What do you do with an MPH?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Poorly paid and disrespected

People who work to benefit the disadvantaged and marginalized in a capitalist society are often underpaid.

Would you admire someone who got rich selling cigarettes more?

It is all about values, and you have revealed yours.

PP just stated a fact.

It's underpaid because it's easy degree to get.

Value is determined by the society and it's reflected in the compensation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she wants to work with those populations, I would do a MSW. If she wants to do research with those populations, I would do a MPH.

- a social worker who works with a LOT of MPH co-workers

+1 great summary
I have an MSW and work at a fed agency with a lot of people who have an MPH or DrPH. MSW will generally lead to direct clinical work, though there are also lots of MSWs in my agency doing policy work. MPH will generally lead to research and policy work.
I think both are interesting paths with many opportunities in the DC area.
Psychology usually requires a PhD or PsyD to do direct clinical work so an MSW is a faster path to a clinical role if she wants to pursue that direction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Poorly paid and disrespected

People who work to benefit the disadvantaged and marginalized in a capitalist society are often underpaid.

Would you admire someone who got rich selling cigarettes more?

It is all about values, and you have revealed yours.

PP just stated a fact.

It's underpaid because it's easy degree to get.

Value is determined by the society and it's reflected in the compensation.

To people like you who think money is the only currency. Many people seek other rewards and achievements in life.

Again, it is all about your values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Poorly paid and disrespected

People who work to benefit the disadvantaged and marginalized in a capitalist society are often underpaid.

Would you admire someone who got rich selling cigarettes more?

It is all about values, and you have revealed yours.

PP just stated a fact.

It's underpaid because it's easy degree to get.

Value is determined by the society and it's reflected in the compensation.

To people like you who think money is the only currency. Many people seek other rewards and achievements in life.

Again, it is all about your values.

Nobody said money is the only currency.
Fact is a fact. You judge others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing you couldn't do better with an Econ grad degree or even an MBA.

We’d never hire an MBA or Econ for what we do. Have they studied epidemiology of infectious diseases? Can they write me a strategy for increasing uptake of HIV prophylaxis based on audience segmentation and then write frame out the messaging for the TV drama we are producing? Can they explain the theoretical grounding and create the logic framework for the infant mortality intervention? No. But the MPH can. That’s who I hire.

Now, the MBA and economist might each get different jobs in health, and they will probably pay more than we do. But I need public health training for my staff.

🙄 A two year MS in epidemiology gives a strong epidemiology foundation. An MPH basically has a one year long epi class. It’s a very broad and general degree.

There are lots of respected MPH programs that are two years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing you couldn't do better with an Econ grad degree or even an MBA.

We’d never hire an MBA or Econ for what we do. Have they studied epidemiology of infectious diseases? Can they write me a strategy for increasing uptake of HIV prophylaxis based on audience segmentation and then write frame out the messaging for the TV drama we are producing? Can they explain the theoretical grounding and create the logic framework for the infant mortality intervention? No. But the MPH can. That’s who I hire.

Now, the MBA and economist might each get different jobs in health, and they will probably pay more than we do. But I need public health training for my staff.

🙄 A two year MS in epidemiology gives a strong epidemiology foundation. An MPH basically has a one year long epi class. It’s a very broad and general degree.

There are lots of respected MPH programs that are two years.

Basically everyone I know who did an MPH was in a two-year program save for some health professionals who wrangled one-year mid career MPHs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she wants to work with those populations, I would do a MSW. If she wants to do research with those populations, I would do a MPH.

- a social worker who works with a LOT of MPH co-workers

+1 great summary
I have an MSW and work at a fed agency with a lot of people who have an MPH or DrPH. MSW will generally lead to direct clinical work, though there are also lots of MSWs in my agency doing policy work. MPH will generally lead to research and policy work.
I think both are interesting paths with many opportunities in the DC area.
Psychology usually requires a PhD or PsyD to do direct clinical work so an MSW is a faster path to a clinical role if she wants to pursue that direction.

