Is MPH right for me?

[litany239]

So I've been looking into public health as a sociology graduate and quite frankly, I'm a bit confused. The MPH seems to have many different directions that both seem to conflict and align with my background. Looking on individual school websites, I found some MPH directions requiring courses like virology. I have close to no course work in the physical sciences and would most likely not do well if I took any at the graduate level. I do however have a handful of courses in health and social behavior which were very interesting. So my ultimate question is this: for most schools, do they take into consideration the program within the MPH you choose during the admissions process or do they just lump everyone together and let admitted students choose afterwards?

[COGSCI]

I definitely think that MPH would be right for you. For the programs that require courses like virology might have heavier focus on clinical side of public health (i.e. clinical epidemiology). I am more interested in social behavior and mental health so I am in a similar situation. You can definitely look at schools that focuses on social health (i.e. health inequality). I would also suggest social work as your second option because many social work programs focus on public health and policy. 

 

 

[reddog]

Ok, my 2cts.

Coming from an undergrad in biomedical sciences, I was actually frustrated with my MPH degree. Even though anyone with an undergrad can pursue an MPH, the field is still clearly dominated by MDs. I was frequently annoyed with my MD peers, who felt the need to emanate some sort of superiority, even though they were of similar age and more often than not had less experience. I also don't know why people who in the end studied nothing more than ''applied human biology" suddenly think they know everything about political systems, economy, or any other social determinants of health. (Ok, that last part maybe a bit uncalled for,don't worry about me it will heal with time It is one of the many reasons I am pursuing a second degree in development studies.)

I guess I am trying to say is that even though sociology and MPH are an excellent match academically, that doesn't mean that you will feel perfectly at home. I would just advise you to pay attention to this when you make up your mind in the end.

[1mh2015]

Hi, litany239,

The MPH is a versatile degree. If you decide to apply to an MPH program, you will be able to select a focus area of most interest to you and in which you take your specialization courses and get your practice experiences (i.e., an internship or practicum). At most schools, at least those in the USA, you can tailor your education to your career goals. For example, if you want to be an epidemiologist, then you can take the majority of your classes in epidemiology, or if you want to design community health programs as a career, then you should consider health behavior and evaluation classes. In fact, at most schools, you will select a concentration when you apply. It sounds like you might want to consider a track with focus on the social sciences. These concentrations are usually labelled Community Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences, or Health Education. The concentration names vary by school, but you'll see the content is largely the same. However, you'll still have to take a set of core classes that every worthwhile MPH program requires as part of its accreditation.