DrPH Applicants Fall 2019

[TopofthemuffinTOYOU]

The gist - 2 things. 

1) You’re overqualified with your PhD; explain why you want another doctoral level degree. 

2) Why did you chose the track you did?

Dr. Engineer is super nice; she’s just bringing the adcoms comments to me. 

TLDR; Getting called isn’t great - it means you’re a Maybe. 

[dubiousraves]

Any CUNY DPH applicants here? I just got an email from them saying they were transitioning all DPH applicants to the Phd program. Does anyone know anything about this? Accreditation problems maybe?

"We are writing to inform you that the  you are interested in at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy is transitioning.

Currently, the school offers four concentration within the Doctor of Public Health (DPH) degree. Beginning Fall 2019, this program will award incoming students a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) instead"

[pakiprincess]

On 1/28/2019 at 1:38 PM, dubiousraves said:

Any CUNY DPH applicants here? I just got an email from them saying they were transitioning all DPH applicants to the Phd program. Does anyone know anything about this? Accreditation problems maybe?

"We are writing to inform you that the  you are interested in at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy is transitioning.

Currently, the school offers four concentration within the Doctor of Public Health (DPH) degree. Beginning Fall 2019, this program will award incoming students a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) instead"

Wow, that's strange! I couldn't find anything about it in the news section.

[deacon]

On 1/26/2019 at 4:46 PM, TopofthemuffinTOYOU said:

The gist - 2 things. 

1) You’re overqualified with your PhD; explain why you want another doctoral level degree. 

2) Why did you chose the track you did?

Dr. Engineer is super nice; she’s just bringing the adcoms comments to me. 

TLDR; Getting called isn’t great - it means you’re a Maybe. 

Had you spoken with any faculty before you submitted your application? Did they say anything about when you'd expect to hear?

[TopofthemuffinTOYOU]

I had spoken directly with 2 faculty members (over the phone) before applying. Neither seemed to have an issue with the track I chose given my career goals. One of them was rather short/busy and didn’t seem to have time to really talk. I spoke via email to 2 others (again before applying) and described my plans; again, their responses were pretty short - like, “Ok, when you actually get here, let’s connect.” (Perhaps naive of me, but I thought maybe people would be more willing to speak with me).

They told me now, unless the other sub track they’re checking with has any questions or concerns about my application, I won’t hear anything until March. So, if you haven’t heard anything, I guess you’re either a definite admit or a define reject? Seems like they call those in the maybe pile and then rank them after speaking with them? Also, I did find out there is a waitlist too.

Both the subtrack I applied to and the one they’re also checking with are VERY similar. I appreciate that they’re trying to find me the right fit, bit the waiting is agonizing. I only applied here because it’s the right fit in terms of being remote and having faculty experienced with aspects of  what I would like to research. 

[TopofthemuffinTOYOU]

Any updates anyone?

I have emailed my contact at Hopkins twice now (who said, email me with any questions after our convo last week), and they’ve gone radio silence on me. 

 

[hopskipjump13]

1 hour ago, TopofthemuffinTOYOU said:

Any updates anyone?

I have emailed my contact at Hopkins twice now (who said, email me with any questions after our convo last week), and they’ve gone radio silence on me. 

 

No, and I'm also waiting on Hopkins. Update us if you hear anything! It's too early to get nervous but the suspense is killing me.

[pakiprincess]

I see that Hopkins' Public Health PhD program decisions are coming out today. Last year they notified DrPH candidates in early March, so we have a few more weeks to go!

[Dr Muhammed Koya]

anyone has heard from Boston DrPH?

[brittany18]

Hello, I've been following for a while and thought I'd join in. 

Interviewed at Boston for DrPH mid-January. Haven't heard back since, but they said late Feb-early March. I know they try to be a little earlier than the others. 

Accepted to Berkeley DrPH late January. Was told there are grants available but I was ineligible as I'm Canadian. They've been very helpful trying to find me teaching and research assistant positions to make the school more financially viable. Will be attending Admitted Students Day March 18 and would love to meet anyone else who might be there! 

Waiting on Hopkins, Boston and Harvard. 

[drph2019]

Hello, likewise I have been following this thread for a while (rather obsessively!). Congrats @brittany18 on your acceptance to Berkeley!

I have applied largely to online/remote programs. My applications/status:

• Harvard: Have had two skype interviews, the first with an admissions committee representative and second with steering committee representative. 
• UNC: Have had one skype interview with a faculty member and previous graduate
• Hopkins: No word
• UIC: No word

[pakiprincess]

3 hours ago, brittany18 said:

Hello, I've been following for a while and thought I'd join in. 

Interviewed at Boston for DrPH mid-January. Haven't heard back since, but they said late Feb-early March. I know they try to be a little earlier than the others. 

Accepted to Berkeley DrPH late January. Was told there are grants available but I was ineligible as I'm Canadian. They've been very helpful trying to find me teaching and research assistant positions to make the school more financially viable. Will be attending Admitted Students Day March 18 and would love to meet anyone else who might be there! 

