Any PhD Public Health People out there?

[angrawa]

Hi

The rejections are pouring in for me with 3/8 programs saying no, I'm feeling off to a bad start. Has anyone heard from any of the schools I haven't heard from yet? I'm leaving overseas for work in Mid April to Mid August and would love to know when and if I am starting school in the fall.

Waiting: U Chicago-Illinois, Harvard, Columbia, BU, U Washington Seattle

Rejected: Tulane, U Minn, U Washington Bio-cultural Anthro program

Good Luck!

[jaw17]

I'm about half a degree over from public health - I've applied for PhD's in health policy and economics (primarily Harvard and UPenn/Wharton). I interviewed at the latter on Thursday, so have my fingers crossed, but no final decisions yet.

I specialize in the supply of essential medical technologies for developing countries - what about you? And where are you going overseas?!?

[angrawa]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I am looking at strenghtening primary health services for developing countries (i.e. making programs stronger to increase access for marginalized populations) but essential medicines in developing countries is a pet project of mine with my current job. I work helping blood cancer patients find medicine and resources in LCD/Lower-Income Countries. Right now, I am working at the global level specializing in Asia-Pac (Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India) and it is a challenge my friend! We need more people working in your field I will be heading to Thailand to launch some projects.

I already have a MPH and tons of experience volunteering/working internationally...just keeping my fingers crossed because I am ready to dive in and learn more.

Good luck from your schools....its nerve racking!

[Minnesotan]

I'm going to move this thread over to the Life Sciences forum. I'll leave a shadow topic up, so nobody loses this discussion.

[cmk06]

I'm also applying to PhD programs in schools of Public Health. These are mostly health policy departments.

I've been accepted to U Wisconsin and UNC Chapel Hill; an interview offer from Dartmouth; and no word from Yale, Harvard or U Washington Seattle.

[jaw17]

Minnesotan - please don't! I think that public health is a tricky one to categorize; it would never occur to me, for example, to check life sciences. Government, maybe, even economics (given my focus), but science? Never.

Obviously, that may not be the case for the OP, who may be more epi-focused than policy-oriented, but I think that this poor little thread has been homeless for a reason...

[cat4]

I agree I would never look under life sciences (health policy too...)

[jaw17]

FWIW, I know someone who was accepted at Harvard (Population & International Health, in HSPH), Johns Hopkins (International Health) and University of Washington (Health Services) on Friday.

For those of you who applied to Harvard Health Policy, did you have interviews? I know that at least one person interviewed with the management track, but I am desperately hoping that is by concentration rather than program wide.

[impatient]

OP - Just curious when you heard from Minnesota; I'm still waiting to hear from them.

I third the sentiment that public health doesn't fit under the umbrella of Life Sciences.

[Minnesotan]

Okay, so Life Sciences may have been a bad call. I hadn't had my coffee.

Where do you guys want this one put? I'm trying to keep the general forums as clutter-free as possible. How does the Gov. forum sound?

(If you pm me again you'll get faster results, as I only browse this forum a couple of times per week.)

[angrawa]

FWIW, I know someone who was accepted at Harvard (Population & International Health, in HSPH), Johns Hopkins (International Health) and University of Washington (Health Services) on Friday.

For those of you who applied to Harvard Health Policy, did you have interviews? I know that at least one person interviewed with the management track, but I am desperately hoping that is by concentration rather than program wide.

Hi,

So your friend for UW health services was at the PhD Level? Whoo man, That is my first choice (nail bite, nail bite)

[angrawa]

OP - Just curious when you heard from Minnesota; I'm still waiting to hear from them.

I third the sentiment that public health doesn't fit under the umbrella of Life Sciences.

Hi, For those of you wondering about U Minn, I got my denial letter--let's see--it was the first one so I think early last week or the week before

Hope this helps, I am going under the assumption (based on nothing but making me feel hopeful) that denials come earlier and acceptances later (or at least you are waitlised).

