MHA 2018: Applied, Interviewed, Rejected, Attending

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Accepted my admit to UMich, will be going there this fall! Anyone else who has committed, feel free to reach out :)
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rxi15 said:
Got in Cornell Monday morning. Currently deciding between Cornell and Columbia? Can anyone weigh in on their opinions regarding these two programs?
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i DM'd you! :)
 
I've decided on Cornell! See you fellow SDN-ers there!
 
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I am also trying to decide between Columbia and Cornell. Both seem to have great reputations as Ivy League programs. Can anyone shed light on reasons to choose one program over the other?
 
So has everyone decided? Are you sending emails to the schools you are turning down?
 
Helper3 said:
So has everyone decided? Are you sending emails to the schools you are turning down?
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I didnt email every school, if they had like a portal-type thing i just went and declined the offer! if they did not have that then i just kind of left it there lol.
 
Helper3 said:
So has everyone decided? Are you sending emails to the schools you are turning down?
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For the ones I had been in talks with I did email out of courtesy. A good amount, I just went to their portal site to let them know.
 
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nhm059 said:
Accepted my admit to UMich, will be going there this fall! Anyone else who has committed, feel free to reach out :)
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Hi, relatively new to this portal! Recently got an email to interview with UMich! Any interview pointers?
 
Helper3 said:
So has everyone decided? Are you sending emails to the schools you are turning down?
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I emailed the two from my top three that I turned down, since I had multiple conversations with them and was invested in their programs.
 
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Cornell MHA v GWU MHA v BU MPH-HM ???

I need help comparing immediate/long-term value
 
nj23 said:
Cornell MHA v GWU MHA v BU MPH-HM ???

I need help comparing immediate/long-term value
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If you know MHA is what you want to do I would only be deciding between Cornell and GWU then.

One thing to keep in mind is GWU is a 3 year commitment while Cornell isn't. (Your third year in GWU is a year long residency but you don't get your degree until the residency is completed).
 
InquiringStudent said:
If you know MHA is what you want to do I would only be deciding between Cornell and GWU then.

One thing to keep in mind is GWU is a 3 year commitment while Cornell isn't. (Your third year in GWU is a year long residency but you don't get your degree until the residency is completed).
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Thank you for your reply. Yes I have already considered the 3 year (w Res) vs 2 year traditional pathway as a factor. I've also considered the flexibility of an MPH-HM vs an MHA. At this point, I'm most interested in the impact prestige plays on hiring, the immediate credibility I would have from these institutions, as well as other factors. For example, I have been told (by a friend who did his MPH at JHU years ago) that the program at GW is probably the best opportunity to fast-track my career. Any additional perspective along these lines from you or anyone else would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
nj23 said:
Thank you for your reply. Yes I have already considered the 3 year (w Res) vs 2 year traditional pathway as a factor. I've also considered the flexibility of an MPH-HM vs an MHA. At this point, I'm most interested in the impact prestige plays on hiring, the immediate credibility I would have from these institutions, as well as other factors. For example, I have been told (by a friend who did his MPH at JHU years ago) that the program at GW is probably the best opportunity to fast-track my career. Any additional perspective along these lines from you or anyone else would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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I can't speak too much on the MPH being more flexible since I have no experience with that. I'll leave that to someone else that may have more experience on that matter.

While prestige does have an impact it's not a make all end all sort of thing. GW and Cornell from what I hear are two great programs. I personally only applied to GW and got in and was definitely considering it but went with JHU in the end. GW has really great career connections especially because they are based in DC where healthcare as a whole tends to be decided. If you don't mind sharing, do you know what you would like to do or what path you would like to take when you graduate? Working at insurance, fellowships, consulting, healthcare organizations etc? That might make it easier to see which school best fits your career projection you are interested in.

Also if you haven't yet I would definitely reach out to the program directors and speak with them, they can provide a lot more insight on their program, outcomes, and basically answer questions you have in more detail. It's what I did. I'd also reach out and see if they can put you in touch with alumni and get a feel of where they are currently in their career as well.
 
