PhD in Health policy

[Billowack]

I graduated with my MPH in global communicable disease two years ago and have been doing lab-based research since. My original intention was to work for a few years and then do a DrPh, however, I've had a really difficult time getting job in the field I want to go into. Since I am more than ready to take the next step in my career, I'm considering PhD programs. Shortly after I joined the lab I'm in now, I thought about maybe pursuing a PhD in parasitology or something similar. However, after a few months I decided that lab work and that kind of research in general is not for me, thus discarding the idea of a PhD. Only recently has it struck me that there are such things non lab based PhDs so I began looking into some of those. Based on the area that I want to go into I feel that a degree in health policy would probably be most beneficial to me. Since I want to do something very specific, I've been focusing more on identifying potential faculty members that would be a good match for me rather than just selecting programs that sound good. Before I take my next step I have some general questions about Phds in health policy and I'd greatly appreciate feedback on.

1. I'm very familiar with "sciency" phds, but I don't have as good an understanding of what really goes into a phd in health policy. I'm not really sure what the breadth or scope of this type of project would be. I would think that you would begin by identifying some sort of gap in the information about whatever subject you are interested in and then working to fill said gap. Is this a good assumption? How much new information should be a health policy dissertation? I'm struggling with phrasing here, but I'm hoping someone will get what I am aiming at. 

2. Is it acceptable to contact a member of faculty before applying to a program? If so, should I have a specific idea of what I want to research before contacting them? Is it ok to contact them with only a broad sense of what you want to do, but without a specific question in mind? 

3. A lot of programs I am seeing provide stipends during the coursework years, but then have a general statement about funding coming from your project for the remainder of the years. Is this the norm? Is health policy research typically funded by grants? Do you get on an existing funding source or would you be expected to bring in your own funding or self pay? 

These are some of the more specific questions I have, but I would welcome any thoughts you guys might have on this type of phd. 

 

[Familiar Heron]

Hey, I'm not a PhD student currently, but I will be in the fall and I currently work at a university that has a PhD program in health policy. I'll answer some of your questions as best as I can!

1. Your assumption is correct. While the theme of your dissertation should be pretty broad, the particular research question should be specific (ex: "The utilization of mental healthcare in America" -> "Are HMO patients more likely to enter inpatient psychiatric facilities than other patients, and why?"). Like any dissertation, the question should be pretty novel and unanswered (or at least the current answer is not satisfactory/flawed by some recent knowledge). Keep in mind that the dissertation's structure will differ by school, especially since there's quite a bit of content variation across healthy policy PhD programs. Still, that's probably not crucial at the application step. Programs will want a general idea of your interests ("The utilization of mental healthcare in America"), but most will not require a very detailed dissertation question ("Are HMO patients..."). Finding a school that can support your sub-field is more important than generating a dissertation question. 

2. Yes! In fact, it would be unwise to contact a faculty member or two during the application process. General questions about current research, the nature of the program, student placements, etc., are worthwhile. Like I said previously, you usually don't need to generate a detailed project right away, but think of a problem in health policy that interests you. Find a faculty member who conducts similar research, pitch the idea, and field whether he or she is interested. 

3. From my understanding, that is the norm for health policy programs, given the nature of our research. Some schools encourage you to become a research assistant to a faculty member on his or her grant. Then, you can conduct research that will fulfill his/her needs and that will also become part of your dissertation. Other schools encourage you to apply for small grants to fund your research. Some schools will have a mix of both (my current institution does). Self-pay/loans are probably not the best idea for a PhD. 

Another note: It's great that you're thinking about this early! However, you should consider waiting to contact faculty members until 3-4 months before the application is due. Professors can forget, some might go on leave, some may have changes in funding, and so on and so forth. Other users may (rightfully) disagree, but that's the advice that I got. Speaking of which, talk to your faculty at your MPH institution! They are a valuable resource and can guide you in the application process. Plus, they might reach out to colleagues at prospective schools. 

Good luck!

[Billowack]

Thank you so much for your response, it was very helpful. I'm glad to know I don't need to go into the application process with a specific question in mind. I've been reading through the literature to try to identify gaps that I might like to address, but that's a slow process. I think I'm probably going to start reaching out to people sooner rather than later simply because I want to go into a very small, specific field and finding a good match might take some time. I've already been through a lot of faculty profiles and so far only one person seems like she'd be a good fit (a perfect fit actually), but as far as I can tell she doesn't take on PhD students. 

I'm definitely going to have to look into the grants. I find the idea of applying for one daunting, but I suppose that is because I'm pretty much only familiar with NIH grants. I'm glad you pointed that out because it's definitely something I want to familiarize myself with before deciding to pursue this course. 

 

[Familiar Heron]

1 hour ago, Billowack said:

Thank you so much for your response, it was very helpful. I'm glad to know I don't need to go into the application process with a specific question in mind. I've been reading through the literature to try to identify gaps that I might like to address, but that's a slow process. I think I'm probably going to start reaching out to people sooner rather than later simply because I want to go into a very small, specific field and finding a good match might take some time. I've already been through a lot of faculty profiles and so far only one person seems like she'd be a good fit (a perfect fit actually), but as far as I can tell she doesn't take on PhD students. 

I'm definitely going to have to look into the grants. I find the idea of applying for one daunting, but I suppose that is because I'm pretty much only familiar with NIH grants. I'm glad you pointed that out because it's definitely something I want to familiarize myself with before deciding to pursue this course. 

 

No problem! I'm glad that I could help. 

Regarding the grants: If your program expects you to apply for grants that will fund your education, you probably do not have to do this until a year or two in the program. Plus, most programs will teach you how to write grant applications. Reading up on the grant process is a good idea, but it should not keep you up at night during the application process.