Waiting on Hopkins, Boston and Harvard. 

Congratulations @brittany18! I attended Berkeley for undergrad and highly recommend the school. It's a great research institute with outstanding student life and culture. NorCal life is hard to beat!

Edited February 11, 2019 by pakiprincess

[brittany18]

2 hours ago, drph2019 said:

Hello, likewise I have been following this thread for a while (rather obsessively!). Congrats @brittany18 on your acceptance to Berkeley!

I have applied largely to online/remote programs. My applications/status:

• Harvard: Have had two skype interviews, the first with an admissions committee representative and second with steering committee representative. 
• UNC: Have had one skype interview with a faculty member and previous graduate
• Hopkins: No word
• UIC: No word

Hi drph2019 -- congrats on your interviews! I'm wondering... did you get the sense the Harvard interviews were about clarifying aspects of your application (what I've inferred from previous years' threads), or did they seem to be requirements for acceptance?

[drph2019]

Thank you!

I did not ask directly if an interview is required for admission. I felt that the interviews were both to assess my interest and reasons for applying to the program as well as my character/personality. Both Harvard and UNC seem to place a lot of value on cohort dynamics and emphasized the 'learn-from-one-another' approach within their respective programs. 

[Dr Muhammed Koya]

11 hours ago, brittany18 said:

Hello, I've been following for a while and thought I'd join in. 

Interviewed at Boston for DrPH mid-January. Haven't heard back since, but they said late Feb-early March. I know they try to be a little earlier than the others. 

Accepted to Berkeley DrPH late January. Was told there are grants available but I was ineligible as I'm Canadian. They've been very helpful trying to find me teaching and research assistant positions to make the school more financially viable. Will be attending Admitted Students Day March 18 and would love to meet anyone else who might be there! 

Waiting on Hopkins, Boston and Harvard. 

Congrats on the Berkeley admission. I too  was interviewed in mid- Jan for Boston, but haven't got any confirmation yet. Didn't hear  anything from Harvard or JHU. No updates from Columbia Mailman as well..Reg, Boston, did they tell anything about the chances of admission, or gave any hint on scholarships? 

[brittany18]

Hey @Dr Muhammed Koya, Boston told me at the interview that they only interview ~20 candidates for 8-10 spots -- so pretty much 50/50. Similar notions about creating a cohesive cohort. They said that getting an interview was a major milestone. They also shared that they try to cover ~40% of funding for students, but this varies. If not through grants/scholarships, that there's TA/RA positions available. 

[sarcasmandcoffee7]

On 1/8/2019 at 1:42 PM, sarcasmandcoffee7 said:

I have! I interviewed and received acceptance into the University of Texas right before the break, I'm still waiting to hear back from Washington (PhD) and Colorado School of Public Health. 

I heard from Colorado yesterday, we are in the process of setting up my in-person interview. 

[deacon]

Does anyone know if interviews are a standard part of UNC admissions process?

[Dr Muhammed Koya]

On 2/12/2019 at 7:09 PM, brittany18 said:

Hey @Dr Muhammed Koya, Boston told me at the interview that they only interview ~20 candidates for 8-10 spots -- so pretty much 50/50. Similar notions about creating a cohesive cohort. They said that getting an interview was a major milestone. They also shared that they try to cover ~40% of funding for students, but this varies. If not through grants/scholarships, that there's TA/RA positions available. 

Thanks for the details. I am wondering about the 'creative cohort' that they plan.. 

[BigTuna]

On 2/13/2019 at 11:22 PM, deacon said:

Does anyone know if interviews are a standard part of UNC admissions process?

Yes they are. They are going on right now.

[TopofthemuffinTOYOU]

Looks like several of the Hopkins DrPH admits from last year found out first week of March. Sigh. 3 weeks until I have an answer.

What are everyone else's plans if they aren't accepted this cycle? I may apply more broadly next year (Hopkins again, plus include UIC and UNC) and continue to get experience in the policy space related to cannabis/chronic pain/opioids. It's hard though, because I checked out the other two programs this year, and Hopkins just seemed like the best fit for a number of reasons.
I suppose if my application is bumped down because I have a PhD, I'm not really sure what I can do about that other than continue to get more experience to convince the adcoms that this is something I'm serious about, and it isn't just a passing fancy.

[sarcasmandcoffee7]

39 minutes ago, TopofthemuffinTOYOU said:

Looks like several of the Hopkins DrPH admits from last year found out first week of March. Sigh. 3 weeks until I have an answer.

What are everyone else's plans if they aren't accepted this cycle? I may apply more broadly next year (Hopkins again, plus include UIC and UNC) and continue to get experience in the policy space related to cannabis/chronic pain/opioids. It's hard though, because I checked out the other two programs this year, and Hopkins just seemed like the best fit for a number of reasons.
I suppose if my application is bumped down because I have a PhD, I'm not really sure what I can do about that other than continue to get more experience to convince the adcoms that this is something I'm serious about, and it isn't just a passing fancy.

