Best International Health and/or Social and Behavioral Intervention Programs

[mahndooman]

Hello all!

I'm new here and have looked at various MPH/MHS websites in int'l health/social and behavioral interventions/health communications thoroughly.

I'm looking to gain training in managing, designing and evaluating int'l health interventions (social marketing, community radio health programs, internet, etc.) in developing countries (preferably SE Asia and Africa). On the other hand, I do want a school that will force me to grab a well-rounded MPH includ. biostats and epi and some anthro.

So far these are the schools I'm looking at:

UC Berkeley: in-state for me, smaller size, but got the feeling that most profs wrote lots of papers but hadn't worked in health communications extensively in developing countries. Their strong suit seems more domestic, more math-based. Great location, too!

Emory: lots of health communications practitioners who have worked in the field, strong int'l health programs and gives financial support to selected studients for int'l internships. Decent location but would prefer to be closer to Los Angeles (home for me).

U of Washington, Seattle: out of state for me but looks like a very well rounded int'l program w/ strong community mobilization apporach to health. Looks like a great group of profs. w/ interests in SE Asia and Africa.

Tulane: very good int'l program w/ cools profs but i'd prefer not to live in New Orleans. They offer strong Africa and Latin America programs. The MPH program is also a bit too big for me.

Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Johns Hopkins: all looks like pretty interesting schools but don't know if I could afford any of these and not sure i'd want to live in any of these cities.

Any suggestions on which are the best int'l health programs? Which has the best health communications program? Which offers the strongest alumni network to get into int'l work later?

All of my assumptions above are off the web so anybody/everybody, plz chime in and give me your thoughts. I'm looking to apply in 2004 to int'l health of health and social behavior departments. Do these dept's tend to be more or less competitve than the epi/biostats/health mgt. programs?

Thanks for reading everybody!

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[Heal&Teach]

I'm sure that any of the schools you've listed here are going to be sufficient in terms of giving you the right combination of health communications training and international experiences. It is important to remember that at any school that you attend, you'll definitely need to make the most out of the opportunities presented to you (even if it means going into school with a strategy for execution and taking the time to carry it out through networking and careful planning - which you seem to have accomplished).

I know that you'd like to be closer to home, but honestly, wouldn't it be worth it to go to a school that seems to have the program that's best for you, even if it's a little farther away? I understand what you mean about the costs of school, but if you're not thinking of furthering your education beyond the Master's, then why not invest in your education? I'd say that you should choose the school with the program that you like the best, versus one that will keep you closer to home since you seem to have a pretty genuine interest in international health.

Other people may say that you should definitely go here or there, but I think that you truly get the best feeling from a particular school based on interactions with the students and faculty. I'd encourage you to visit the schools you're thinking of applying to (if you can), sit in on classes, talk to students, and then determine which would be right for you. Just my $0.02.

PS Also consider the potential for doing a post-graduate fellowship that may afford you additional experiences in international health (e.g., FHI, Pop Fellows, ASPH, ATPM, etc.).

 

[inspire]

Have you looked into Boston University's School of Public Health? They have an *AMAZING* international health department. I am a student at the school right now concentrating in Social and Behavioral Sciences - but was intially contemplating the International Health concentration here. Look into it, i would highly recommend the program: http://www.bumc.bu.edu/Departments/HomeMain.asp?DepartmentID=82
You could also do a dual concentration in both areas!

PM if you have any specific questions about the program.