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InquiringStudent said:
I can't speak too much on the MPH being more flexible since I have no experience with that. I'll leave that to someone else that may have more experience on that matter.

While prestige does have an impact it's not a make all end all sort of thing. GW and Cornell from what I hear are two great programs. I personally only applied to GW and got in and was definitely considering it but went with JHU in the end. GW has really great career connections especially because they are based in DC where healthcare as a whole tends to be decided. If you don't mind sharing, do you know what you would like to do or what path you would like to take when you graduate? Working at insurance, fellowships, consulting, healthcare organizations etc? That might make it easier to see which school best fits your career projection you are interested in.

Also if you haven't yet I would definitely reach out to the program directors and speak with them, they can provide a lot more insight on their program, outcomes, and basically answer questions you have in more detail. It's what I did. I'd also reach out and see if they can put you in touch with alumni and get a feel of where they are currently in their career as well.
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Thank you again for your quick reply! I think they all have their strengths, so I'm trying to tease the details out on what makes them stand out. Thank you for your follow-up questions. At this stage, I'm interested in a couple of areas: managing 300-1000 bed facilities or multiple sites in a health system (down the road) and/or consulting (earlier in my career). I'd imagine network/connections play a role in the hiring process for either avenue.

That's a good idea, I will reach back out to each of these schools and nail down some of the more specific questions that I have. If they can get me in touch with alumni, then that would be even better. I only have a few days, so I'm trying to reach out to any and all resources to help with this decision. Appreciate it.
 
nj23 said:
Thank you again for your quick reply! I think they all have their strengths, so I'm trying to tease the details out on what makes them stand out. Thank you for your follow-up questions. At this stage, I'm interested in a couple of areas: managing 300-1000 bed facilities or multiple sites in a health system (down the road) and/or consulting (earlier in my career). I'd imagine network/connections play a role in the hiring process for either avenue.

That's a good idea, I will reach back out to each of these schools and nail down some of the more specific questions that I have. If they can get me in touch with alumni, then that would be even better. I only have a few days, so I'm trying to reach out to any and all resources to help with this decision. Appreciate it.
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To address the consulting route I would DEFINITELY ask each of the programs to provide some data on how many students out of the program pursued consulting. Generally consulting is done at schools who have relationships with consulting firms, when that isn't a thing it tends to be more difficult to go down that route. For example, JHU and Columbia have relationships with consulting firms where roughly 30-[40% of students actually end up in consulting which is a great indicator that you have a solid chance of attaining that if that is what interests you. I would find out the numbers/percentages for Cornell and GWU. Are you interested in doing fellowships during your residency if you choose GW? I believe that is usually the preferred route but fellowships tend to give you the connections to get to where you are looking to go to based on your interests and both schools do that which is the good news.
 
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InquiringStudent said:
To address the consulting route I would DEFINITELY ask each of the programs to provide some data on how many students out of the program pursued consulting. Generally consulting is done at schools who have relationships with consulting firms, when that isn't a thing it tends to be more difficult to go down that route. For example, JHU and Columbia have relationships with consulting firms where roughly 30-[40% of students actually end up in consulting which is a great indicator that you have a solid chance of attaining that if that is what interests you. I would find out the numbers/percentages for Cornell and GWU. Are you interested in doing fellowships during your residency if you choose GW? I believe that is usually the preferred route but fellowships tend to give you the connections to get to where you are looking to go to based on your interests and both schools do that which is the good news.
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Hey thank you again for the reply and sorry for my delay. Finals week. I will be speaking to the directors of both programs tomorrow and will certainly ask them for that data. I've also been accepted to Georgetown this week and that is also something to consider. I've been looking into Cornell a bit more this week, because of their excellent business school and opportunity to take MBA courses in addition to my MHA. GWU is more established, as their program has existed since the late 50s, and the location aspect is also attractive.

