Grad School Thread

also file you FAFSA asap if you haven't already

just passed my thesis defense **** yeah

congrats

Originally Posted by dusty

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just passed my thesis defense **** yeah

You in the relief phase or the happiness phase? It took me almost a week to hit happiness.

Originally Posted by dusty

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just passed my thesis defense **** yeah

Congrats man. You got out pretty quick, right? I remember an old thread about the physics GRE.

Sit for mine next week.

Originally Posted by dusty

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just passed my thesis defense **** yeah
Congrats!

Thanks guys, I'm trying to get myself to the relief phase but my nerves are still buzzing. I actually took longer than expected -- about three years to finish the MS. I ended up doing EE instead of physics btw. Brimley: Good luck with that thing, it's a beast.

Might as well post in here. I left a PhD program in clinical psych with my MA in December after deciding that I'm more interested in medicine than psychology. I've always been interested in infectious disease epidemiology, and to that end, I applied for an MPH program in the area on a whim. I got my acceptance this week and now can't decide whether I want to do it. I want an MPH at some point in my career, as I'd like to work in a public health setting as a physician, but I don't know whether it makes more sense to get it before, during, or after med school. I'm not sure if getting one before would make getting into med school easier or not. I know some of you are physicians and some of you have MPHs, so any advice would be appreciated.

Originally Posted by kwiteaboy

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Might as well post in here. I left a PhD program in clinical psych with my MA in December after deciding that I'm more interested in medicine than psychology. I've always been interested in infectious disease epidemiology, and to that end, I applied for an MPH program in the area on a whim. I got my acceptance this week and now can't decide whether I want to do it. I want an MPH at some point in my career, as I'd like to work in a public health setting as a physician, but I don't know whether it makes more sense to get it before, during, or after med school. I'm not sure if getting one before would make getting into med school easier or not. I know some of you are physicians and some of you have MPHs, so any advice would be appreciated.

I have always read that having a Master's does nothing for you in regards to med school acceptance. If you google that situation, I think you'll find people agreeing with that... HS/college/MCAT all much more important than Masters.

You started a PhD program and left it... you will already be looking at 4 years med school + min 3 years residency... i.e. tick tock. If you want to practice medicine, forget the MPH for now. If you are really not sure (and you need to be damn sure), the MPH could help push you in one direction or another- albeit at a big time/financial cost.

Originally Posted by kwiteaboy

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Might as well post in here. I left a PhD program in clinical psych with my MA in December after deciding that I'm more interested in medicine than psychology. I've always been interested in infectious disease epidemiology, and to that end, I applied for an MPH program in the area on a whim. I got my acceptance this week and now can't decide whether I want to do it. I want an MPH at some point in my career, as I'd like to work in a public health setting as a physician, but I don't know whether it makes more sense to get it before, during, or after med school. I'm not sure if getting one before would make getting into med school easier or not. I know some of you are physicians and some of you have MPHs, so any advice would be appreciated.

Here's a thought: getting the MPH after med school means that while you may be able to defer your loan payments while actually enrolled and getting the MPH, they will continue to accrue interest.

Originally Posted by Jodum5

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teger - my acceptance letter didn't mention aid from the school so I'm assuming none will be forthcoming. Have scheduled a call with AU's financial aid office to discuss in the coming days.

Connie - If I stay in my current gig or within this organization not having a advance degree shouldn't be an issue. However, I don't have a long term interest in the public sector. So I feel attaining the M.A. would be an opportunity to learn more, while also "shaking up" my options for a move to a different field (all within international affairs - i.e govt affairs for private sector, business development for a country risk analysis firm). With the second point I don't know anyone (even those I've linked-in stalked) that has gotten to their gigs (say Govt Affairs Anaylst/Intl trade Analyst with the Corporate/Government Affairs departments of a private firm) without graduate degrees.

cchen - American U School of Intl Service. George Washington Univ Elliot School of intl affairs. I'm on the wait list for.

Where are you with this now?

I want an MPH at some point in my career, as I'd like to work in a public health setting as a physician, but I don't know whether it makes more sense to get it before, during, or after med school. I'm not sure if getting one before would make getting into med school easier or not. I know some of you are physicians and some of you have MPHs, so any advice would be appreciated.

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From what I have seen, I think a MPH can and will help you get into med school if you apply yourself during the MPH. If you simply go to class and party with your classmates, it probably won't do much. But if you decide to do health services research during your MPH years and are able to present or publish based on this, it will definitely help you out.

This is also probably obvious, but an MPH from a well-known program well help you significantly, partly from the name of the school and from contacts/networking, while one from a random local program will not do much.

Medical school is less concerned with graduate GPA's and moreso straight stats of ugrad GPA and MCAT. These two stats are the same to compare each applicant, as not all have not all have done a grad degree. Also, I don't understand how if medicine is the goal after the MPH, how those contacts will be met 8-9 years later when you've gone through medical school and residency. Wouldn't they be more useful if trying to find a job with just the MPH in public health?

An MPH may be something to talk about in your interviews and be a nice addition, but it's not really necessary. The poster already has another masters from the psych work, seems pleny to get in if everything else is in place. You can also look into dual degree tracks for medical schools when you apply to schools. Actually, some residency tracks can incorporate working towards an MPH as part of it the process. One can do an MPH after residency as well. Lots of different ways to get the degree.

Did I make the right decision? I'm graduating this May in an undergraduate in accounting, i live in New York State so I need 150 hrs for CPA and the public firms wont hire you unless you have a plan to get them. I decided to get a Master in Accounting at my undergraduate school, basically a worhtless degree other than qualifying me for my CPA. My goal is CPA, big 4 then figure out what I like from there. My school is public so the masters is only costing me 10k which I have saved up so I will graduate debt free.

Many of my classmates are choosing to get there MBA's in 4+1 programs (not top 40s) or getting there MBAs from a local private school top 30 that costs 45k a year.

I choose the master in accountancy because I thought it was the best option to get where I want to go (big4) and my school has a good reputation in the area (where I want to work) placing the most graduates in any of the local big4 offices. I had a few second interviews for internships in my undergrad so i'm hoping next year goes a little better and I get the offer. I figured if I got the MBA from a non top-20 with no work exp it wouldn't open up any better opportunities that big 4 exp would, I genuinely find accounting interesting so the prospect of staying in it is not something I am dreading.

I'm having second thoughts about not getting the MBA but figure after getting solid work-exp if I want to get one I can go to a much better school than I could now. Sorry for the long post but basically do you think I made the right decision going the masters in accounting rather than the 4+1 MBA route? 4+1 could also be at a state school so it would only cost a few grand more but the schools it would be from would have less of a reputation with public firms in the area than the school I am getting the masters in accounting from.

Originally Posted by DaveB

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Did I make the right decision? I'm graduating this May in an undergraduate in accounting, i live in New York State so I need 150 hrs for CPA and the public firms wont hire you unless you have a plan to get them. I decided to get a Master in Accounting at my undergraduate school, basically a worhtless degree other than qualifying me for my CPA. My goal is CPA, big 4 then figure out what I like from there. My school is public so the masters is only costing me 10k which I have saved up so I will graduate debt free.
SUNY's biggest plus: one of the cheapest, maybe THE cheapest, in-state tuition in the country.