Stories
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Posts posted by Stories
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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
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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.
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Awesome... that helps to clarify the tone of the interview. I tend to do well with interpersonal communication, so I'm going to focus on the meat & potatoes aspects of amping up the research portion of the resume & identifying/speaking-with faculty.
I really think that some of this information will be helpful to other aspiring PhD's, PH or otherwise. I am sure I am not the only one with these questions, and am really glad this is in the forums.
Thank you again Stories for all your insight... and for everyone else who took the time to give pointers. Hoping this coming Spring is productive, enjoyable, and not too stressful for all, and wishing you all the best in your acceptance & future careers! Hope to someday run into you at seminars/conventions, or read of you in the coming years!
Good luck with your applications. It's a stressful time, but the reward will be worth it!
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Thirded. Use the gap year to make yourself a more appealing applicant--by doing research, publishing, building relationships with profs that will guarantee you stellar recs, retaking tests, or whatever else will make your application stronger. Present the experience you gained from this year in a favorable light in your SOP. If you do that, there's no reason why your year off should look bad to anyone.
Better yet, do the research as a research assistant and get the master's
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When my undergraduate thesis adviser applied to grad school, he got into the highest-ranked program in the field, but was rejected by a state school that he'd applied to as a safety--it was a school ranked below 75 on all of the rankings lists, but, most importantly, it was a school that didn't have any professors he was interested in. And, as a result, I imagine they weren't all that interested in him, either. His stats were obviously great; they qualified him for great programs; but, while numbers and lists of accomplishments are important, they're not enough for any of us to give a remotely accurate answer to your question. And honestly, I don't know if anyone can give any answers except for the admissions committees. Which isn't comforting, I know--and believe me, I'm nervous as hell about whether or not I'm qualified for my dream programs, too--but it's what I've come to understand as true.
This here: #1 fact about applying to schools with a research focus (ie. PhD, MA, MS).
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I wish this weren't about funding, too, jferrier.
It's been a weird experience because I am a bit sad about saying goodbye to it, and this career trajectory I had in mind. But, on the other hand, I realize this could be a good thing. My field does not pay all that well. Going much into debt for it doesn't make sense. Honestly, I could probably go get an associate's degree in some medical field and make more. . .
This is a very weird place. Am I happy to have been saved the trouble? Or sad that I'm not going to get what I wanted?
fields&charts, I think it's good to think about this. Maybe it's just all those articles I read on Chronicle.com about the pitfalls of studying the humanities at the graduate level; but this former humanities and american studies enthusiast has decided to explore those pursuits in the library instead of the classroom. I don't know, I just can't bring myself to shell out that much money for it. Even when I had a great offer years back, I couldn't choose it over something with better financial prospects.
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.
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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.
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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.
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Last year I applied to 6 schools, and I received 6 rejections.
This year, I've applied to 8 schools and have heard back from 3 so far (3 rejections), but remaining optimsitic.
But what I wanted to stress, and maybe serve as a source of motivation (rather than depression or the likes of anything related), life does not end! Take the next year to beef up your academic resume with additional classes, research/intern/work experiences, etc. And don't give up on your goal because you will eventually get there, I wish you all the best.
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.
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hmm, so you have an MA? I'm in this crummy spot where I got rejected from everywhere as a PhD student and got accepted by three schools as an MA student with not real funding to speak of. Two of the admits are at sort of brand-name, top-tier institutions, but their MA programs look kind of suspect and I might run the risk of being a second-class citizen for a year or two there which is not appealing at all. The other program has no PhD program and so MA students are sort of the focus of the department. I'm leaning towards attending that school even though it doesn't seem to carry the weight of the other two in terms of name recognition. My other thought is to just say no to all of them and forget this altogether. Should I even bother getting an MA in something that's fairly useless in terms of a direct career path (i.e. it's not a professional program) if it means incurring debt? I have zero debt from undergrad so I wouldn't be digging myself further into a hole, but it just seems sort of pointless. Honestly I can't begin to think of going through the application process again next year.
