Hi everyone, I'm applying this fall to PhD programs and I'm having a hard time deciding between nursing and public health. Ultimately I want to be in academia, either in public health or nursing. I know people with a PhD in public health often get faculty positions in nursing schools but I haven't seen nurses get faculty positions in schools of public health, so that's something to consider in terms of keeping my options open. I think my interests align better with public health (social determinants of health, health equity, etc.), but those are also topics I could study within nursing. I like that the public health PhD programs seem to be a little bit heavier on research methods, statistics, etc. because I want to make sure that when I'm done with my PhD I'm really well prepared to do excellent research and get grants. On the other hand, public health programs, particularly the top ones, seem to be much harder to get into because they get so many more applicants for fewer spots. I think that nursing is also often looked at as less prestigious, and even though I don't buy into that line of thinking it stings and bothers me that others feel that way, but maybe I should shake it off and disregard it. Has anyone else been torn between nursing and public health? How did you decide? I'd also love to hear from others who are applying to PhD programs this fall! Thank you!
Can you matriculate to doctoral public health programs without training? The MPH or MSPH seem to be the entry level credential in that field from whenceforeth one chooses public health specializations, eh research.
Maybe you could be like Kate Winslet in Contagion!
I should have clarified initially that I'm already a nurse and I meet the admissions criteria for both nursing and public health PhD programs. I'm just having trouble deciding which discipline is my preference. I will likely apply to both and see where I get in and go from there, but in case I get into at least one nursing and at least one public health program, it would be good to have an idea which is my preference ahead of time so I've thought through my decision by the time I'm faced with it. Thanks!
At risk of complicating answers even more, I would suggest that the choice between individual institutions/ departments is more important than choosing between nursing vs. public health. I just completed a phd in nursing that could have easily been completed from a public health department. At my school, nursing students complain about not having enough statistical training, but there were opportunities to go outside the nursing school to get additional training (yes, even in the public health program).
Ultimately, you should find out if your candidate institutions are open to your research interests and training needs evolving throughout and beyond your "home" department. This could mean funding, and generally (but not always) nursing PhDs aren't funded as well as other programs. I know we were the worst funded school in our university, but we also didn't have a phd in public health program. Ask yourself, when flipping through all the admissions websites, do the school and its funding structure give you the impression that they want to get you out of there ASAP or produce a rounded quality candidate with training in multiple methods? I concur with Null that there are substantive theoretical differences between nursing and public health, but these are fluid and often abstract, and will be of secondary concern when you have a semester left to defend your dissertation and you can't proceed with your study because your committee members can't agree on which measurement tool you should use.
At risk of complicating answers even more, I would suggest that the choice between individual institutions/ departments is more important than choosing between nursing vs. public health. I just completed a phd in nursing that could have easily been completed from a public health department. At my school, nursing students complain about not having enough statistical training, but there were opportunities to go outside the nursing school to get additional training (yes, even in the public health program).
Ultimately, you should find out if your candidate institutions are open to your research interests and training needs evolving throughout and beyond your "home" department. This could mean funding, and generally (but not always) nursing PhDs aren't funded as well as other programs. I know we were the worst funded school in our university, but we also didn't have a phd in public health program. Ask yourself, when flipping through all the admissions websites, do the school and its funding structure give you the impression that they want to get you out of there ASAP or produce a rounded quality candidate with training in multiple methods? I concur with Null that there are substantive theoretical differences between nursing and public health, but these are fluid and often abstract, and will be of secondary concern when you have a semester left to defend your dissertation and you can't proceed with your study because your committee members can't agree on which measurement tool you should use.
Thank you, that's super helpful. That's really good advice to pay attention to funding and whether or not there is a push to go through the program really fast. I don't want to rush through a program; I want to take whatever time is needed for me to build skills and a knowledge base that I'll need in my career. I definitely like the idea of programs that allow interdisciplinary study as well.
saheckler, PhD, RN
76 Posts
I should have clarified initially that I'm already a nurse and I meet the admissions criteria for both nursing and public health PhD programs. I'm just having trouble deciding which discipline is my preference. I will likely apply to both and see where I get in and go from there, but in case I get into at least one nursing and at least one public health program, it would be good to have an idea which is my preference ahead of time so I've thought through my decision by the time I'm faced with it. Thanks!