Hi everyone, hope you all have been good since my last post. You may have noticed that for the past year, I haven’t been as consistent as I normally would. Well there is a reason. I started my Masters in Public Health (MPH). I moved to St. Louis to start the program at Saint Louis University with a double concentration in Maternal and Child Health and Global Health. The application process isn’t really talked about, and I had a hard time finding information for how people picked schools. I have decided to share my experience, tips and lessons for those interested in public health specifically in the U.S.

1. Why Public Health?- This is the first question to ask yourself. Why do you think this degree will benefit you? Especially if it wasn’t your major in undergrad. What do you hope to gain from it? Will it make you more employable? Are there skills from the degree that would make me more efficient in my current job? amongst other questions. You don’t want to pay more school fees and then realize you didn’t even need the degree.
2. Which concentration?- There are many directions you can take public health. From Health policy to Infectious disease to biosecurity, the options are endless. There are also programs that offer a general public health track for those who can’t decide. If you can answer your why public health, it will make picking a concentration easier. I went into public health because I want to become an ob/gyn. I am interested in learning the population level social determinants of health that populations I hope to serve face, and how they can be addressed through various interventions. If you are data inclined, epidemiology or biostatistics may be a good route for you. Most programs make everyone take certain core classes so that you still have an idea of how to do everything. I advice looking into https://sophas.org/ for more information on public health programs and schools that offer them
3. Which school?- Last but not least, which school do i go to. Many factors go into picking a school. For me, I considered certain things: a) did the school have the concentration(s) I was looking for? b) is the school in a good region? c) what type of research or programs were the professors doing, and how receptive were they to students working with them? d) how much money did the school offer me? e) are there opportunities for me to work, and if so what type of work? f) cost of living in the city the school is located?

These were the important considerations for me. If you or anyone you know is interested in public health, feel free to reach out to me. I can give you insight on picking your programs or school choice. If there is something important I didn’t add, let me know. Stay safe folks!!!