I am interested in doing a fellowship during my GWU residency, and I hear they are extremely competitive. I would probably do a fellowship following Cornell or Georgetown as well. I'm most interested in working in a large integrated delivery system during the fellowship.
 
nj23 said:
Hey thank you again for the reply and sorry for my delay. Finals week. I will be speaking to the directors of both programs tomorrow and will certainly ask them for that data. I've also been accepted to Georgetown this week and that is also something to consider. I've been looking into Cornell a bit more this week, because of their excellent business school and opportunity to take MBA courses in addition to my MHA. GWU is more established, as their program has existed since the late 50s, and the location aspect is also attractive.

I am interested in doing a fellowship during my GWU residency, and I hear they are extremely competitive. I would probably do a fellowship following Cornell or Georgetown as well. I'm most interested in working in a large integrated delivery system during the fellowship.
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Just to note, Cornell's program was established in 1955! Wouldn't say GWU is more established, Cornell has alumni everywhere just like GW!
 
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joshua22897 said:
Just to note, Cornell's program was established in 1955! Wouldn't say GWU is more established, Cornell has alumni everywhere just like GW!
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Ah! I didn't realize that, but you're right. I have spoken to as many friends/associates that work in healthcare and I had heard incorrectly about their program's longevity. Thank you. It seems like Cornell is a better fit for my long-term goals, but living in DC is very hard to say no to. I want a business-approach to healthcare (entrepreneurial/innovative/customer-facing/analytic) and I'm unsure if GWU offers that. I haven't heard from their director yet, so hopefully when I do speak to him, he can help assuage those concerns. Anyone have an idea which school fits that kind of culture/mentality? Thanks in advance.
 
nj23 said:
Ah! I didn't realize that, but you're right. I have spoken to as many friends/associates that work in healthcare and I had heard incorrectly about their program's longevity. Thank you. It seems like Cornell is a better fit for my long-term goals, but living in DC is very hard to say no to. I want a business-approach to healthcare (entrepreneurial/innovative/customer-facing/analytic) and I'm unsure if GWU offers that. I haven't heard from their director yet, so hopefully when I do speak to him, he can help assuage those concerns. Anyone have an idea which school fits that kind of culture/mentality? Thanks in advance.
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I spoke a lot with both of the programs. GWU has a very business approach to healthcare as well. There a tons of practical experience opportunities available to you during your 2 didactic years there. The classes offered are also very business oriented, rather than soft skill like some other programs.

Cornell also has a business approach to their programming. Being able to take Johnson MBA classes for "free" is a huge plus imo. Their core curriculum builds a strong foundation for approaching healthcare with a business mind. They also encourage innovation and entrepreneurship , rather than just consulting or healthcare operations, which is rare for an MHA program. Downside is that there aren't many opportunities to work directly in healthcare during your 2 years there like there would be in DC.
 
joshua22897 said:
I spoke a lot with both of the programs. GWU has a very business approach to healthcare as well. There a tons of practical experience opportunities available to you during your 2 didactic years there. The classes offered are also very business oriented, rather than soft skill like some other programs.

Cornell also has a business approach to their programming. Being able to take Johnson MBA classes for "free" is a huge plus imo. Their core curriculum builds a strong foundation for approaching healthcare with a business mind. They also encourage innovation and entrepreneurship , rather than just consulting or healthcare operations, which is rare for an MHA program. Downside is that there aren't many opportunities to work directly in healthcare during your 2 years there like there would be in DC.
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Thank you for your reply. It seems like both programs are very comparable, aside from the opportunity to take courses in a top 15 Business school at Cornell. I learned today that GWU will be adding a Six Sigma Yellow Belt course in the spring. Cornell has a class that, if taken as 4 credits (instead of 3) offers a Black Belt certification.

