<p>I know there are been posts about this subject in the past, but I feel like I am getting some very mixed messages and I am not really sure where to go from here. </p>
<p>I am a rising sophomore at a small LAC and I plan to get a PhD in Epidemiology in the future. Basically, I want to be in the medical field, but I don't want to interact with patients. I am attracted to Epidemiology becuase I like working/making sense of large sets of data. That being said, I've heard there are two ways of going about becoming an Epidemiologist: I could go to Med school, and then get a PhD (like in an M.D./PhD. program), or I could just get a PhD (or get an M.P.H. if necessary). </p>
<p>I've been talking to my mom (a doctor) and she seems to think the second route would be sufficient, although in getting a job, an M.D./PhD app is going to look better next to mine. However, I was thinking of getting a really strong background in statistics/math/computer science so I would sort of fill a different niche of Epidemiology. I know this sort of sounds like biostats more than epidemiology, but my dad always tells me "Be an epidemiologist first and a statistician second." My career goal is to work for maybe the CDC or NIH or a company. I want to make sense of medical data. Does anyone have an opinion on this? </p>
<p>My last question is my college does not offer a specific epidemiology degree. I am also finding myself leaning toward psychology/sociology/anthropology/cognitive science (yes, I know that is a lot!). The way I see it, if I major in something different now, I will be a more well-rounded person in the end. Besides, if my school doesn't offer anything like epidemiology, then why not indulge in what else I like there? If I take stats and computer science courses and some biology, will I still be competitive for grad school if I major in an unrelated field? I plan to spend the next two summers at epidemiology related internships. </p>
<p>In the end, what's on your diploma isn't going to matter so much as what's in your head.</p>
<p>When you apply to graduate school, admissions committees will see your transcript, and they'll look at the specific courses you took rather than just at the name of your degree program. You could also take the opportunity to underline in your statement of purpose that your broad background has prepared you well for many different facets of epidemiology.</p>
<p>Think seriously of doing grad school at Emory University. You will have the CDC on your doorstep, and Emory's public health school (including epidemiology) is ranked 9th in the nation.</p>
<p>Cami215, how are the profs at Emory as far as connections go? I am sort of a West Coast girl and was thinking about Washington University or Berkeley. What do you think? My parents think that the connections you get at Grad school are probably more important than the actual grad school in the job world. </p>
<p>Also what about Grad school admissions? It's really difficult to get a high GPA at my current LAC. I am super intimidated by these posts that say above a 3.7 is a must! Will that all be taken into consideration?</p>
<p>Johns Hopkins also have excellent public health and biostatistics. I think their biostats program is exactly what you have described. I don't know how difficult it is getting into but I know the classes aren't very hard b/c I have lots of friends who have taken multiple classes at that level as undergrads and maybe half of it was common sense.</p>
<p>I'm not sure what the requirements are for getting into Emory. But with the CDC sitting one block away, the connections are excellent. (Some of the profs actually work with the CDC and they have connections all over the country.)</p>
<p>hey everyone, I was wondering about a more specific type of epidemiology: the type concerned with air pollution and its effects on human health-- also, I'd like to do both the research/studies side of epidemiology as well as the stats. I have a few connections in this field at Harvard School of Public Health, but was wondering what good (or other good) graduate programs and schools there are out there for this field. </p>
<p>Though I am mainly curious about what programs and schools there are out there (if you don't want to deal with this question, but you have info on the previous question, I'd love to get just an answer to that), what do you gugys think I have a shot at the competitive world of epidemiology with what I've got for a resume?
Right now I'm a sophomore double major (Government and Environmental Bio-- perhaps cutting it down to just Environmental Bio though) with a minor in math at Colby College (top 20 LAC) with a 3.2 GPA (but it's early, and, though noone can predict their GPA, I expect mine to raise to, hopefully, around 3.5). So far I have already had a 3-month internship with the Appalachian Mlountain Club doing air/rain/cloud quality research in a national forest in New Hampshire and giving "programs" on air pollution, how its created, where the Northeast gets it from, how it hurts humans etc. and a few small jobs doing air pollution studies (fine particulate/ultrafine particulate, PAH, and Black Carbon measurements) on Diesel automobiles (mainly tractor trailor/dump trucks) in rush hour traffic around/to Boston with a fairly established, small non-profit air-quality organization (the Clean Air Task Force). Also, in high school, I did an internship at my local hospital. I plan on getting EMT certified (already WFA and CPR certified, lol) doing another three-month stint doing research with the AMC and perhaps looking to Harvard School of Public Health or the Clean Air Task Force for an internship. Though it probably makes no difference, I play a varsity sport, a club sport, and am active in several clubs.</p>