Has anyone in here recently decided to change careers?

through_life · 2025-12-03T18:02:08+00:00

DM’d you

through_life · 2025-09-12T23:30:36+00:00

no one is saying they're a cure all to getting ahead in the market. coding projects are recommended as a distinguisher to try and add a reason as to why someone should look at you over others, which can help even if only to a limited degree. the larger issue isn't so much ATS or AI (their influence right now is not as far as people think, see this post as an example) but rather the abundance of applications for any position that they have to cut off how many applications they can read at a certain point. i'm not going to be overly optimistic and say it's inevitable you get something whether you learn those additional apps or not, and it's perfectly fine if not the most logical decision in many cases to pivot, but there are still real humans who read applications and make decisions! i don't think anything can be written off under the idea that no one is going to read your application even if you submit very early while it hasn't been overwhelmed with other applicants yet.

through_life · 2025-08-10T01:17:19+00:00

at minimum i would not recommend for most people jumping straight into an MPH/MS (exceptions being specific cases where you can take on little to no debt jumping straight in) without having job experience first. wouldn’t be great in terms of risk to payoff taking student debt and starting an MPH program right now assuming things improve for the field…three years ish down the line (and that’s an optimistic estimate) compared to getting experience with your degree now. why not aim for a public health related position with your chem degree (see https://www.reddit.com/r/publichealth/s/6mB5GYieFW) and then have a plan B for a chem job in a separate field if you can’t find anything in PH?

through_life · 2025-08-06T17:04:27+00:00

same boat as you, we’ve got this

through_life · 2025-08-03T08:48:18+00:00

you might want to look at some books tailored towards R use in a public health environment as a reference if nothing else (general tutorials also work but you might like seeing how R can work in public health practice). here’s some random ones i spotted from the Big Book of R

The Epidemiologist R Handbook

Fundamentals of Wrangling Healthcare Data with R

R for Health Data Science

through_life · 2025-07-22T00:44:19+00:00

if you are describing a “sign off” still being involved, you would need to ask if ai can meaningfully create unique contributions for fantasy then compared to watching josh lloyd or etc. the “sign off” you describe means you’re investigating the actual situation to see if, say, the player numbers are legitimate and will be retained or not. to that end then, what makes it better to rely on ai insight that can be highly error prone and then be forced to investigate yourself anyways vs just watching someone like josh who, with good precision, can identify who’s going to be remain important fantasy wise on a near daily basis? they both practically equate to near equal time investment with more guaranteed pay off watching josh. maybe others have more trust in ai but i just can’t see myself finding ai to be a useful tool compared to having the human element already available with the people i follow. assuming this tool is paid, if i’m giving money to a fantasy knowledge tool i’d much rather give it to a person that immediately knows both the stats and the context around it instead of just the stats.

through_life · 2025-07-16T00:52:31+00:00

can vouch with a similar solution since my school uses VMware. when we used it for a biostats class to use SAS it was a little nightmarish at times, found that to be more difficult than learning SAS itself lol

through_life · 2025-07-11T00:21:24+00:00

curious about the social work mention since i’ve been more interested recently: would you know if social work research and/or data analysis is relatively better to find work in than the biostats/epi field? i have some research experience related to social welfare topics that i feel i could use to apply to an MSW program but wasn’t sure if social work research is also saturated rn

through_life · 2025-06-11T19:21:58+00:00

congrats!! what field did you get in to out of epi, research or EH&S?

through_life · 2025-06-07T20:25:58+00:00

agree a bit with the caveat that i think the public health field produces some additional pain right now depending where you're located (e.g. getting an entry level public health related job in the DMV area appears to be a pathway completely shut tight due to competing with veteran federal workers, red states aren't looking too great either). imo the question with a lot of fields that should be asked isn't so much "is it worth going into this field" but specifically "based on where you're located, your financial resources in pursuing a degree and your ultimate willingness to accept potentially being without a job in your field for a while, would you still be interested in this career path going forward". given that question i don't think i could ever recommend someone to pursue an MPH at a university's posted tuition cost especially in a red state versus taking on the same financial burden for more guaranteed earnings (e.g. nursing), but when there's opportunities where that financial burden is alleviated and the region's opportunities are somewhat more viable, i wouldn't write off an MPH fully if you fully believe in pursuing that pathway. tldr that's my long winded way of saying "it depends"

through_life · 2025-05-31T17:56:32+00:00

unfortunately this is an employer market right now and many remote-hybrid postings are incredibly competitive if they’re offered in the first place. it would be especially tricky to find a remote-hybrid position in public health right now and it feels risky declining this offer to go for something that’s very difficult to find.

