Columbia vs Pittsburgh?

[maya123]

I got in to two completely seperate programs: Columbia MPH, Health Policy & Management... and University of Pittsburgh MPH, Infectious Diseases and Microbiolgy.

Pitt's ID program sounded so unique to me, I love ID and learning about pathologies in depth, so I applied thinking "why not" since it integrates all other aspects of Public Health as well. That said, I know that Columbia has a fantastic reputation, and I know that their HPM program will teach me so much, and set me up for a good career.

 

I am not going to choose based on the city.. I want my decision to be based on the program and reputation. Is it silly to pass up Columbia? Is Pitt's ID program too specific?(I dont even know so much about Pitt's reputation, I saw it's ranked #11 on US News)

 

Thanks  so much!! 

[holykrp]

Those are two very different topics, so which interests you more? What do you intend to do when you graduate? Have you gotten any funding info from Columbia?

[juilletmercredi]

UPitt has a great school of public health; it's in the same realm as Columbia, so I wouldn't turn down Pitt just because of the prestige of Columbia.

 

I agree - it's about what you want to do.  ID&M sounds more like an epidemiology-type program that leads to jobs as an epidemiologist, whereas HPM is definitely a more management, administration and policy work type degree.  So what do you want to do?  Do you want to do administrative and management work in health care organizations, or do you want to study infectious diseases?

[AlphacentauriC]

Not sure what the debate is here. More job prospects trumps all other factors. Columbia gives more options that UPitt. Go to Columbia, son.

[maya123]

Thanks everyone - my main goal is to work in Emergency Preparedness. This is a huge field, and covers anything from viruses to nuclear/terrorist threats. I come from a science background with a masters in pharmacology. I really don't want to let go of my basic-science training which is why Pitt's program sounded so fascinating. That said, I dont want to pigeonhole myself into one area when I haven't yet been exposed to others.

 

Basically, I'm wondering if Columbia offers elective courses in infectious diseases and molecular biology that are available to MPH students (and those in health policy & management). I'm going to visit both campuses this month, so I'm hoping to get some questions answered - but I figured this would be a good (unbiased) place to start.

[sqrwtrmln]

Columbia offers electives that are open to MPH students no matter their concentration, with few exceptions. I wouldn't worry about not being able to see any science if you make it a priority. You should talk to someone in your department about how many electives you can expect to have if that's important to you.