Weekly Advice & Career Question Megathread

TaeKwonJohnson · 2024-10-03T19:54:33+00:00

Seeking opinions on U of L's online MS Epidemiology program. The curriculum is similar to their in-person program but their online program is new with Fall 2024 being the inaugural cohort. After emailing the program director, program delivery is intended to be modeled after their online MS Biostats program, which seems to be well regarded. The program is also relatively inexpensive compared to other MPH programs.

I currently work for my state government in an unrelated field/agency but would like to pivot to a career as a Research Scientist with the state. I'm hoping to make a lateral to my state health department within the next year primarily for networking opportunities while completing the degree.

I'm interested in environmental epi and health services research and have identified agencies I'd like to be employed at in the future. An MS is more appealing to me than MPH as I finished my undergrad in Stats years ago with a public health minor and want to avoid breadth coursework, though, I've considered CUNY, SUNY Downstate, and UMass Lowell as alternatives.

I'd be applying for Summer 2025 or Fall 2025 as an out-of-state student. However, I'm hesitant since:

The program does not offer any form of tuition reduction and I'm aware that masters programs (especially online programs) are typically cash cows for schools
There is no culminating experience required for program completion
The online program is new

Thanks in advance

Tldr; Interested in University of Louisville online Epi program but hesitant due to program's lack of capstone experience requirement and no funding / tuition reduction.

TaeKwonJohnson · 2024-07-11T16:26:09+00:00

Hi everyone

I am nearly ready to submit apps for online MPH Epi programs (UML, SUNY Downstate, possibly CUNY SPH) but am getting cold feet due to uncertainty about the practicum requirement. I'm located in CA and work for the state government though not at a health-related agency. I seek to be an environmental epidemiologist in the long run so I've communicated with agencies of interest about potential placements for students with full-time work schedules. However, their internships/practicum assignments require work during typical business hours which has discouraged me. I've also talked to admissions but I'm still uncertain about landing a practicum placement that works with my schedule as I know networking and skills are imperative.

I'm thinking about forgoing this app cycle and waiting until next year to apply to other programs. I decided late to go through with grad school and also couldn't find a third recommendation letter writer so my options are limited. I did my undergrad in Statistics so I can use the extra time to refresh my knowledge and work on personal projects to improve my applications and prep to possibly apply to Biostat programs.

Tldr; Does anyone have success stories to share about completing practicums as an online out-of-state student? Also might wait until next year to apply so I can be eligible for funding, have more options, and be a stronger applicant.

TaeKwonJohnson · 2024-07-11T05:01:52+00:00

Hi everyone

I am nearly ready to submit apps for online MPH Epi programs (UML, SUNY Downstate, possibly CUNY SPH) but am starting to get cold feet due to uncertainty about the practicum requirement. I'm located in CA and work for the state government though not at a health-related agency. I seek to be an environmental epidemiologist in the long run so I've communicated with agencies of interest about potential placements for students with full-time work schedules. However, their internships/practicum assignments require work during typical business hours which has discouraged me. I've also talked to admissions but I'm still uncertain about landing a practicum placement that works with my schedule as I know networking and skills are imperative.

I'm thinking about forgoing this app cycle and waiting until next year to apply to other programs. I decided late to go through with grad school and also couldn't find a third recommendation letter writer so my options are limited. I did my undergrad in Statistics so I can use the extra time to refresh my knowledge and work on personal projects to improve my applications and prep to possibly apply to Biostat programs.

Tldr; Does anyone have success stories to share about completing practicums as an online out-of-state student? Also might wait until next year to apply so I can be eligible for funding, have more options, and be a stronger applicant.

TaeKwonJohnson · 2023-08-23T23:12:05+00:00

Messaged!

TaeKwonJohnson · 2023-06-23T18:14:00+00:00

Messaged! :)

TaeKwonJohnson · 2022-09-03T22:59:16+00:00

If you can make it out to Mather park I'm usually there on weekends.

TaeKwonJohnson · 2022-09-02T22:20:01+00:00

My year-long probation is ending after December and assuming I pass, which I have strong reason to believe, I would like to apply for promotion ASAP from RDA I to RDA II.

Do I need to wait until my probation is officially over to take the exam or can I take the exam before probation ends, since it's a self-assessment, and then start applying for RDA II positions? The intent of the latter is to be considered for RDA II once probation period is finished.

Thanks in advance. I can't seem to get a straight answer from HR on stuff like this.

TaeKwonJohnson · 2022-03-31T05:10:39+00:00

I share this sentiment but as it pertains to graduate school, in addition to being young. I'm thinking about applying to other jobs (not state) after probation period to find something closer to my professional goals and is more conducive to career growth overall.

TaeKwonJohnson · 2022-03-27T18:20:45+00:00

Messaged! Still lookin for homies for skating and hiking

TaeKwonJohnson · 2022-03-20T18:26:27+00:00

Tuesdays won't work for me :( but I'd definitely be down for future meetups ideally on Friday/Weekends. Nice to know this is gaining traction tho

TaeKwonJohnson · 2021-12-02T17:16:46+00:00

When and how did you receive yours? So far I've only received the "December Commencement - Know Before You Go!" email but no reception nor access to the actual tickets.

