Deciding Graduate Programs - Biostatistics vs Epidemiology

[ambitiousturkey]

Sorry for cross posting! I don't know the protocol here, and I want to be able to reach both communities.

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Hi everyone, 

I've just stumbled across GradCafe and it's been fascinating so far. I'm planning on applying for PhD programs this fall for Fall 2022 admittance and I am having a bit of difficulty deciding what to study.

Undergrad Institution: Historically Black University (top 100 ranking)

Major: Applied Mathematics

Minor: Biology, Computer Science

Current GPA: 4.0/4.0

GRE:  (Studying and taking officially in July) Currently Q: 163 V: 160

Type of Student: domestic Black female

 

Relevant Courses (current GPA is 4.0 so all A's, school does not have +/- grades)

Math / Stats: Calculus I-III, Discrete Structures, Linear Algebra, Probability and Stats I-II, Mathematical Biology (Graduate Level), Intro to Analysis, Numerical Analysis, Proofs I

**Taking this year:  Advanced Calculus, Proofs II, possibly a graduate course in biostats

CS: Computer Science 0-II

**Taking this year: Theory of Computation,

I've essentially exhausted the courses available for me at my school (and can't take courses outside of here on my scholarship), so I have a blank semester to take whatever next spring. 

Recommendations: strong letter from home institution thesis advisor and Harvard professor in biostats, remaining letter from a professor

Research: 

-Did an REU at a prestigious nonprofit interdisciplinary research institution, no publication, on social networks

-Did an REU at Harvard Bioinformatics with an epidemiological project.

-About to start a job at another nonprofit, most likely doing COVID epidemiological work

-A mathematical biology publication (joint authorship with advisor and graduate students, so no first author for any of us) and Science magazine op ed piece

-Currently working on a thesis mathematical biology project, with plans to submit to an undergraduate research journal

 

Program Interests: 

I have a good amount of research experience, but not really anything in the specific fields I am looking at. I have a math background and have looked in biostatistics because of this. I prefer epidemiology, but I want to go straight into a PhD, which does not seem likely without an MPH. I don't have the resources to pay for a masters, and am in a place where I am expected to go into a PhD right away, which seems fine to me. 

 

I really want to get into applied biostatistics if I go that route, looking at causal inference and/or spatial analysis. 

For epidemiology, I would like to do emerging infectious diseases and/or health disparities. 

The best thing for me would be to find somewhere with a very light separation between biostats and epi, but I'm not entirely sure how to find those kinds of places.

 

My Questions:

1] How do I figure out good places to go for these topics, especially places where I can do extremely applied work? Would I be competitive for top ranked programs? And at these places, is there room for me to figure out what exactly I am interested in? My main concern is my GRE score (still working on that) and having room to grow.

2] How do I narrow down my interests and specific schools to apply to in the meantime? 

3] Does anyone have any theoretical epidemiology programs OR very applied biostatistics programs they can recommend?

3] What should I do to improve my profile to look more attractive on the public health side? Experience seems to be the main thing to hurt my application. 

If anyone has any kind of advice, please let me know! I've kind of hit a wall over here. Thank you!