Have you ever considered finding a potential mentor you want to learn from? Seeing who has experience/research in the area you are interested in? That way you can start connecting with them now, and seeing if they are taking any new students in the next cycle? It gives you an actual face on your application, plus it will give you an opportunity to strengthen your application. 

[drph2019]

56 minutes ago, TopofthemuffinTOYOU said:

Looks like several of the Hopkins DrPH admits from last year found out first week of March. Sigh. 3 weeks until I have an answer.

What are everyone else's plans if they aren't accepted this cycle? I may apply more broadly next year (Hopkins again, plus include UIC and UNC) and continue to get experience in the policy space related to cannabis/chronic pain/opioids. It's hard though, because I checked out the other two programs this year, and Hopkins just seemed like the best fit for a number of reasons.
I suppose if my application is bumped down because I have a PhD, I'm not really sure what I can do about that other than continue to get more experience to convince the adcoms that this is something I'm serious about, and it isn't just a passing fancy.

I found out yesterday that I am wait listed at Harvard. While I didn't have any expectations about even getting an interview at Harvard, it was really encouraging to make it to a second interview. Somewhat discouraging to be wait listed, but it's better than a rejection right? Anyhow, my lesson learned follows During my second interview the following questions were asked:

1. Have I identified any researchers within larger HSPH that I would be interested in working with? I said, well not really.... I thought the program was fairly prescribed and there wasn't much opportunity for flexibility and individual tailoring of the curriculum and practical work.

2. Have I spoken with the program director? No. I tried to connect with the program director but was pushed aside to staff to answer my questions. Also there was a change in leadership over the summer and I was trying to contact them during this period. Sigh.

3. Have I spoken with current/former students? Yes.

4. <Not asked, but I told him> I visited HSPH over the summer while I was in town to present at conference, I got a tour from connections I know at HSPH and met some faculty. No one in the DrPH program made themselves available when I was there. 

This boils down to, that I'm 100% thinking that "convince the adcoms that this is something I'm serious about, and it isn't just a passing fancy." is exactly what i needed to demonstrate more of, and why I'm on the wait list and not accepted. Frustrating in that I feel like I did as much as I should, but they were looking for more. 

 

[TopofthemuffinTOYOU]

19 hours ago, sarcasmandcoffee7 said:

Have you ever considered finding a potential mentor you want to learn from? Seeing who has experience/research in the area you are interested in? That way you can start connecting with them now, and seeing if they are taking any new students in the next cycle? It gives you an actual face on your application, plus it will give you an opportunity to strengthen your application. 

Sarc, good advice. I actually reached out to a couple of faculty in 2017, but didn’t get any traction. The faculty I spoke with this year didn’t seem the most receptive and I ended up feeling a little blown off, to be honest. But, try try again, as they say. I think if I can get even one faculty member interested in what I’m doing, it will be a bonus. 

[TopofthemuffinTOYOU]

On 2/15/2019 at 12:50 PM, drph2019 said:

I found out yesterday that I am wait listed at Harvard. While I didn't have any expectations about even getting an interview at Harvard, it was really encouraging to make it to a second interview. Somewhat discouraging to be wait listed, but it's better than a rejection right? Anyhow, my lesson learned follows During my second interview the following questions were asked:

1. Have I identified any researchers within larger HSPH that I would be interested in working with? I said, well not really.... I thought the program was fairly prescribed and there wasn't much opportunity for flexibility and individual tailoring of the curriculum and practical work.

2. Have I spoken with the program director? No. I tried to connect with the program director but was pushed aside to staff to answer my questions. Also there was a change in leadership over the summer and I was trying to contact them during this period. Sigh.

3. Have I spoken with current/former students? Yes.

4. <Not asked, but I told him> I visited HSPH over the summer while I was in town to present at conference, I got a tour from connections I know at HSPH and met some faculty. No one in the DrPH program made themselves available when I was there. 

This boils down to, that I'm 100% thinking that "convince the adcoms that this is something I'm serious about, and it isn't just a passing fancy." is exactly what i needed to demonstrate more of, and why I'm on the wait list and not accepted. Frustrating in that I feel like I did as much as I should, but they were looking for more. 

 

Drph, I feel your frustration, and feel a similar way about my application at Hopkins. After thinking overnight about everything, if I don’t get accepted, I’m going to use my connections on social media to try to get even more involved in the pain space. Many of these folks are researchers/profs who could probably help me strengthen my application. I’ll also reach out again to the relevant faculty as Hopkins, after I’ve built enough expertise to be taken seriously (hopefully). I also plan on designing a survey based study on my home state (new opioid laws here) and will leverage my contacts at the medical school and local school of public health to do so. (However, then I become concerned that DrPH programs will tell me I’m already doing what I want to be and will give me the too much experience/PhD line again). If not accepted, I’ll set up a meeting with the program director, too. And probably apply broadly next year. Man, really easy to get down on yourself during this process, but keep on keepin on.