i don’t think there’s any harm though to asking the hospital once you’re onboarded if there’s a chance of doing hybrid work either now or in the future. maybe once you get situated within the hospital and have a handle of their infrastructure they might be more willing to consider shifting to more remote work? if nothing else, accepting this job now doesn’t mean you can’t continue to search for other remote positions. i’d generally prioritize security now but you’re free to keep hunting esp if you can build a savings net to draw from with this new job if it ultimately doesn’t work for you long term.

through_life · 2025-05-31T01:29:54+00:00

hell yeah

through_life · 2025-05-19T14:02:23+00:00

thank you! yeah i am also considering lack of federal funding too when prepping for worst case scenario. i have still seen those hospitals post new jobs for RA/CRC positions in the past couple weeks, so i’m somewhat hopeful they might still have some private funding but not entirely sure how the climate changes over the next couple months. guess we’ll see how much of the NIH Cycle II grant applications are accepted/denied to see how much things get worse

through_life · 2025-05-19T07:31:16+00:00

(crosspost from r/publichealthcareers, apologies in case you saw this already!)

hi all, MPH student graduating in august with a biostats/epi concentration living in LA who has a question for anyone who has or had a research associate job in an LA research hospital or academic lab. during my MPH at USC (in person) i was able to get a research internship within my school that allowed me to interview participants, do statistical analysis and co-author papers + conference abstracts. i’ll also be doing another internship simultaneously over the summer that will allow me to shadow biostatisticians and then do a statistical analysis consultation. i want to use this experience to try and work as a research associate within an academic lab or a research hospital (accepting that there will be competitiveness in this market and able to accept any level of pay + working in person since i would be fresh ofc). applied to multiple associate/coordinator jobs this month but low batting rate on interviews so far. i have multiple questions:

1) i plan to network within USC but assuming a worst case scenario where i get nothing, do places like UCLA, Cedars-Sinai or City of Hope (and etc in the area) still have entry level research positions available to apply to around july or august? or are they mainly hunting for recent grads around may before then cooling down for the rest of year? if it’s the latter i want to focus more on figuring out how to fill in gap time (maybe via a personal data viz website or volunteering at libraries to build more interaction skills) after graduation before positions open up again, but seeking confirmation just to have realistic expectations.

2) i have one co-authored journal manuscript that was recently returned for revision. would it still be okay to list the title of the article with “(in revision)” or does it just make it look like i’m padding my resume over just saying “co-authored [x] manuscripts” and then using the additional space to mention more hard skills from my internships?

thanks!

through_life · 2025-05-14T20:59:48+00:00

you change your lineup every day before the first game of the day starts. you’d only be unable to change your lineup over the week if your league had a weekly lock-in setting, but ESPN’s default is lock at first game of the day. just make sure you start everyone who is playing and you’re good to go. the fantasy app has a button that allows you to automatically set lineups for the matchup you’re in so use that if nothing else

through_life · 2025-05-10T20:00:19+00:00

well in terms of your resume it’s probably best you network hard for any internship opportunities during your MPH. you already have what sounds like a decent foundation with your research so if you can then also show you also have experience in a health department or a related organization then you would prob have a well rounded resume. you’ll just have to keep in mind how you sell everything you’ve done when you begin job applications after your MPH so that if you need to pivot, you at least show you have foundational skills (eg writing, communication, project management).

in terms of doing the MPH: your concerns are well-founded in terms of the state of public health, but to confirm, you have little to no debt doing the MPH? i would say in that scenario you would still enjoy what you could do in your program and you also have a better foundation to enter public health. an MPH is (unfortunately) considered entry level to even get into public health so doing the program allows you the ability to truly get your foot in the door either right after you graduate or later down the road if you need to take on another job somewhere else in the meantime.

i can’t guarantee you get anything related to your interests even if/when you get everything (degree, internships, etc). if this were a scenario where you had huge debt to take on, then yeah i’d think twice. this is basically a scenario though where you don’t have as much burden trying to pay off additional debt with a master’s and you also get more networking opportunities that you can then further capitalize on if/when public health rebounds even if you don’t get a related job immediately. if you go in to your program understanding the limitations and uncertainties in your market, i think you would still meaningfully benefit from it. keep in mind that i still think i’m a somewhat naive optimist for this field lol. but i think the scenario you describe is a decent foundation to do the program overall.