But, I know every school has their own process...

Good luck all :!:

[cmk06]

Do you know if the U Washington-Seattle conducts interviews for the Health Services PhD? Thanks!

P.S. I don't think Public Health fits in the gov forum either. I'd create an independent Public Health category

[Minnesotan]

Okay, so Social Sciences it is. Unless there are incredibly strong objections to this, too, I'll leave it here from now on. As this is the only Health Science thread, I am happy to keep it in the general area, now that we've at least settled on a discipline.

[angrawa]

Do you know if the U Washington-Seattle conducts interviews for the Health Services PhD? Thanks!

P.S. I don't think Public Health fits in the gov forum either. I'd create an independent Public Health category

I had a phone interview, but it was one of these that caught me off guard...8:00am, pre coffee, and I had no idea they were calling :? I think it went ok, although i wasnt my usual chatty self

[milktea]

I had a phone interview, but it was one of these that caught me off guard...8:00am, pre coffee, and I had no idea they were calling :? I think it went ok, although i wasnt my usual chatty self

An early morning call is really a surprise one... and the most annoying type.

[jaw17]

Do you know if the U Washington-Seattle conducts interviews for the Health Services PhD?

No idea - sorry! I had just been exchanging emails with a work-related contact who mentioned her acceptance, but I don't know any more details.

Also, I forgot to mention that I had called the Harvard Health Policy program administrator a few weeks ago to ask whether they did interviews, and she nicely-but-cryptically suggested that I call back on 2/15 when she "should have more information" about the process and timeline. I of course took that to mean that they'd have decisions, but my (several) calls on Friday just went straight to voicemail. I ended up dropping her an email instead - no response yet - and so hesitate to try again today...but if anyone else happens to call, I'd be very interested in the outcome.

[EpiPhD]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the grad cafe but was thrilled to find a forum for public health applicants.

Accepted: UW-Seattle, Johns Hopkins

Rejected:

Waiting for news: Emory, WashU, University of Arizona

I heard that Emory held interviews a couple of weeks ago - so I am pretty sure that I'm rejected there - but haven't heard official news yet.

[jaw17]

I second the general enthusiasm about having a board of our very own - up until now, I was forced to channel my anxiety by neurotically stalking the history boards (my husband's discipline) instead. Which was admittedly rather pathetic, to put it mildly...Now I can legitimately wallow in my own suspense!

[angrawa]

Yeah! I am so glad I can worry and comiserate with my future colleagues and maybe classmates.

So, when did you hear from Univ WA Epi?

Keep your chin up all!

and you don't have to masquerade as a history major, you have found your home

[EpiPhD]

Hi Angrawa-

I heard from UW-Seattle Epi Dept. on Feb. 4 via e-mail. Let me know if you have other questions-

[cmk06]

I'm glad our field has found a home. Even within acadmia it's all over the place

I have a question for the group. For the schools that have invited you to an admitted students day/weekend, are they paying (at least some) of your way? For me, WashU is reimbursing but U Wisconsin Madison is not.

I don't know if anyone else applied to Yale, but the department told me the notifications would go out "very soon"--whatever that means.

Also, someone in the livejournal community who_got_in posted that Harvard Health Policy PhD decisions will go out this week. I don't know who posted this, or how reliable the information is, so take it with a grain of salt.

[jaw17]

The Harvard news would seem to be consistent with what little I know - although their program administrator still isn't answering her phone. Did anyone here have interviews there?

RE: Paying for visits - Wharton's interview weekend pretty much doubled as their admit weekend (with the main difference being the remaining uncertainty!), and they paid.

So what is everyone's focus area - we've got a few people who are obviously in either the policy or epidemiology camps, but within that is everyone internationally-oriented like angrawa and me?

[cmk06]

I'm interested in U.S. health policy, primarily access to and quality of health care for children.

[milktea]

For me, i am interested in behavioral sciences, health behavior and health education