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PhD in Public Health


erzsi83

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You know, I was thinking this evening on my drive home from school that if I ever get an email from UNC, I may vomit and faint at the same time, perhaps dying from aspiration in the process, and never make it to the application website to find out what they wanted to tell me.

Alternatively, my more real concern will come to pass: I never receive an email, and sometime in September, I'm walking around like a cartoon character with spirals for eyes, mechanically looking at my phone every time it signals an incoming email. "Did I get in?" I'll ask in a vacant voice, to no one in particular ...

 

This cracks me up. I keep checking my application on UNC's website, obsessively looking for the tiniest update or status change. 

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Hey everyone! I was directed here by VBD (thanks for the tip)!

 

I applied to the following programs:

Columbia (Mailman): PhD, Environmental Health Sciences
Johns Hopkins (Bloomberg): PhD, Environmental Health Sciences (EH Engineering)
Harvard: ScD, Epidemiology (Infectious Disease)
Yale: PhD, Epidemiology of Microbial Disease
Brown: PhD, Biostatistics
MIT: PhD, Engineering Systems Division


Undergrad: Tufts University School of Engineering 2012 - Civil/Environmental Engineering (GPA: 3.64)
MPH: Tufts University School of Medicine 2013 (Expected) - Epi/Biostats (GPS: 3.8)
Notes: 5 years research experience with water-related diseases in Bangladesh; started a non-profit research organization about two years ago; interested in dynamic infectious disease modeling with special attention to hydroclimatic drivers


The only news I've heard so far has been from Columbia; thankfully, it's my top choice! I had an interview exactly a week ago in NYC (ended up there for the weekend due to the blizzard, which was fabulous), and I was accepted on Tuesday of this week. To my knowledge, they're sending offers in waves, and mine was the first of a few to come. They'll be trickling out over the next few weeks!

 

I'm definitely curious about when the other programs expect to put out decisions, though... Just for kicks!

 

VBD, I noticed on an earlier post that you were concerned about the department being geared towards MDs like the Epi department is; I'm working in the Climate and Health concentration, but I can say with 100% confidence that among EHS faculty, this is not the case. The department is very research-driven (which is obvious from the sheer amount of grant and trianing money that the department has; the benefits package they offer their PhDs is unreal). I reached out to my POI several months ago, and then found that several other members of the department also had research interests similar to mine who were excited to get their hands dirty. I had a very long discussion with my POI in late January (before my interview) and we even managed to work out quite a bit of what my dissertation may look like. (I think I already have a pretty solid idea.) It was great. I loved how communicative he was through the whole process, and after my interview, I heard from three other faculty members via email before the acceptance arrived. I suppose it's the right kind of place for someone who is self-directed but really loves a sense of community!

Edited by mmajum01
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Follow Up: I see there are two HSPH Epi PhD acceptances and one rejection on the results page... However, I wonder what concentrations they are! When I met with my POI at HSPH in December, I was told that the Infectious Disease Epi sub-committee usually takes a lot longer than the rest..? (More applicants than the other concentrations, so it makes sense!)

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HSPH actually doesn't offer a PhD in Health Policy - they offer a Doctor of Science in Society, Human Development, and Health (now Social & Behavioral Sciences). They don't conduct interviews. However, the Harvard PhD program in Health Policy (which isn't housed in HSPH, but includes HSPH faculty) does offer interviews. I heard from the program coordinator last week and she confirmed that all interview invites have been sent out (I didn't get one, unfortunately, but wasn't too surprised). It's possible that the Decision Sciences track is different, though, but I'm not sure. Looks like decisions have been sent out in February the past years, so I guess we'll know for sure soon. I completely agree that it's distressing!

Would you mind sharing your track. I applied to the management track and haven't heard anything yet. When I contact the dep. they told me the result will be out mid March.

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Would you mind sharing your track. I applied to the management track and haven't heard anything yet. When I contact the dep. they told me the result will be out mid March.

 

Sure - medical sociology. I also know someone who interviewed for the Econ track.

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Hi All,

 

I have obsessively checked this forum for about a week as a 'guest', however today I finally received some news and thought I should become a member and share: I was accepted to Harvard's Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SD). I am thrilled and a little shocked. 

 

I am waiting to hear from University of Washington (PhD in Health Services). I interviewed with them a couple of weeks ago but no news. I also interviewed at BU (DrPH) but no news there either. And I'm waiting to hear from the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at Hopkins.

 

Best to everyone.

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You know, I was thinking this evening on my drive home from school that if I ever get an email from UNC, I may vomit and faint at the same time, perhaps dying from aspiration in the process, and never make it to the application website to find out what they wanted to tell me.

Alternatively, my more real concern will come to pass: I never receive an email, and sometime in September, I'm walking around like a cartoon character with spirals for eyes, mechanically looking at my phone every time it signals an incoming email. "Did I get in?" I'll ask in a vacant voice, to no one in particular ...

 

MammaD, I just kind of go into mini-shock and take like a few minutes to process it. Luckily no vomit and fainting. But perhaps for you, you should start checking your email with a bucket by your side and smelling salts in hand. On the other hand, I like your writing imagery, maybe you can write a short story to take the worry off, I would read it :D

 

The only news I've heard so far has been from Columbia; thankfully, it's my top choice! I had an interview exactly a week ago in NYC (ended up there for the weekend due to the blizzard, which was fabulous), and I was accepted on Tuesday of this week. To my knowledge, they're sending offers in waves, and mine was the first of a few to come. They'll be trickling out over the next few weeks!