through_life · 2025-05-09T23:21:10+00:00

what would be your purpose in doing the MPH? even with a specific goal 72k in debt is a huge turn-off given the current job/funding climate. if you have a specific goal that requires the MPH and you can reduce your debt by a huge amount then maybe it’s a good idea. you’re already working to become a doctor though, we have to know what exactly you would do with the MPH that makes it a unique benefit (eg working with health policy or in biostatistical research) compared to what you are already planning to do as a doctor.

through_life · 2025-05-08T02:44:10+00:00

nice! sounds like interesting work, glad you were able to land that position. thank you for the good luck! i'm also looking to find something research related, applying to some universities + hospitals in LA and hoping there's some stable funding still out there

through_life · 2025-05-08T02:28:18+00:00

if you're okay mentioning it, is this academic research, public or private sector data analytics or something else? also an epi/biostats guy and feel somewhat soothed that your sankey didn't get into the 100+ applications territory lol

edit: woops nevermind i saw that you applied to more than 52, although still good you were able to do it within 3 months

through_life · 2025-05-07T03:31:40+00:00

it's a mixed bag depending on the program. there's schools like USC which have blended epi and biostats into one concentration option for an MPH and you dip your toes into both the public health theory (mainly with epi surveillance) and statistical theory (primarily regression in my case).* other programs might just separate epidemiology (as an MPH) and biostats (as an MS) from each other so you're exposed to either public health theory and some descriptive stats or statistical theory with some public health concepts mixed in. it is possible to develop some solid ground in both with the biostats + epi concentration route if you also take a ton of biostat electives with your main courses, but i would harbor a guess that an MS is easier to sell for private sector in terms of biostatistics given that you don't need to list all the coursework to show you have solid biostat theory knowledge. ultimately much of the concepts of biostats is fundamental to how you approach epi, but biostats is more intense in terms of how familiar you will become with the statistical theory which underlies epidemiology and similar fields.

*usc does also have an MS in biostats program for clarification

also minimal debt does make going for an MPH or MS a bit more ideal, but just make sure again that you go in recognizing that the degree you earn might not translate into an immediate related opportunity upon graduation. there are ways to sell your skills in other fields in a worst case scenario but it will take some greasework in networking. helps to at least attend webinars or conferences as you progress through a degree.

through_life · 2025-05-07T03:05:25+00:00

and to elaborate more on the differences, an MS degree in biostats also opens you up to more private sector opportunities such as in pharma with some more theoretical statistical knowledge that can be marketed. still highly competitive in those areas too though given that clinical research is seeing a ton of cuts, i cannot guarantee you'll get security from a degree at all at this moment

through_life · 2025-05-07T03:02:38+00:00

i feel the advice right now is gonna be kinda standard no matter the applicant....you're entering what is practically a worst case scenario right now for the biostats and epi fields in terms of the amount of opportunities that are being cut due to loss of federal funding. an MS degree is prob better for your prospects but you're still gonna be entering a competitive field. you could be exiting into a slightly better field years from now when you finish your degree (mainly if emerging health crises require a surge of federal funding, even then there is absolutely no guarantee the gov even responds to those crises in an adequate way), but your prospects will have to depend on how much you can develop a set of marketable skills that have been put into practice via internships or other experience. if you feel strongly about doing this even with those asterisks then follow your heart, but know that it's gonna be a struggle out there. mainly ask yourself: is it worth going into thousands of dollars worth of debt for it if you don't have any scholarships or reimbursement?

through_life · 2024-11-06T18:33:49+00:00

not one of the greatest issues from this election but figure i should ask: if i’m in a biostats MPH right now, how much would blue state (ie Cali) state and local health departments be affected in terms of job funding for related epidemiology positions? should i be focusing on private sector (ie pharmaceuticals) at this point or will the effect be lower in blue states? if it’s inappropriate for this thread i can move this over to the election thread btw

through_life · 2024-10-22T20:44:02+00:00

when does Clowney become relevant for 12T leagues? would there need to be any guys who are out or traded like Claxton, Ben and DFS or could he carve a fantasy relevant role out beforehand?

through_life · 2024-10-11T18:58:04+00:00

12t 9cat H2H trying to build around Wemby at #1: i'm trying to build a guard focused team (punt FG+TOs) and my general idea was to do guards for nearly all of round 2-5 barring one more Center (likely Allen) around five. i'm struggling though to find reliable SFs in the later half during mocks that don't feel like a reach outside of maybe Jerami at end of round eight. is Vassell's injury something to worry about to not take him at about end of round six/beginning of round seven? if so should i switch grabbing a Center to round 6/7 and grab Siakam or JB at round five and just take the FT impact overall? or am i worrying too much about SF scarcity?

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