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.
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Thanks, everyone! The main drawback of Berkeley for me is that I'd have to work harder at lining up internships and work experiences for myself. There are also much fewer people that do research on infectious diseases at Berkeley.
Do the US News Rankings really matter that much here? Berkeley is ranked wayy higher than Yale is...
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).
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I heard Berkeley is pretty hot in the summer. And additionally, Berkeley is located beside the sea( in the Bay Area?). 'cause I have acne, I am worried that with such a climate with hot and wet summer, my acne might break out. This is tooooooo freaking out!...
On the other hand, MIT is on Cambridge city, which seems always be cool( even cold). The doctor said that this may do good to the acne.
Anyone in US knows about this? I know this is quite a trifle...But I am so concerned...
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).
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I'm guilty of that too...I guess the important part isn't rambling itself, but knowing/admitting that you ramble, right? I am really glad the preventative side of healthcare is coming to the fore, be it environment, gene-mapping & mutagenic behavior, or nutrition. You've probably seen this clip before on regenerative medicine, but if things like this are coming in the next decade, then I can't wait to see what we all find through our research:
One of the ideas I had for a focus is based on accreditation. The current process with the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) is a national beta test - starting this summer - for a group of PH agencies that will measure how well they function within 10 identified public health standards (taken from the CDC's National Public Health Performance Standards Program [NPHPSP] and the National Association of County & City Health Officials [NACCHO]). Assuming everything stays on track, in 2011 the accreditation process will be opened up for anyone. For those that volunteer for it, I think it would be interesting to measure and compare how (un)successfully the transition is for a sample of small, medium, and large health agencies, and see if any best (or worst) practices are out there for managing the change.
One other one is another survey of best practice, this time for the rehabilitation of homeless that fall under the "dual-diagnoses" category... those with drug addiction and mental illness. I'd have to see what current research is out on that already, though.
Ok, now I'm the guilty rambler... but I did want to ask something. How did you present yourself in your personal statement & interview if you didn't have a specific research question yet? In other words, what level of focus-specificity do you think tells the faculty you are interested and a good fit? Was the interview them grilling you on your focus and seeing if you had thought it through?
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.
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Wow, stories, thank you for being so descriptive! It is a real treasure to find someone who will take the time to share their experience with others... and I'm happy that you enjoy it too! That is why these forums are so great... I can honestly say this discussion has been a real uplift to the whole prospect of my getting a PhD. Especially because I am a big-time planner (much to my wife's amusement, because she is a bit more relaxed... :mrgreen: ), I think just being able to hash it out helps.
Ok... so do well on the typical scoring stuff, but focus heavily on understanding the research culture at each university, market to that culture & the corresponding faculty that share your interests. While it has been on the books for a bit, I will focus on seeing if I can partner with one of Case's public health faculty to familiarize myself with the process of more established researchers (and if I can get a name on a paper, that works too! ... but mainly so that I can learn from/with them). That may help with the personal statement too, because I figure someone who has already done some research on his/her topic focus will sound more credible than another who just has an focus inkling.
Congratulations on getting into Yale! I think the gene-environmental is just fascinating... our health department is just beginning a grant for the National Children's Study, and that is just got me hopping to think of all that data... man, if you ever find a way to get a participants to honestly & accurately fill a 100 page questionnaire, that would be just golden. I'm really psyched ... It's like walking into a random store blindfolded, taking it off, and you discovering what is there over the course of your wanderings...so cool. What is your focus?
Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts! It really is invaluable.
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!
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Hi Stories.... that's really good to know about the revision of the personal statement. I'm on the alumni board at my alma mater... I'll have to have a couple of them provide their input. I'm sure it will be a bit overwhelming at first, but it's a process I'm willing to endure!
