Non-traditional MPH programs

[Mphie2019]

Hi all,

I hope that I have posted this in the right place, but if there is a better thread, please point me to it.

I am a non-traditional applicant who wants to enter an MPH program. I hold two Bachelor's degrees, one in a professional program (not medicine or allied health). I have a decently competitive 3.7 CGPA, had previous quantitative, health research experience (but a long time ago) and have had a career working with low-resource communities, seeing SDH play out first hand. My goal in doing an MPH is to be able to promote health and create prevention programs with the same communities, particularly addressing mental health and addictions.

I thought my experience would still make me an interesting candidate, so I was a bit disappointed when I applied to a program of interest only to see first and second rounds of admissions go to students who had the same grades, but who reported very typical backgrounds (ex: applying straight from UG, started volunteering two months before the application submission, health science backgrounds).

I won't know why I wasn't short-listed (and maybe I may be admitted in a later round), but I fear that the non-traditional aspects of my background put me at odds with the type of student that the school was seeking, which is understandable and OK. The school knows who will be successful in their program. But when I reapply next year, I'd like to orient myself toward schools that are open to candidates from varied backgrounds where I would be considered, and where a diverse student body could bring some new perspective.

Does anyone have insider suggestions about which schools might be a good fit? Particularly if they have a global.health orientation. I am mainly interested in Central or Atlantic Canada, or programs abroad, but would go westward for the right program.

 

Thanks!

 

[NutritionRunner]

While it has changed quite a bit since I graduated, my class at the University of Toronto (MPH Nutrition and Dietetics) had at least four of us who were non-traditional / second degree students. I was definitely the “most” non-traditional, having had several years of work experience before returning to university to complete my second undergraduate degree. I’m not sure about the other MPH programs at UofT, and the program director and associate director have changed in the Nutrition and Dietetics program since I graduated, so things may have change recently.

When applying, make sure your letter of intent clearly outlines what you hope to get out of an MPH and what you can contribute. Many MPH programs also put a lot of emphasis on your undergraduate statistics grade(s) so if yours isn’t an A or A+, that might be a course to re-take to improve your chances. Also, check the faculty who teach in the MPH programs that interest you, and see if their interests align with yours.

It sounds like you have a good understanding of the SDH, so I would make that clear in your application materials, emphasizing how your work experience has helped you to gain a better understanding of the SDH. If that’s something that you’ve already been doing, then perhaps you just applied in a very competitive year. In my experience (albeit limited), someone who is able to show that they really “get” or “understand” the SDH, from work, volunteer, or other experiences, and who can articulate how their experiences have influenced their career goals, has a pretty good chance of being admitted, all other things being equal. Perhaps you just had the bad luck to apply in a particularly competitive year? Did you have strong reference letters that clearly outlined why an MPH program (or why a particular MPH program) was right for you?

Good luck! I loved my MPH studies and I’m now happily pursuing a PhD!

[GH0ST]

For your non-trad point... pretty much half my class in all roles were from various fields such as nursing, mathematics, physicians, etc... 

Hard to say since I'm quite removed from the admissions process now but I would say keep trying and apply broadly. 

Best wishes, 

- G

[Tullius]

Where are you applying?

[Mphie2019]

On Thursday, April 11, 2019 at 7:08 PM, NutritionRunner said:

While it has changed quite a bit since I graduated, my class at the University of Toronto (MPH Nutrition and Dietetics) had at least four of us who were non-traditional / second degree students. I was definitely the “most” non-traditional, having had several years of work experience before returning to university to complete my second undergraduate degree. I’m not sure about the other MPH programs at UofT, and the program director and associate director have changed in the Nutrition and Dietetics program since I graduated, so things may have change recently.

When applying, make sure your letter of intent clearly outlines what you hope to get out of an MPH and what you can contribute. Many MPH programs also put a lot of emphasis on your undergraduate statistics grade(s) so if yours isn’t an A or A+, that might be a course to re-take to improve your chances. Also, check the faculty who teach in the MPH programs that interest you, and see if their interests align with yours.

It sounds like you have a good understanding of the SDH, so I would make that clear in your application materials, emphasizing how your work experience has helped you to gain a better understanding of the SDH. If that’s something that you’ve already been doing, then perhaps you just applied in a very competitive year. In my experience (albeit limited), someone who is able to show that they really “get” or “understand” the SDH, from work, volunteer, or other experiences, and who can articulate how their experiences have influenced their career goals, has a pretty good chance of being admitted, all other things being equal. Perhaps you just had the bad luck to apply in a particularly competitive year? Did you have strong reference letters that clearly outlined why an MPH program (or why a particular MPH program) was right for you?

Good luck! I loved my MPH studies and I’m now happily pursuing a PhD!

Thanks. This is great advice. Very thorough. I think that stats may be an issue because my courses are quite out of date and I only had an A- anyway. That may be worthwhile to redo.

My letter did emphasize why an MPH was a next logical step, based on my experience and my goals, but I will review that part to make sure I am communicating what I intended. 

In a way my rejection was a good thing as it has given me a year more to develop a deeper understanding of the field, look more clearly at each program and to produce a more lean personal statement. 

 

Thanks again!