A few more questions

[CB1320]

Hi there,

I posted on here once before regarding "nontraditional" public health students in which I received great feedback. For those who haven't seen my earlier post, I currently hold a position in finance (banking to be specific) and have seriously been considering going back to school to get my MPH. After a few years in the corporate world I just feel like I could be doing something better with my life. I have a few more questions which I would greatly appreciate if someone could shed some light on.

1) What percentage of MPH students come from non-health backgrounds? Would it be very uncommon to see a banker in a public health program? Am I going to be the only student who doesn't have a science background.

2) Excuse my ignorance, because I am sure this data is available somewhere, but what is the job market like in healthcare mgmt/policy/consulting for someone without an MD?
I guess my biggest concern is that I'm going to have a really hard time finding a job without any former healthcare experience.

3) Would an MHA make more sense in my case? I'm definitely leaning more on the side of mgmt/consulting/policy as opposed to epi/biostats. I think the transition would be a little easier considering i have a dual degree in finance and legal studies. I was under the impression that the MHA was more geared toward operations, which is not what I'm looking for but I could be wrong.

Thanks for the help!

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[Solara]

1. I don't know about percentages, but I wouldn't say there's a complete lack of "science people" in public health schools. Your background and perspective in finance and banking will be unique.

2. There's an increasing demand for people with experience in healthcare administration and management (looking at the growth and future of healthcare in this country). The MD will give you more access to senior positions and much higher salary. I would say with any job, the most important thing for you to get that job is to have the skill set and experience that job requires. Connections also matter a lot. Focus on those 3 things.

3. Don't know. I would ask anyone you would be able to talk to personally in your local area. If you happen to be near a school of public health, that would be a great place to ask people about healthcare administration.

Seem like there are a few different routes you can go. There's the MPH with a focus in Health Policy in Management. And also the MHA. Healthcare administration is becoming even more important, and you can definitely attest to your skills in finance/banking as one that would help with healthcare administration. I would go on Google and look up people who are in positions that you want to be in. See what degrees they got and how they got there. Good luck!

 

[364462]

Hi there,

I posted on here once before regarding "nontraditional" public health students in which I received great feedback. For those who haven't seen my earlier post, I currently hold a position in finance (banking to be specific) and have seriously been considering going back to school to get my MPH. After a few years in the corporate world I just feel like I could be doing something better with my life. I have a few more questions which I would greatly appreciate if someone could shed some light on.

1) What percentage of MPH students come from non-health backgrounds? Would it be very uncommon to see a banker in a public health program? Am I going to be the only student who doesn't have a science background.

2) Excuse my ignorance, because I am sure this data is available somewhere, but what is the job market like in healthcare mgmt/policy/consulting for someone without an MD?
I guess my biggest concern is that I'm going to have a really hard time finding a job without any former healthcare experience.

3) Would an MHA make more sense in my case? I'm definitely leaning more on the side of mgmt/consulting/policy as opposed to epi/biostats. I think the transition would be a little easier considering i have a dual degree in finance and legal studies. I was under the impression that the MHA was more geared toward operations, which is not what I'm looking for but I could be wrong.

Thanks for the help!

1. Among my classmates here at UCLA, a good handful of us have advanced degrees or are pursuing dual degree with the MPH. These include a pediatrician, cardiologist, OB-GYN, urologist, and other specialties. One has experience in start-up in silicon valley before pursuing the MBA/MPH, and another has experience in Wall Street financial consulting. A science background is not a prerequisite for the MPH. What helps is having quantitative/analytical skills.

2. The training you need you will get while pursuing the MPH. That's what the school is for.

3. Policy and management are two different things. I would look closely at the coursework of the programs you are considering. You can do consultation with either policy or management, but the type of consultation you want to do is different with either background.

 

[CB1320]

Thanks, really appreciate this!