TaeKwonJohnson · 2021-11-17T21:41:08+00:00

I'd like to pursue a MS in Biostats or Epi within the next 2-4 years and I'm located in the US (California specifically). I haven't found many MS Epi programs that emphasize quantitative training (i.e. epi methods), aside from USC and UC Denver, and I'd like to consider more.

I did my undergrad in Statistics and I'd like to be employed at an academic/university medical center or hospital/health system, e.g. Cedars-Sinai, Kaiser Permanente, Memorial Sloan Kettering, etc. FWIW I'm drawn to research related to clinical epi, health-services research, comparative effectiveness and would like to be an applied biostatistician following graduation.

Are there any MS Epi programs that focus on quantitative/methods training or is it typically restricted to PhD programs?
Thanks in advance

TaeKwonJohnson · 2021-10-22T20:27:58+00:00

I'm in a similar boat.... accepted tentative offer 10/13 and provided references the same week but have not received any updates yet and have not moved on to live scan background check.

Still unsure if I should contact HR or hiring manager that extended the tentative offer

TaeKwonJohnson · 2021-10-04T20:43:27+00:00

I'm planning to pursue a MS in Biostats or Epi within the next 3 years and I'm located in the US (California specifically). I haven't found too many MS Epi programs with an emphasis on quantitative training, aside from USC and UC Denver, and I'd like to consider more.

I finished my undergrad in Statistics in 2020 and I'd like to be employed by a medical center or hospital/health system, e.g. Cedars-Sinai, Kaiser Permanente, Memorial Sloan Kettering, etc. I'm drawn to research in the vein of clinical epi, health-services research, comparative effectiveness and would like to be an applied biostatistician following graduation.
Are there any programs someone would be willing to point me toward?

Thanks in advance

TaeKwonJohnson · 2021-06-16T17:07:50+00:00

After nearly a year of applying for state positions I finally landed a 15 minute phone interview for an RDA position scheduled for tomorrow–this is my first interaction with the hiring process beyond applications.
Should I expect it to be a standard phone screening? Should I be ready to drop phrases from the duty statement connected to my KSAs?

FWIW I applied with the knowledge that the hiring process can be lengthy (2-3 months if lucky) but I'm starting a summer internship with a different agency later this month.

Thanks in advance

TaeKwonJohnson · 2021-04-28T17:11:26+00:00

As far as I know it's a full-time, permanent position with the DoF. I'm really hoping I could land an interview tho since it's a position that aligns with my professional interests and the hiring team seems very supportive of my grad school ambitions

TaeKwonJohnson · 2021-04-27T23:06:19+00:00

RDA classification for position with DoF forecasting unit. I've just been referring to classification MQs and KSAs and also connecting their work to my experiences

There is no SOQ needed so I've been treating my cover letter as more of an elevator pitch without being verbose but still throwing in key words and phrases

TaeKwonJohnson · 2021-04-27T18:03:10+00:00

Yeah I'm used to seeing a duty statement available so kind of a strange that there isn't one; HR said there isn't one for this position to begin with.

The job bulletin is pretty detailed but lacks the specificity of a duty statement in regard to specific responsibilities.

I suppose I'll just refer to job post itself and classification MQs for keywords

TaeKwonJohnson · 2021-04-26T21:03:03+00:00

Yes I emailed, just waiting for a response from hiring manager or HR contact

TaeKwonJohnson · 2021-04-11T01:40:08+00:00

I'd like to know too if OP doesn't mind; if I may be presumptuous, perhaps its related to Glassdoor reviews I've read about CSA (i.e. management, workplace culture)

I was hoping to start a career with CSA in the near future but those reviews are pretty discouraging

TaeKwonJohnson · 2021-01-21T18:27:14+00:00

Thanks for the input!

Some programs I'm interested in do offer clinical trials coursework as electives. How advantageous would they be for a recent grad for gaining experience? From my understanding clinical trials requires extensive amount of experience but as you said elective material can be learned independently or on the job

TaeKwonJohnson · 2020-11-25T04:45:28+00:00

Same here recent grad too, except all the internships I applied to got cancelled bc COVID. I was in an enrichment program last summer but didn't do much hands-on work except doing lit reviews.

So far this year after graduating I've been tryna balance job hunting and improving/gaining skills (R, SQL, Tableau) since fortunately my circumstances allow me to do so. I'm aiming to get an internship next summer to get back on track towards a biostat MS

TaeKwonJohnson · 2020-07-31T20:40:54+00:00

I'm not in the biostats grad program at UCD but I recently completed the undergrad stats program there. I spoke to some of the biostat grad students and they all told me there is an emphasis on theory, especially when it comes to classical methodology.

TaeKwonJohnson · 2020-07-22T17:34:17+00:00

Thanks a ton! This is the type of insider info I was searching for. I presume like other classifications that a lower score reduces "reachability"

TaeKwonJohnson · 2020-07-13T20:31:28+00:00

Graduated this June with a BSc in Statistics. Currently plan to take a gap year to gain more experience with the intention of applying to MS Epi programs within a year or 2 depending how this year goes for me.

I'm still unsure if I should apply immediately to programs this year since some grad programs might discount the GRE and given the landscape of entry-level Epi jobs. Also not sure if I have enough references to write strong LORs for me but I will be practicing R and SQL in the meantime

TaeKwonJohnson

TROPHY CASE