What about doing both, it doesn't need to be either or. We need more clinicians who understand prevention - we have a mental health crisis going on and a cascade of public health issues that stem from it, like youth violence, domestic violence, alcohol and substance abuse. I don't have an MPH, but I've been deeply involved in communicating about major public health issues in my job as a consultant. Not quite the same but I've notice a lot more MDs getting MPHs, I think the same makes sense for mental health clinicians. There's also a bunch of work happening in the healthcare system with linking the sickest people to supports they need like, housing, food, transportation in recognition that achieving good health is not just about individual behaviors, but having access to strong social determinants of health. I could see MSWs being engaged in this work.

[Anonymous]

All MPHs I know either had it to strengthen resume during gap year before medical schools or did it after working ad physicians to go into research or administration etc. Its better in conjunction with another degree.

[Anonymous]

Consultant for a research and evaluation firm. I'm not poor, but never going to be rich in this field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she wants to work with those populations, I would do a MSW. If she wants to do research with those populations, I would do a MPH.

- a social worker who works with a LOT of MPH co-workers

+1 great summary
I have an MSW and work at a fed agency with a lot of people who have an MPH or DrPH. MSW will generally lead to direct clinical work, though there are also lots of MSWs in my agency doing policy work. MPH will generally lead to research and policy work.
I think both are interesting paths with many opportunities in the DC area.
Psychology usually requires a PhD or PsyD to do direct clinical work so an MSW is a faster path to a clinical role if she wants to pursue that direction.

What about doing both, it doesn't need to be either or. We need more clinicians who understand prevention - we have a mental health crisis going on and a cascade of public health issues that stem from it, like youth violence, domestic violence, alcohol and substance abuse. I don't have an MPH, but I've been deeply involved in communicating about major public health issues in my job as a consultant. Not quite the same but I've notice a lot more MDs getting MPHs, I think the same makes sense for mental health clinicians. There's also a bunch of work happening in the healthcare system with linking the sickest people to supports they need like, housing, food, transportation in recognition that achieving good health is not just about individual behaviors, but having access to strong social determinants of health. I could see MSWs being engaged in this work.

I am one of the MSWs PPs above and this is exactly the work I do with social determents of health. I work directly with clients/patients with care coordination for housing/food/childcare/transportation and have also work on a lot of research for social determents of health within specific populations. I will tell you that from my experience having first hand/direct line work with the clients/patients is far more valuable than any meeting I am in with someone with a MPH whose only experience is from text books/anecdotal knowledge. It is easy to walk the direct service to research/policy, but nearly impossible to go the other way. I am a big fan of MSW/MPH programs (and would have done it myself had it been offered at my school) but I wouldn't incur huge loans to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All MPHs I know either had it to strengthen resume during gap year before medical schools or did it after working ad physicians to go into research or administration etc. Its better in conjunction with another degree.

Me thinks you don't know many folks with a MPH There are a lot of folks where that is their terminal degree is a MPH - in consulting, healthcare, feds, local government, etc.

[Anonymous]

Google returned this.

"As of Mar 21, 2023, the average annual pay for the Master of Public Health jobs category in Virginia is $66,948 a year"

With the additional investment on Master's degree.

This is not a starting salary.

You have been warned.

[Anonymous]

My kid has an MPH and makes around $300k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid has an MPH and makes around $300k.

who cares about your kid

[Anonymous]

I think combining it with some kind of clinical training would make it more attractive or even statistics or even something like computer science . What kinds of internships or summer jobs has she had or is leaning towards? That is also going to be key. I believe starting salaries are not going to be in the 6 figures but she can grow within the field with experience and education. I’d have her look at MPH programs and see. On the one hand spending a lot for the degree at a top school will be good for job prospects but if she can find a job at graduation next year that will pay for her masters then she could consider a lower ranked school. Hopkins has one and so does U of Maryland.