<p>I recently graduated from UCLA, and I was accepted into the three schools that I applied to for an MPH in global/international health (NYU, USC, and Loma Linda U.). However, the cost of attending those schools is very overwhelming (e.g. I was offered $70,000 from NYU in loans just for 1 year). I ultimately want to get a PhD in public health, however, I have read that a majority of the applicants already have an MPH. Therefore, I am wondering if I should just pursue the MPH, or if I should take a year off and apply to some PhD programs for the following year. </p>
<p>Here is some of my information:</p>
<p>School/Research
- BA in Sociology from UCLA (I also took all of the necessary premed classes and got mostly A's and two B's).
- 3.8 GPA
- Graduated - departmental honors, cum laude
- GRE: Verbal (154), Quantitative (153), Writing (4)
- Honors sociology research program - (2 years) I conducted my own research study on stress and wrote a thesis
- 3 years - research assistant: worked on nanosomes for dermatology, and participated in osteoarthritis clinical trial.</p>
<p>Internships/Shadowing
- 2 year hospital internship
- 5 month documentary film internship: researching type II diabetes
- 2 years of physician shadowing: hospitalist, surgeon, gynecologist
- 4 months of shadowing a certified diabetes educator: assisted in training patients on insulin pump therapy.</p>
<p>Volunteer
- Volunteered at a medical clinic in Mexico
- 1 year - Soup Kitchen
- 1 year - Animal Shelter
- 2 years - produced art show and art instructor for young girls
- 3 years - Tutored HS and college students: chemistry, calculus, and physics.</p>
<p>I would like to go to school in California or New York (as I have family there). </p>