Global Health Jobs - Grad School Vs. Work

by Alanna Shaikh · 2009-08-12 10:16:00 UTC
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(Would they be better off in grad school? Photo credit: Cam Vilay)

Question:

I am graduating in May 2010, and I know I want to go to graduate school. Should I work for a couple of years first, or should I start applying to grad schools? It seems foolish to waste time on a boring job when I know I want another degree.

Answer:

Get a job. You know you want a graduate degree now, but you could change your mind about what degree you want. You could change your mind about even wanting a degree. Give yourself some time to make sure it's what you really want. You're going to spend a whole lot of money on that graduate degree. Waiting a year before you start spending just makes sense. You may discover you really like not being in school. You may realize you don't want an MPH, you want an MBA or an MSW or a degree in medical anthropology. (I, for example, realized I wanted an MPH and not a PhD in political science.)

Waiting will also improve your chances of being accepted to graduate school. Even if you can't find a job that relates to global health, simply having been out there in the world improves your odds of getting in. It shows maturity and a range of experiences - not just schooling - that graduate schools like to see.

And the reason that grad schools like to see it is because working for a while does actually help you mature. Getting up, doing your boring (or fabulous) job every day takes a level of consistency and discipline that school doesn't ask of you. Acquiring that discipline makes grad school easier to handle once you get there.

Alanna Shaikh
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