University of Michigan SPH

[tomjonessurf]

I applied for UM, Harvard, UNC, Emory and Columbia and was admitted to all.  I'm trying to decide where to go.  Any last minute advice for a General Epid MPH?  My experience, from Admitted Student Day and staff, has been the best at UM, but its so cold!

 

1- advice on which program to chose?

2- how was your experience applying to any of these schools?  sometimes that's very telling as well.

[niihla08]

I have several friends/coworkers who went to UM SPH and were not impressed by the quality of classes. They did say the networking and career opportunities were great, though.  I went to UM for my undergrad actually and love the school, but didn't apply for there for my MPH. I saw someone else's post that there were many grads from Columbia who were having trouble finding jobs. if cost is not an issue, then I think the Harvard is the way to go.

[mittensmitten895]

I am just finishing up my general epid MPH at UMSPH.  I am a dual degree student, so my experience might not be typical; nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed all of my epid classes and felt like I got a great education for an unbeatable price.  I originally debated between Columbia and UM, and I am so glad I chose UM because now I am not burdened by huge amounts of debt from NYC's high cost of living.  Generally, people seem to respect the UMSPH brand and I don't feel at all like I'm missing out on opportunities because it's not an Ivy.  I stayed academic with my extracurriculars by becoming a member of a bunch of academic service committees, but I am always surprised at the diversity of what students are doing.  There is a way to get involved in whatever aspect of public health you care about (nutrition, air quality regulations, patient empowerment, etc).  Although I am not personally going into public health practice, I believe Michigan's connection to that world helps keep it grounded and focused on what we can do right now to improve population health.

 

As for weather -- this winter was crazy cold, but it's usually not that bad.  Ann Arbor is designed to accommodate cold weather.  I am considering Harvard for my PhD and I was surprised by the number of students saying they had 25-minute walks to HSPH with no alternative method of commuting.  I like my 25-minute walk to UMSPH right now but I also like that when it gets cold (or, realistically, when I get lazy) I can hop on a free bus and spend less than 5-10 minutes outside.  Some people seem to mind the cold more than others, but it's not unbearable.

 

Hope this helps!

[weiwentg]

I also studied in Ann Arbor for my MPH and my undergrad. It is obviously colder than Atlanta, but it is indeed livable if you layer properly. I cannot comment on the Epi program, unfortunately.

[olamiss]

Boston is just as cold

 

Which program interest you the most?

Which is cost effective or that doesn't matter?

 

Are you a city person, suburbia or rural or a combination? 

 

You have to ask yourself those questions, Which one will benefit your career or long term goals?

Edited April 14, 2014 by olamiss

[tomjonessurf]

Thanks, everyone for the suggestions and feedback.  @Olamiss- great questions to ask.  I think based on feedback from here and elsewhere and also my experiences with the schools thus far, I'm leaning towards Michigan.  The cost of living is less than NYC, the employer and research world consider it "public ivy", there's a better transportation infrastructure for cold weather, I like the vibe of being a top-tier school with a public ethos, and the Epid department is well respected.  Plus, of my experiences with the various offices at each of those schools, Michigan has been the friendliest and most prompt. 

[katethekitcat]

I'm headed to Michigan in August as well - so, if you end up choosing UM, we'll be classmates next fall! I'm taking on loans to pay tuition, but to me it's still the best option. I've found what you did as well - they were super friendly and helpful during the admissions process. Were you able to visit any admitted student days?

[tomjonessurf]

Yes.  I attended UM's and Columbia's and I definitely UM's was the best organized...plus Columbia would just saddle me in more debt with such and expensive cost of living in NYC.

[katethekitcat]

Well, if you come to UMichigan, we can cry over exams together.

[Zeyuan Wang]

On 2014/4/9 at 6:02 AM, mittensmitten895 said:

I am just finishing up my general epid MPH at UMSPH.  I am a dual degree student, so my experience might not be typical; nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed all of my epid classes and felt like I got a great education for an unbeatable price.  I originally debated between Columbia and UM, and I am so glad I chose UM because now I am not burdened by huge amounts of debt from NYC's high cost of living.  Generally, people seem to respect the UMSPH brand and I don't feel at all like I'm missing out on opportunities because it's not an Ivy.  I stayed academic with my extracurriculars by becoming a member of a bunch of academic service committees, but I am always surprised at the diversity of what students are doing.  There is a way to get involved in whatever aspect of public health you care about (nutrition, air quality regulations, patient empowerment, etc).  Although I am not personally going into public health practice, I believe Michigan's connection to that world helps keep it grounded and focused on what we can do right now to improve population health.

 

As for weather -- this winter was crazy cold, but it's usually not that bad.  Ann Arbor is designed to accommodate cold weather.  I am considering Harvard for my PhD and I was surprised by the number of students saying they had 25-minute walks to HSPH with no alternative method of commuting.  I like my 25-minute walk to UMSPH right now but I also like that when it gets cold (or, realistically, when I get lazy) I can hop on a free bus and spend less than 5-10 minutes outside.  Some people seem to mind the cold more than others, but it's not unbearable.

 

Hope this helps!

Do you know nutrition program in UMSPH? I got two nutrition programs, one is in UMSPH, another is under teachers college, Columbia University. I want to get more opportunities to work and research in international contexts, which do you think would be better?