MPH Job Finding Worries

College Majors Science Majors
1

First off, if this is in the wrong section, I apologize. This is the first time I’ve posted here so this was my best guess of where it should go. For the last year or so I’ve been interested in getting an MPH after I finish nursing school. I’d really like to work in global health, and am most interested in emphaizing in population, family and sexual health. I am worried, however, that having a background in nursing won’t be enough “hard skills” to get a job and that much of what I will learn through my MPH will mainly be "soft skills " and theory which, while great, won’t make me as competitive in global health as some of the more practical fields like epidemiology and biostats. Am I overthinking this? On other forums I’ve heard people talk about an “MPH bubble,” which makes it hard for graduates without useful skills to get jobs, especially in a more theory based emphasis like global health. I tried to talk myself into emphasizing in epidemiology, but I’m just not as interested in it as I would like to be if I’m going to major in it. I’m worried that if I major in epidemiology, I’ll spend most of my time in a lab or doing statistical models instead of working with people like I want to. I also am not to keen on taking more math (already taken three years), and know many course will want me take at least a semester of calculus, which would take another year. Does anyone know any other courses, skills, etc. I could take during my undergraduate years? Should I not rule out epidemiology if I want a decent job?

I’m planning on doing a 2 year stint in the Peace Corps and then possibly a year with Doctors without Borders after I graduate, so I think I’ll be okay on international experience. I’ve also been working in health care since I graduated high school, and will have 6 years experience when I graduate nursing school.

Here are classes I’ve taken/will take that will be (hopefully) relevant to the field:

Biology:
Biology 1
Human Anatomy
Human Physiology
Pathophysiology
Microbiology

Chemistry 1

Statistics 1 and 2

General Nutrition and Nutritional Epidemiology

General Economics (micro and macro, though more of a focus on macro)

Psychology:
General Psychology
Human Development
Abnormal Psychology
Child Abuse and Neglect
Advanced Neuroscience

I’m also minoring in political science

Anyway, hope that wasn’t too long, and I’d appreciate any help I can get!

2

Since you are taking or will take all the course listed above as an undergrad, it’s not clear to me where you are fitting in the nursing studies. Are you planning to do a nursing program for people who already have an undergrad degree in a non-nursing field, or are you planning to do an MSN program?

Nursing will provide enough skills to get a job (especially combined with Peace Corps experience). Whether an MPH will be too theoretical depends on the particular program, though you will need some “soft skills” to go along with the nursing skills.

If you aren’t yet committed to a particular nursing program, consider those programs that offer an option in international nursing.

In some public health programs, you can concentrate in your stated area of interest in population, family, & sexual health.

Some public health schools offer a program in conjunction with the Peace Corps.

As for other courses to take during your undergrad years, what about languages and area studies? Are you interested in a particular world region? What about medical anthropology? What about cross-cultural & international issues in women’s studies? What about coursework in health communication and cross-cultural communication?

Just to mention some of the types of programs you might consider…
Tufts: http://www.nutrition.tufts.edu/academics/maha
Tulane: http://www.sph.tulane.edu/publichealth/mphihd/index.cfm; http://www.sph.tulane.edu/publichealth/mphmch/index.cfm
Johns Hopkins: http://www.jhsph.edu/academics/degree-programs/master-of-public-health/curriculum/concentrations-and-customizing/womens-and-reproductive-health.html
Peace Corps Masters International: http://www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/graduate/mastersint/
Michigan: http://www.nursing.umich.edu/outreach/global-collaboration/peace-corps