I have until Monday to decide and what I'm left with is this:

Do I choose Cornell for their advantages? - Ivy prestige/network, affiliations with whatever companies they're close with, Top 15 B-School access, Black Belt certification.....

or do I choose GWU - Yellow Belt certification, affiliations with whatever companies they're close with, immediate opportunities to work directly in healthcare as I'm pursuing the degree (to build up my CV before residency), opportunities to network in the city as I'm pursuing the degree, and the benefits (and drawbacks) of a third year 6 credit residency through the school's network. -- addendum -- they also have a 10 school consortium (from schools in the DC area obv) where I am able to take healthcare courses that can apply to my MHA.
 
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nj23 said:
Thank you for your reply. It seems like both programs are very comparable, aside from the opportunity to take courses in a top 15 Business school at Cornell. I learned today that GWU will be adding a Six Sigma Yellow Belt course in the spring. Cornell has a class that, if taken as 4 credits (instead of 3) offers a Black Belt certification.

I have until Monday to decide and what I'm left with is this:

Do I choose Cornell for their advantages? - Ivy prestige/network, affiliations with whatever companies they're close with, Top 15 B-School access, Black Belt certification.....

or do I choose GWU - Yellow Belt certification, affiliations with whatever companies they're close with, immediate opportunities to work directly in healthcare as I'm pursuing the degree (to build up my CV before residency), opportunities to network in the city as I'm pursuing the degree, and the benefits (and drawbacks) of a third year 6 credit residency through the school's network. -- addendum -- they also have a 10 school consortium (from schools in the DC area obv) where I am able to take healthcare courses that can apply to my MHA.
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So what did you decide?
 
Merew said:
I've decided on Cornell! See you fellow SDN-ers there!
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Hi, recently noticed that you got waitlisted at Columbia. I was wondering if you ever emailed them about getting off the waitlist since you've already decided on Cornell. Lmk!
 
mhaer said:
So what did you decide?
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Hey sorry for the delay, I didn't expect anyone to reply back after a few days.

I chose GWU. After speaking to several sources, it seemed apparent that my best approach was for immediate entry into the job market or internships. If I had more experience, I may have chosen differently.
 
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Is microeconomics course compulsory for admit from jhu?
 
nj23 said:
Hey sorry for the delay, I didn't expect anyone to reply back after a few days.

I chose GWU. After speaking to several sources, it seemed apparent that my best approach was for immediate entry into the job market or internships. If I had more experience, I may have chosen differently.
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Hi, did you ever hear back from the Columbia waitlist? Thanks!
 
Is anyone doing anything to prepare for the fall? I have had friends tell me I should be looking at syllabi and buying books to read ahead of time, but I cannot find any syllabi on my school's website (Columbia, if anyone else found anything) and feel like a real dork bothering the coordinator so much. Is anyone else doing this?
 
desNuages said:
Is anyone doing anything to prepare for the fall? I have had friends tell me I should be looking at syllabi and buying books to read ahead of time, but I cannot find any syllabi on my school's website (Columbia, if anyone else found anything) and feel like a real dork bothering the coordinator so much. Is anyone else doing this?
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Are your friends in this same program or have been in the past? If not, don't pay them attention.

Also if you have any required readings etc to have completed before first day of classes your school would have communicated that with you. You can always ask the coordinator. It's what they are there for. The students and to answer questions. You're paying thousands in tuition, don't shy away from questions.
 
Is it too early to start a MHA 2019: Applied, Interviewed, Rejected, Attending thread ?
 
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AbeWoodhull said:
I just wanted to mention here that I am offering some counseling/ consulting services for 2019 MHA Applicants this year. In my application cycle, I struggled with the fact that there are not many resources for future MHA students to prepare for applications, interviews, and choosing which school to attend. I did a TON of research to prepare for my applications.

