Applying to the US for an MPH program needs dedication and time. Unlike Pakistan, Public Health is a popular field in the US and students from diverse educational and career backgrounds apply to graduate school for Public Health. However, medical doctors have an edge as they have studied and worked in healthcare and have a strong profile already built for Public Health.
First and foremost, if you are a US Citizen or have a Green Card you will have several scholarship opportunities available to you both by the university and the US government. If you are a Pakistani citizen Fullbright Scholarship given by HEC is your best choice. With fair warning, however, it is very competitive and they only choose 2-3 people for it.
Moving on to the application process. Following are the requirements:
1. GRE
2. TOEFL [Minimum 90 score]
3. Minimum GPA of 3.0 in undergraduate
4. WES or ECE evaluation of transcripts
5. SOPHAS application
6. 3 Letters of Recommendation
7. Statement of Purpose
Now I’ll Discuss each point individually.
1. GRE : This is an exam similar to GAT in Pakistan. It has two portions, Quant [maths] and Verbal [English] and marks are measured from a range of 130 – 170. There is a wealth of information available online on how to prepare for this exam. The better you score in this the stronger your application becomes for Scholarships. It is valid for 5 years. Price 205$
2. TOEFL: This is an exam similar to IELTS. It is necessary for international students to prove their English speaking, writing and listening proficiency. It is out of 120 and usually a score of more than 90 is required. High scores in this aren’t used as competitive edge. Valid for 2 years. Price 200$.
3. I will discuss point 3 and 4 together. World Education Service [WES] or Educational Credential Evaluators [ECE] are services for international students to get their university transcripts equated to the American system. As medical schools in Pakistan have an annual percentage system, it needs to be translated into courses and grades and finally into GPA. A competitive application for scholarships needs to have a GPA for more than 3.0. This usually costs around 200-250$.
4. Discussed above
5. SOPHAS : This is an online portal where you make an account and upload all your documents. Then add all the universities in US you want to apply to. Pay application fee for each institution and then wait for their answer. Application cost 85$ first university then 55$ any additional ones.
6. LORs: They play an important role in making your application strong. These letters can be written by employers or professors who know you well and can vouch for your capabilities.
7. Statement of Purpose : Or some like to call it Personal Statement is THE MOST IMPORTANT part of your application for Public Health. This is usually an essay or your life story ranging from 500-1500 words that explains what you have achieved in life and what you want to do in the future and how will doing an MPH help you achieve that. Every University has their own requirements for what they want to see in your SOP. Rest assured, this is where you are directly talking to admissions committee and trying to convince them why you are the best candidate.
Other Important Points:
1. Applications for Fall 2020 open in November 2019. Various schools have very different deadlines and requirements and you need to visit each website and find out.
2. GRE English is difficult and you should atleast give 3 months of prepepration time to get a decent GRE score.
3. Without scholarships US universities are expensive. Public university fee ranges from 20,000$ to 30,000$ a year.
4. Private universities Like Harvard, John Hopkins, Yale etc usually cost starting from 60,000$ to 80,000$ per year.
5. The whole application procedure including exams may cost 700-900$
6. If you have taken all your USMLEs and are ECFMG certified then some places can waive off GRE and TOEFL both. Some places don’t waive off either. You have to email them and check.
Following are some helpful websites which I consulted throughout. Hope this information helps. Good luck and Regards. DR. UM
https://www.healthcare-management-degree.net/best/mph/
https://sophas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login
https://www.usnews.com/.../top.../public-health-rankings
https://www.reddit.com/r/publichealth/
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