the Epidemiology and Public Health program. Regarding funding, I've read that the stipends range from $25k-$29k, depending on department. I was offered the National Cancer Institute (NCI) fellowship which gives me a $28.5k/yr stipend + 4 years guaranteed funding of tuition (most folks in the NCI program graduate in 4 years, especially coming in with a master degree) with possibility of 5th year if I go that long.