Masters in public health

Anyone considering the MPH programme or starting this fall?

actually...anyone know about this programme at all...trying to find opinions about it vs. other schools. i'm an overseas (US), confused-about-the-UK-system- applicant, lol :biggrin:

Reply 1

Minerva

17

For postgrad degrees you apply direct to the university that interests you. The MPH at KCL is relatively new (been going about three years I think) and I don't know anyone myself who has done it but it'll certainly be reputable. The course at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has been around for a very long time - check out the website for up-to-date info - the people I know who have done it liked it; it does have a substantial international perspective which not all of them do. Also, there are related courses like the Master's in Health Sciences at St George's Hospital Medical School - this gives a good general overview but doesn't provide the depth in the technical subjects (ie epidemiology and statistics) that you might be looking for. Are you fixed on London? What is your particular interest in PH?

Reply 2

phatz00

OP

1

kw2005

For postgrad degrees you apply direct to the university that interests you. The MPH at KCL is relatively new (been going about three years I think) and I don't know anyone myself who has done it but it'll certainly be reputable. The course at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has been around for a very long time - check out the website for up-to-date info - the people I know who have done it liked it; it does have a substantial international perspective which not all of them do. Also, there are related courses like the Master's in Health Sciences at St George's Hospital Medical School - this gives a good general overview but doesn't provide the depth in the technical subjects (ie epidemiology and statistics) that you might be looking for. Are you fixed on London? What is your particular interest in PH?

Thanks for your response :smile:

no wonder its so hard to find information regarding KCL's program...i didn't know it was that new. Is that something I should be worried about?

I'm definitely set on London...it's got reputable schools, great city (but expensive), and will offer the most opportunities in jobs, experiences, and life. I am interested in the social epidemiology aspect of PH...notably on an international level. I am aware of LSHTM's Msc in PH in developing coutries, however, I got the sense that they emphasize applicants with a medical-background for that particular program. I am also juggling the idea of using the MPH back in the states again, but I understand that any MPH training in the UK will concentrate on the UK health system.

These are the places i've applied to (althought some are an Msc in health management..heard from one, and waiting on the others): I have no idea about their reputations.
KCL - MPH - received an unconditional offer
Queen Mary's
City
UCL
Middlesex
Metropolitan
LSHTM - but just found out my application never reached!

don't know how long i should wait to hear responses, without giving Kings an answer, as I would like to settle plans asap to take care of logistics of moving to england. any suggestions?

Reply 3

Minerva

17

If the international perspective is what you want, you probably can't do better than LSHTM - the apparent focus on people with medical backgrounds is because until recently senior public health practice in the UK was very much the province of doctors and no other disciplines. Not now it ain't. I know of at least two people who are not doctors who have studied very happily and successfully at LSHTM so no reason why you shouldn't go for it. City have had a good rep for health management, don't know much about the others. But a MSC in Health Management will give you a completely different curriculum and nothing much in the way of core public health skills, so you do need to consider carefully what you want to get out of it. You might like to take a look at the Faculty of Public Health website (www.fph.org.uk I think - if not try Google) as that gives you a load of background information about careers in public health over here and how the training programmes work - highly competitive to get in btw. But you could get a job in public health at a more junior level here even without a Master's if you just wanted to get some experience alongside doing the studying part-time if that made the finances stack up better. Depends what your previous experience is.

Not sure how long you can officially leave it to make your mind up but postgraduate study is very different. Quite often people are offered places very late - as in a couple of weeks - before a course starts.

Good Luck!

Reply 4

ohlala

Hey.

Did you have to fly in for an interview? Thanks.

Reply 5

phatz00

OP

1

ohlala

Hey.

Did you have to fly in for an interview? Thanks.

no, i didn't have to interview for any of the schools before they gave me an offer. are you international too?

Reply 6

ohlala

phatz00

no, i didn't have to interview for any of the schools before they gave me an offer. are you international too?

Yes. I'm from Canada but studying at Dartmouth.

Reply 7

Wings_cp

7

Sorry to go off on a tangent here,

but when i read Masters in Public Health.. i thought that was some kind of brag about being very clean.. just like Master of the Universe.

so im quite disappointed now.

Reply 8

phatz00

OP

1

Wings_cp

Sorry to go off on a tangent here,

but when i read Masters in Public Health.. i thought that was some kind of brag about being very clean.. just like Master of the Universe.

so im quite disappointed now.

hahaha. interesting misunderstanding...sorry to disappoint you. But, you could always start your own thread about being THE MASTER of PUBLIC HEALTH :smile:

Reply 9

Wings_cp

7

phatz00

hahaha. interesting misunderstanding...sorry to disappoint you. But, you could always start your own thread about being THE MASTER of PUBLIC HEALTH :smile:

hmmm. might just do that... lol :wink:

Masters in public health

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