I had more than 25 students reach out to me last year and I'd like to provide a little more targeted and specific help to incoming students this year. My stats from last year are:

School: Texas A&M University
GPA: Cumulative: 3.6, Major 3.89
GRE: 160Q (76%), 160V(86%), 5.5AWA (98%)
Major: Business Management
Experience: 4 years in project mgmt for tech company, volunteered weekly in nursing home for 2 years

Interested/Applied: Hopkins (10/18), UAB (9/30), VCU (10/11), UNC (9/11), Cornell (12/7), GWU (12/7)
Interview: VCU (12/1 and 12/14), Cornell (1/4), UAB (2/9), JHU(1/18), UNC (1/18), UAB (2/9)
Waitlist:
Rejected: VCU (1/23)
Accepted: GWU (12/21) Cornell (1/13) JHU (1/25) , UNC (1/22) UAB (2/19)
Attending: UAB

With my five acceptances, I was offered more than $100,000 in scholarships and can help you gain those as well! Given my acceptances, I can offer very specific advice on each of these programs and help compare and contrast their advantages. I am a current first year student at UAB and can offer insight on MHA life, course content, fellowships, etc.
Additional services I can provide:
-GRE prep and my personal study materials
-Personal statement review and editing
-Program selection assistance (which school should I pick?)

Reach out to me via Student Doctor and we can converse further via Skype, email, text, etc. My rates are $25/hr. Where applications are $100+ each and even more if you travel for an interview, it's worth a bit of your time to have someone to consult with.

I look forward to talking to you soon!
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How did you go about getting scholarships my gpa isn't as high as yours (2.81), so i'm afraid i will be getting less funding :/
 
School: University of California; Irvine
GPA: Cumulative: 3.04
GRE: 159Q (72%), 156V (73%), 5 AWA (92%)
Major: Public Health and Political Science
Experience: Worked for government public health fellowship for last two years in state health department.

I'm a little behind in the process. I was hoping to enter the workforce after my fellowship but the jobs in my state were scarce.

I know my GPA is lousy, I took the GRE in 2016 on a whim, so I've been studying to take it again in November just to try and make up for the GPA.

Can anyone tell me what I can expect?
 
noryeguy said:
School: University of California; Irvine
GPA: Cumulative: 3.04
GRE: 159Q (72%), 156V (73%), 5 AWA (92%)
Major: Public Health and Political Science
Experience: Worked for government public health fellowship for last two years in state health department.

I'm a little behind in the process. I was hoping to enter the workforce after my fellowship but the jobs in my state were scarce.

I know my GPA is lousy, I took the GRE in 2016 on a whim, so I've been studying to take it again in November just to try and make up for the GPA.

Can anyone tell me what I can expect?
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I'd say based on what you stated above you'd still be a pretty strong candidate. If you look at my GPA and GRE, it's pretty similar yet I got into some top programs as well. I'm attending Johns Hopkins University currently. If you have questions that you'd like to discuss feel free to pm me.
 
Hi guys!
I am an international medical graduate from Tanzania, East Africa. I am particularly interested in pursuing an MPH in Epidemiology or Global Health. I went to a medical school abroad with a full scholarship. I would like to hear your opinion about the schools I should apply to if I want to increase my chances of receiving a full scholarship or a substantial partial scholarship.
Here are my details
GPA: 3.96 (WES evaluated)
GRE: Q: 153 V: 152 W: 4.0
TOEFL: 106
Research/Experience
- Founding member and Regional Coordinator of the Pan-African Health Alliance (PAHA)
-1-year medical internship
- Undergraduate Research Assistant
-Undergraduate Teaching Assistant
-Presentations at regional and national conferences
-2 Best Student Presentation Award
-3 Awards of excellence (Genetics, Microbiology, Physiology)
I speak 5 languages (3 fluently, 2 beginner-intermediate)

I know the review process is holistic, and one's SOP carries a significant wait, but I will appreciate your guidance.

Thank you in advance.
 
Hello everyone!
I’m a bit lost on which graduate school program I should choose. My top choices right now are University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Minnesota, and University of Michigan. I’m also considering doing a dual degree with an MBA but not sure if it’s necessary given I want to go into an Administrative Fellowship or Consulting after.
If anyone could shed some light on what makes each program unique or if they are a current student there and what they like about the program that would be amazing!
 
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