And thank you sab for the two cents! I have a feeling many places will find my application a bit puny, especially when you list your creds and outcome. Still, I'll apply to a bunch of schools, including safer bets and an MPH program or two. I'm sure there is some college out there that will take another warm bady & caffeinated mind.
I wonder what happened in your case? Did the interviews not flow well? What were the creds/interests of some of the accepted candidates?Thank you all! Happy Wednesday!
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.
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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.
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Thanks for the good insight Stories. The situation you mentioned is exactly what I thought I'd be up against... especially with the economic push to re-educate, I'm sure this is going to be a "big fish" swimming pool. I'm hoping that what you suggest will find its guidance during the visit with the faculty, where I am expecting them to a) chuckle,
give me the advice you just suggested (likely), or c) to suggest some pre-req coursework and other minor polishes (hoping). I guess I want to make sure I've tried going through the (pre)application process for the PhD before I defer it for the MPH. Thanks again!
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.
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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.
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OP: you need to figure out what the norm in your field is. twip25 is offering you anecdotal information about his not mentioning profs and getting in. I can tell you that I *did* mention profs by name at every place I applied to, and had very positive results with this approach.
Mentioning profs by name and showing familiarity with their research is NOT sucking up to them. It's part of demonstrating that you have done your research and can show why you are a good fit with the department. Sucking up would be "Prof X is awesome", as opposed to "Prof X's work matches my interest in Y"; "Prof P's approach to Q can enhance my ability to employ similar techniques in the study of R" and suchlike.
Really, each of us needs to find our own approach to writing the sop, and I wouldn't flat out advise anyone that their way is wrong just because I had success going a different way. All this teaches us is that there is more than one right way to do things.
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.
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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.
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I am enrolling next year and the impression I get at most schools is that the advisor will help with course selection and administrative issues, but if you want to forge a close relationship, at the poster above said, it's up to you. At some schools I see that just a handful of people act as advisors for the entire school, so it would make more sense to seek out regular professors as your mentors.
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)
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Yale
in 2009 Archive
on housing:did everyone sign up for Elm Campus Partners housing yet? if you haven't and you're interested in the yale-owned properties, then sign up! http://www.elmcampus.com/
they are running some apartment viewings this week (monday and wednesday i think?) and for those of us unable to attend in person, they send info. via email and put people in some kind of a queue. apparently there's no benefit in being there in person, the queue is actually set up based on order of website registration. i registered on their website a while back after hearing from yale and yesterday got a list of properties to rate according to preference. i'm mostly interested in cheaper one-bedroom flats with leases starting in july, but they also had a small range of options for june and august entries. you need to register and send in your preferences by tuesday morning it seems, so hurry!
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.
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Thanks for the reply!
That's a good point Rutabaga; a point that was delaying my consideration of the Bachelors --> Doctorate jump. BUT! ( :mrgreen: ) ... then I got the chance to speak with a current PhD student from UNC in the HPM program and she started as an MSPH there, then transferred this semester into the PhD program!! That was like (woot!/a damn bursting) because I thought, like you said, that a Masters would be required. So I printed the Academic Policies manual for the PhD program and as of 2008-2009 it said "Masters, or equivalent experience". Whatever that means... but since I spoke with that student I guess it means it's possible! I hope that is the case! I'll be talking with whatever faculty are specialized in my focus areas in the summer to get their input too....
FSIA, thanks for the supportive feedback! It's true that I'm not bound to UNC, but there is something about the program so far (from many people I've talked to) that have valued it's education/cost ratio and it's position in public health that lures me strongly. I liked JHU when I visited...I'd consider applying (if able) to UCLA, Michigan, Ohio State, JHU, and Harvard (just for fun, if able).
Thanks for the feedback! Wishing you all that 100% acceptance rate by being GradCafe folks!
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.
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Yale
in 2009 Archive
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.
Challenging the Grad Cafe: The Six Word Memoir
in The Lobby
Posted
Unexpected pleasantries around every life's corner.