 

I'm definitely curious about when the other programs expect to put out decisions, though... Just for kicks!

 

VBD, I noticed on an earlier post that you were concerned about the department being geared towards MDs like the Epi department is; I'm working in the Climate and Health concentration, but I can say with 100% confidence that among EHS faculty, this is not the case. The department is very research-driven (which is obvious from the sheer amount of grant and trianing money that the department has; the benefits package they offer their PhDs is unreal). I reached out to my POI several months ago, and then found that several other members of the department also had research interests similar to mine who were excited to get their hands dirty. I had a very long discussion with my POI in late January (before my interview) and we even managed to work out quite a bit of what my dissertation may look like. (I think I already have a pretty solid idea.) It was great. I loved how communicative he was through the whole process, and after my interview, I heard from three other faculty members via email before the acceptance arrived. I suppose it's the right kind of place for someone who is self-directed but really loves a sense of community!

Nice! I left there (Feb 5th) right before the blizzard hit so I guess I lucked out? And yeah, I didn't even think about the idea of geared toward MDs until it was mentioned by MammaD in passing. And when I visited I also did not get that vibe. They really seem to care about developing Researchers, with a capital R, with tons of faculty support (not to mention peers, the cohorts all seemed really close, at least from the interaction at lunch), seminars/journal club to keep up to date on what everyone's doing, and fixing the class schedules for people who want to take classes cross listed in other departments. Plus, I really like how they do their quals (like a funding grant application). It seems much more helpful and practical for the student's long-term benefit. I heard they only take in 1 or 2 Climate and Health people each cohort, so congrats! Also, we applied to the same JHU program. Who knows, there's the chance that we may even see each other at that interview :P Let's hope they send out invites to us soon! (Please, grad school deities!)

 

Congrats to Gael! (Do your happy dance!) You give hope to others who are waiting for Harvard notifications! What an exciting time!

Edited by VBD
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Congrats Gael--hopefully good news in the next week continues!

Hi All,

 

I have obsessively checked this forum for about a week as a 'guest', however today I finally received some news and thought I should become a member and share: I was accepted to Harvard's Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SD). I am thrilled and a little shocked. 

 

I am waiting to hear from University of Washington (PhD in Health Services). I interviewed with them a couple of weeks ago but no news. I also interviewed at BU (DrPH) but no news there either. And I'm waiting to hear from the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at Hopkins.

 

Best to everyone.

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On the other hand, I like your writing imagery, maybe you can write a short story to take the worry off, I would read it :D

 

For real, I would totally do that if this thesis and book I'm writing (same topic, different audiences) weren't devouring my life! Somehow, they're not distracting me all that much because the topic is pretty much why I want to get a PhD and be a researcher. I absolutely LOVE IT and the fear of rejection also feels like a fear that I'll never get to study or have an impact on the population I'm interested in. I guess on some level I know I'll find a way somehow, but getting a PhD from one of the two programs I applied to seems like the *most direct* way. Which I realize is kind of scary and sad at the same time. I'm almost 40 and I'm looking at another 10% or more of my whole life as the "most direct" means to the work I want to do.

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Do you want to know how obsessive I am? I keep checking my status on UNC and Pitt, even though it's the weekend. Seriously? Because I'm sure that the faculty at UNC and Pitt have nothing better to do on the weekend than sit around and look at my application to update it. Also, why do I bother to check when I know that any change in my status will trigger a notification email to my normal email address? Such. A. Dork. 

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Do you want to know how obsessive I am? I keep checking my status on UNC and Pitt, even though it's the weekend. Seriously? Because I'm sure that the faculty at UNC and Pitt have nothing better to do on the weekend than sit around and look at my application to update it. Also, why do I bother to check when I know that any change in my status will trigger a notification email to my normal email address? Such. A. Dork. 

 

I thought the same, but I did not receive an auto-email when my JHSPH status changed.

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Actually, there seem almost to be as many results from UNC on the weekends as during the week, which boggles the mind. I don't think it's the faculty, though ... and from the looks of the Results page, Philosophy and English kept the grad school pretty busy the last few days!

I just want to know. I thought I'd hear something by now. Even a rejection would be welcome just to be done waiting. :(

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See? Today there are results from Accounting, Art history, Anthropology ... maybe now they're going alphabetically through the big bulk of decisions? I think they've already taken their very top and rejected their very bottom.

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I thought the same, but I did not receive an auto-email when my JHSPH status changed.

 

This makes me feel better about checking on the weekends! And I'm with you. I just want all my options known so I can make an informed decision. 

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Oh, and while I didn't faint, I did drop my phone like it was made out of fire, and even after going to the website every day for the last 6 weeks to check the status (including this morning), I fumbled at my computer and could barely log myself in. 1 down, 1 to go. I hope some of you all got better news today!

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Oh, and while I didn't faint, I did drop my phone like it was made out of fire, and even after going to the website every day for the last 6 weeks to check the status (including this morning), I fumbled at my computer and could barely log myself in. 1 down, 1 to go. I hope some of you all got better news today!

So sorry, MammaD. :( I hope good news is coming your way soon.

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